Letter of Claim from DCB Legal - PCN dated 2019

B789

You can write to them but if you've already appealed, it will be ignored. You should keep all that for your witness statement if it ever gets that far. Just write to them with what @Coupon-mad has suggested.

You should write to YOUR MP. By doing so, you are alerting them to the problems these scammers are causing for their constituents and you should remind your MP about the upcoming DLUHC PPCoP and your expectation of their support for it.

As this is DCB Legal and UKPC, you already know that they will fold before it ever gets in front of a judge if you follow the advice given here.

anotheronewasted

B789 said:

You can write to them but if you've already appealed, it will be ignored. You should keep all that for your witness statement if it ever gets that far. Just write to them with what @Coupon-mad has suggested.

You should write to YOUR MP. By doing so, you are alerting them to the problems these scammers are causing for their constituents and you should remind your MP about the upcoming DLUHC PPCoP and your expectation of their support for it.

As this is DCB Legal and UKPC, you already know that they will fold before it ever gets in front of a judge if you follow the advice given here.

I haven't formally appealed.

I think i'll send the mail to DCB, cant do any harm can it.

And i will make an attempt to contact my MP, he isnt great though.
Excuse my ignorance, but what is DLUHC and PPCoP?

Coupon-mad

On its way shortly (after a temporary blip):

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-clamps-down-on-rogue-parking-firms-with-new-code-of-practice

You can of course Google 'DLUHC'.

anotheronewasted

Coupon-mad said:

On its way shortly (after a temporary blip):

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-clamps-down-on-rogue-parking-firms-with-new-code-of-practice

You can of course Google 'DLUHC'.

yes, should have edited to say. Apologies.

shard

Hello all

I  have received an exact letter to the one shown here from dcb legal. It is in relation to a PCN issued by UKPC in December 2019, for overstaying less than 20 minutes in a two-hour free car park in Lewisham, SE London. There were pictures of my car showing the times of entering and leaving the car park.

I approached UKPC and explained that it was Christmas eve and all retail stores were very busy and there were long  queues at the checkout positions. There was also congestion in the car park which resulted in unnecessary and unavoidable overstaying.

UKPC replied that I should appeal with POPLA, which I did, but unfortunately POPLA needed evidence, e.g. photos to support my claim. I wondered how many people in such circumstances would take out their mobile to take photos of people queuing at check outs or take photos of the congested car park.

Following this, I received letters from multiple debt collectors.

Zenith collections – three letters – I did not reply to any

Debt recovery plus  - two letters. I replied the last one as per guidance from NEWBIES, and informed Debt Recovery Plus: “…… you should note that this charge is disputed, and you must now refer this matter back to your client and cease and desist all further contact with me. Failure to do so will result in a complaint to the Credit Services Association.

I trust that I have made myself clear.” I did not hear from them thereafter.

dcbl – five letters, including the last one which is dated 23 February 2023, titled “LETTER OF CLAIM”.
The letterhead of the company in the first four letters reads: dcbl – Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd,
while the fifth letter shows different letterhead: dcb legal – Civil & Commercial Litigation Solicitors. 

My question: what action should I take now, i.e. respond to the letter or ignore it.  If answering is required, is there a sample/ template letter I can use. I would very much appreciate any advice and guidance. I have been through most replies in this thread but did not come across a template/ letter as a reply to “Letter of Claim”.

Best regards

Not_A_Hope

In order to prevent confusion it is better to start your own thread rather than hijack someone else’s similar one.

You should not ignore a LBC. Read the Newbies thread. Meanwhile have you tried complaining to the retailers involved about this PCN.

anotheronewasted

Hello all,
another update....
Had yet another useless reply from DCB:

We write in response to your email dated 2nd March 2023.

We note from your correspondence that you are requesting a break down of the amount outstanding.

Please note, the terms and conditions of parking would have made it clear that a PCN may be issued in the event that there was any breach of those terms.  Usually this is set at £100 and should be paid within 28 days.  However, there was an option to pay a discounted figure (usually £60) if prompt payment was made within 14 days.

As payment was not made, either within 14 or 28 days, the creditor was entitled to instruct debt recovery agents / Solicitors to pursue payment and is entitled to recover the costs of doing so.  It would have been made clear in the terms and conditions set out in the signs that additional enforcement costs may be incurred in the event of an unpaid PCN.

