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Parking Fine - Debt Collection

Morning,

Hoping for a bit of advice.

A couple of weeks ago I received a late stage debt recovery letter for a parking fine back in May. The reason it took so long to come to me is because when I bought my car, the dealership registered it to my old address. In the eyes of the debt collection agency, completely our fault (and I wouldn't disagree).

However, the original parking fine should never have actually been issued. It was issued by a gym for overstaying on their car park, which is 4 hours. I attended a gym class and left, so would have been around 2 hrs, then went to work, so the number plate reader must have missed me for whatever reason.

When I asked the gym after receiving a letter, they emailed and asked for it to be withdrawn and no fine to be issued as they agreed I shouldn't have received it.

I range the debt recovery company after receiving another letter, and they told me it's too late and they have refused to withdraw upon the email from the gym company. They were quite short on the phine, and told me that I should get a solicitor if I am not going to pay (which seemed a bit of scare tactics).

What's your opinion on this? Is it too late for me to get out of the payment now? The V45 having my old adress isn't a fault of the car parking company, however I am not at fault for the original fine.

Any advice welcome, even if it is simply that I have no leg to stand on and have to pay.

Comments

  • Grizebeck
    Grizebeck Posts: 3,967 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 6 September 2022 at 12:13PM
    Update your address with the parking firm. Stay of the phone to such vultures
    And no you wont be paying them. Get that out of your head
  • Apologiues, I have read the FAQ etc about these, will go down that route.
  • fisherjim
    fisherjim Posts: 7,111 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 6 September 2022 at 12:55PM
    You are dealing with scammers not John Lewis stop engaging with debt collectors they are greedy powerless idiots they want nothing more than money, and you cannot appeal to them anyway.
    The Gym needs to get this cancelled by the PPC who they contracted and should act on the gym's instructions.
    It is not nor ever will be a fine either it's an invoice.
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