Parking Fine - Unsure what steps to take first smart parking/DPR Letter

Le_Kirk

Does your MP work for the parking company - sounds like something a PPC would say.  Where are you with the process; debt company letters, letter before claim or N1 claim form?

Umkomaas

Unbelievable response. Why does he think that his Govt colleagues have decided to rehash the whole private parking sector, including the total ban on this particular element: 

Unfortunately, the case is now with Debt Recovery Plus, the amount outstanding has increase due to non-payment and it may increase over time, if you do not agree to settling the debt.

Looks like that reply was written for him by Smart Parking using some kind of template stock copy to issue to MPs 'making a fuss'!

Totally and completely out of touch with the reality that is going on under his own nose. I can guess where your X won't be going in two years time. 

Better advice from me - ignore DRP, ignore Smart unless you get an extremely unlikely Letter Before Claim, or a formal court claim from the Northampton CCBC. 

Sleep easy. 

christinajane

Yeah it sounds like he's does doesn't he? 

Suppose he is a Conservative MP, maybe it was to be expected 😂

Nothing much has happened so far. I've missed the initial two letters from the parking company because I only changed my drivers licence at the time I moved house last year and not my v5c form. Long story, but moving in a pandemic and catching and suffering quite bad from covid, everything else jsut goes out the window.

I've since updated my V5C form with the DVLA and I have informed the DPO at the PPC company of my updated address, as per the advice in these forums. 

I haven't contacted DRP at all, again after reading all the advice in these forums. So far I've only received one letter from them last week. I assume the 7 days is now over. 

The only positive I can take from this so far is that it made me realise I had to update my V5C form, it really just wasn't in my head! 

Coupon-mad

The Conservatives introduced the new Parking Code of Practice in February to end rogue parking charges and dodgy practices which Neil O'Brien MP at the DLUHC called 'designed to extort money'.

This was never a fine and there was no fair appeal.  This is why the Government is ripping the kangaroo court appeals schemes up, along with both the self-serving Codes of Practice, and starting again.

Tell him that and send him these links:

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-02-02/debates/CC84AF5E-AC6E-4E14-81B1-066E6A892807/Parking(CodeOfPractice)Bill

(above, see Pete Wishart's words in the House, about Smart Parking) and below, see Neil O'Brien's scathing ministerial foreword: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-parking-code-of-practice

Ask him how he has managed to be on completely the wrong page compared to other Conservative MPs, so much so that he's reading a completely different book.

The response is appallingly tone deaf and you should call him out over it. Is his aide related to someone at a parking firm and wrote that awful first response for him?!

Don't let the MP off.  Think of the damage he is doing to other more vulnerable constituents who complain, who might believe that rubbish and pay a scam charge. This is unacceptable from any MP.

christinajane

Thanks coupon mad - I was a little taken a back by his response thinking that, with everything I had read about what the government has been saying about parking he would have been more sympathetic! Especially as DRP have added an extra £70! Well technically £110 because I think the original ticket must have been £60.

I will reply to him with everything you have just said and wait a response.

christinajane

I've sent it...! 

Coupon-mad

Yay! That MP needs to re-think his opinion, thanks to you not letting that awful response go.

christinajane

Hes replied - actually scared to read it! 

christinajane

Does he have a point? I mean its my fault for not realising I had to update my v5c form and therefore because of that I didn't  receive the initial letters for the fine. But in my defence there were extentuating circumstances- although I doubt they would see it like that! 

So I've missed the right to appeal because I didn't get those initial letters. If I tell the MP that he will just say its my fault...honestly that whole parking situation wasn't fair. From what I remember, it was in Feb. The car park was practically empty, there were no obvious signs plus I ate in the restaurant attached to the car park. It's usually free whens that's the case! I wasn't even there that long! 

Thank you for your further email, and comments about the Parking Code of Practice.

 

I welcome the Code which, in England outside of London and in Wales, will see charges reduced from £100 to £70 or £50, depending on the seriousness of the breach. Parking debt collectors will be banned from adding additional excess fees to the level of the parking charge. The Code also seeks to tackle parking firms using aggressive or pseudo-legal language to intimidate motorists into paying fines.

 

It should be noted that the £100 cap will be retained in some circumstances such as blocking a disabled bay or trespassing on private land, and the Code does not mean we can park wherever we want or avoid fines if we are caught parking somewhere we shouldn’t.

 

Under the changes, motorists will be offered a 50 per cent discount if they pay a fine within 14 days, which I alluded to in my initial response to you. I understand that you have declined to make use of this provision.

 

There will also be a compulsory ten-minute grace period before firms can issue a late fine, as well as a compulsory five-minute cooling-off period in which a motorist can consider the terms and conditions and change their mind about parking. Indeed, parking firms will be required to clearly display pricing and terms and conditions of parking, contact details and how to appeal a charge.

 

A new, simpler appeals process is also being created, to make it easier for disputed fines to be cancelled. If you do believe you have been fined unfairly, I would encourage you to appeal the fine.

 

Operators will be expected to fully adhere to the new Code, by the end of 2023. Rogue firms that break these rules could be barred from requesting Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency data, effectively preventing them from pursuing parking charges.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

 

Regards,

 

 

Andrew Stephenson MP

Coupon-mad

He hasn't made any points - he's just read and repeated the Govt spiel - but at least you forced him to get up to speed and to stop spouting rubbish!

He has overlooked that the new Code DOESN'T blame people for delays in updating their logbooks and in fact goes the other way; it says if a new address is found after a compulsory soft trace, the PPC must start again with a fresh PCN at the original rate, and allow the person to appeal because they had not had that chance earlier.