We further note that you state the photographic images provided do not identify the location of your vehicle.

Please note, our client utilises Automatic Number Plate Recognition (“ANPR”) technology on the land where the parking charge notice was issued in order to manage the parking. This means that cameras capable of accurately recognising the vehicle registration number of a vehicle are constantly monitoring the entrance and exit to the land.  A photograph is taken of each vehicle as it enters and exits the land. Any vehicle found to have breached the terms of parking will be issued with a parking charge notice via the post.

We also note that you did not receive the Notice to Keeper.

Please note, as stated per our previous correspondence our Client applied to the DVLA to obtain the Registered Keeper’s details. Your address was provided and therefore, our Client correctly issued correspondence to the address provided. Our Client had taken reasonable steps to bring the matter to your attention and cannot be held responsible that you did not receive such notices.

Please find all images we hold on file in relation to the signage displayed on site as requested.

The outstanding balance of £160.00 remains to be paid within the stipulated time frame previously stated. Failure to do so will result in a claim being issued without further notice.

Payment can be made via bank transfer to our designated client account: -

·         Account Name: DCB Legal Ltd Client Account

·         Sort Code: <redacted>

·         Account Number: <redacted>

You must quote the correct case reference (beginning ‘10’) when making payment. If you do not, we may be unable to correctly allocate the payment. If further action is taken by us as a result of an incorrect reference being quoted, you will be liable for any further fees or costs incurred.

Alternatively, you can contact DCB Legal Ltd on 0203 434 0437 to make payment over the telephone or online at https://dcblegal.co.uk/response/pay-online/

And the images they have attached are once again in a pdf file.
I have absolutely no idea where they have these pictures from, it looks nothing like the car park in question
And to my mind, they serve nothing other than clearly showing poor placement, and a total lack of readability.



Things that stand out to me from their mail...

Obviously the photos are crap, and still dont 'prove' anything
He also states "Please find all images we hold on file in relation to the signage displayed"
This implies these are stock pictures, and quite possibly not recent - further re-affirmed by the fact I have been told UKPC do not own the land / operate the car park any more.

"Our Client had taken reasonable steps to bring the matter to your attention and cannot be held responsible that you did not receive such notices."
I did not receive the NtK, and UKPC did not respond to my mails / phone calls. 
This has not been 'noted' by DCB. 
The ignorance of UKPC is totally ignored.

The signage they have provided clearly stated, the fine will be issued to the driver, no mention that I see of registered keeper?

(note: exclamation point was highlighted in original file)

I think my plan will be to reply to this clown at DCB, and point out the flaws in the 'evidence', and inform them, again, I deny the alleged debt, and have zero intention of making payment, and so will await further updates / for the claim to be issued.

Castle

If you look at the first photo, (taken at night), you will see that there are 8 symbols of which the last one appears to represent an ANPR Camera but the "stock photo" only has 7 symbols, as the "ANPR" symbol is missing.

Coupon-mad

But don't point out this stuff now.

I would not reply unless you are close to the 6 year limitation for a court claim.

Get on with your life.  They'll discontinue a claim without any hearing anyway, so you want the court claim because with DCBLegal, that signals it's nearly 'scam over'.

anotheronewasted

Castle said:

If you look at the first photo, (taken at night), you will see that there are 8 symbols of which the last one appears to represent an ANPR Camera but the "stock photo" only has 7 symbols, as the "ANPR" symbol is missing.

Well spotted, I hadn't seen that. Like I said, they very strongly radiate moronic ignorance.
I found some of their evidence pictures via street view...one sign they pictured wasn't present in March 2019 (ticket issued in July 2019), so they must have taken it after...most likely the reason they send as a pdf, to avoid EXIF time stamps.

Coupon-mad said:

But don't point out this stuff now.

I would not reply unless you are close to the 6 year limitation for a court claim.

Get on with your life.  They'll discontinue a claim without any hearing anyway, so you want the court claim because with DCBLegal, that signals it's nearly 'scam over'.

I know what you're saying, but its hard to resist the urge to highlight stupidity and ignorance.
But if that is your learned advice, I'll follow it. I will wait for the court claim if you suggest no reply at all to their last mail.
I think I was secretly hoping they'd drop before a court claim tbh.