Parking Eye letter from DCBL

Sazzy61

Hi all,
Back in March 2019 I parked in pub car park which had always been free to use; its just round the corner from my hairdresser and is handy for an hour or two. Then suddenly, one day, management of the car park was assumed by Parking Eye. On entering the car park, nothing looked different and there was nothing to suggest that any changes had taken place, so I just parked as usual.
shortly afterwards, the initial parking charge letter arrived. I went back to the car park for another look, and there were indeed some subtle changes that I hadn't noticed before; a tall pole with a camera on top, and a pay machine installed at the side of the pub. There were some fairly discreet signs installed as well, but nothing that initially attracted my attention.

More recently, the pub has changed hands, Parking Eye have now removed all of their equipment, and the car park is once again free to use.

So, the upshot is that I parked there and actually didn't pay; not because I refused to, but because I didn't know it had become a managed car park since my previous visit there.
 
Since then, there had been the usual round of letters demanding ever increasing amounts of money, currently sitting at £170. Thus far I have ignored these letters, but experience now tells me that its not going to go away. The most recent letter this week is headed 'Solicitors Reminder Letter - Unpaid Parking Charge Notice'; it says that DCBL 'May be instructed to send a formal letter of claim....' and if I fail to pay, then Parking Eye 'Could issue a claim against me'. The tone of the letter is more in the form of a warning rather than a threat.

My first thought is to reply to the letter and offer to pay the initial £60; given that I didn't pay when I should have, and this is a car park that they don't even manage anymore. 
I am aware that things work differently with Parking Eye; I have read the 2nd post in the Newbies thread, but given this particular circumstance, I'm not sure what I should do - if anything at all.

Any advice would be welcome.

Thanks

Umkomaas

If PE farm out the charge to debt collectors it's odds on that they have reason not to pursue it themselves - they have their own in-house solicitor team and conduct their own litigation, they have no need for a third party in that regard.  They are very quick to litigate, so your case being 2019 is well beyond the time point where PE would issue proceedings. PE have all but given up on this, just chancing you being frightened by debt collectors in the hope you might just cave and pay. Don't!

Ignore DCBL, only come back in the extremely unlikely event you receive a Letter Before Claim from the legal arm of DCBL - DCB Legal, or from PE themselves, or a  court claim from the Northampton CCBC. I don't think we'll hear from you again on this case. 

Fruitcake

DCB Limited can safely be ignored.
DCB Legal Limited cannot.

Coupon-mad

Are you in Scotland? If not, which car park is it about, maybe an Aldi or a Hospital?

Unusual for PEye not to sue.  Must be a place where they don't want to litigate.

Other similar threads:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79529631/#Comment_79529631

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6388129/parkingeye-parking-charge-from-2019-on-an-old-vehicle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79461413#Comment_79461413

Look at that supercar...look at the arrogance...these are not a firm to pay just because they've sent a batch of cases to DCBL.

Sazzy61

Umkomaas said:

Ignore DCBL, only come back in the extremely unlikely event you receive a Letter Before Claim from the legal arm of DCBL - DCB Legal, or from PE themselves, or a  court claim from the Northampton CCBC. I don't think we'll hear from you again on this case. 

OK, thanks. That's what I was hoping you would say!

Just to clarify though... The letter is on DCB Legal headed paper, and it says 'We have been informed by DCBL that despite them writing to you on a number of occasions...' yadda yadda.

But it isn't a letter before claim, so probably as you say, its just a fishing expedition at this point.

Thanks

Umkomaas

Sazzy61 said:

Umkomaas said:

Ignore DCBL, only come back in the extremely unlikely event you receive a Letter Before Claim from the legal arm of DCBL - DCB Legal, or from PE themselves, or a  court claim from the Northampton CCBC. I don't think we'll hear from you again on this case. 

OK, thanks. That's what I was hoping you would say!

Just to clarify though... The letter is on DCB Legal headed paper, and it says 'We have been informed by DCBL that despite them writing to you on a number of occasions...' yadda yadda.

But it isn't a letter before claim, so probably as you say, its just a fishing expedition at this point.

Thanks

Chancers!  Ignore. 

Sazzy61

Coupon-mad said:

Are you in Scotland? If not, which car park is it about, maybe an Aldi or a Hospital?

Not in Scotland, no. This car park is in Maghull, Liverpool; you can have a look HERE to see in on Streetview. You'll see that once you get beyond the entry sign, there isn't really much else in the way of signage. I parked in front of the big tree on the right.

Sazzy61

Fruitcake said:

DCB Limited can safely be ignored.
DCB Legal Limited cannot.

This letter is from DCB Legal. 

Coupon-mad

But they can be ignored when it's ParkingEye, except of course if they file a court claim but we've never yet seen one.

Le_Kirk

If owners (or their agents) of car parks decide to change or introduce something different to what has been custom and practice, there should be large prominent signs warning motorists that as and from a certain date a charge will become payable.  If they were not there you have another string to your defensive bow!