Debt Invoice Given - Need Advice

HighOrLow

Hello!

I have read the newbies thread, and have also searched for a similar case but can't seem to find one, and would like some advice on how to proceed.

I have a company car, where the company lease it from a lease company.

I dropped someone off at BHX Airport (ran by APCOA), and stopped in a little layby area, by the time I entered the area it was too late to read the sign, I was probably only stopped there with my engine on for all of 15 seconds!

The company now have had a letter from Debt Recovery Plus, although the company have had no previous correspondence from APCOA or anyone.

My company have sent me the letter to pay £170, however as we have had no previous correspondence to pay a reduced fine/appeal then this seems quite unfair and sketchy to me.

As per the newbies thread, I can't go with Plan A anymore, and I can't appeal it!

I don't know what to say to my company, as paying £170 out of pocket seems quite unfair in this situation as its the first I, or the company have heard about a fine!

The date of the letter is 30/01/2023, and the 'violation' occured sometime in October 2022.

As there has been no appeal stage, I can't tell the fleet manager to use the Edna Basher template.

So I am out of ideas what to do, any help is greatly appreciated so I don't have to end up paying this £170 fine/invoice.

Many thanks.

Fruitcake

Who is the registered keeper? If it is the lease company then they are liable unless they pass the hirer/lessee's details to APCOA.

Get the fleet manager to ask the hire/lease company if they ever received a NTK, and if so what did they do about it. If they failed to tell APCOA the identity of the hirer/lessee, then they remain liable, and it is nothing to do with your company.
If they did pass the hirer/lessee's details to APCOA, then get the fleet manager to complain to APCOA and the BPA that no NTH was ever received.

Debt collectors of course are powerless and can safely be ignored. 
APCOA are benign so can safely be ignored as well. The biggest danger though is if the hire/lease company decide to pay the charge then charge your company for the privilege.

APCOA's NTKs are never PoFA compliant so the Hire/Lease company can never be held liable. 

Coupon-mad

Just hook it in your direction by admitting to driving (name and address) so they can't write to the company again.

Then ignore APCOA and DRP after that.

You already know this from when you read the 4th post of the NEWBIES thread.  No need for any concerns about DRP letters.  This is nothing.

Nothing will happen unless you let them keep writing to the company who might just pay it.  That is the ONLY danger.

HighOrLow

Coupon-mad said:

Just hook it in your direction by admitting to driving (name and address) so they can't write to the company again.

Then ignore APCOA and DRP after that.

You already know this from when you read the 4th post of the NEWBIES thread.  No need for any concerns about DRP letters.  This is nothing.

Nothing will happen unless you let them keep writing to the company who might just pay it.  That is the ONLY danger.

Sounds like a good idea. 

I should let APCOA know and not DRP, correct?

Coupon-mad

Send to both by email.

DRP always need their long reference to be cited (not just the PCN number) and their email is:

info@drpl.co.uk 

HighOrLow

Coupon-mad said:

Send to both by email.

DRP always need their long reference to be cited (not just the PCN number) and their email is:

info@drpl.co.uk 

Many thanks for your help. I did read the NEWBIES thread, but difficult circumstances as the letter was sent to the lease company who then sent it to my employer!

your solution seems like the best one, ill let APCOA and DRP waste their money on me until they give up

HighOrLow

I said to APCOA that I was the driver, however they are not interested.

They have given a date that Date 'Transfer Of Liability' Request was Received From Leasing Company - xx/xx/2022

Is there anything else I can do here?

Lease company gave the liability to my employer, however we did not receive a NTK/PCN.

I told them that I was the driver, with my address, however they said that the issue with now with DRP and they can't do anything as the appeal process has gone past 28 days.

Fruitcake

Ignore it in that case. If they want to play billy suggers then let them expend time, money and effort that they will never get back.

The most important thing from your point of view is to ensure that nobody pays it on your behalf and then tries to charge it to you.

HighOrLow

Fruitcake said:

Ignore it in that case. If they want to play billy suggers then let them expend time, money and effort that they will never get back.

The most important thing from your point of view is to ensure that nobody pays it on your behalf and then tries to charge it to you.

Thought that this would be the case, many thanks for your help with this.

These companies really don't seem to care, they just do as they please with a terrible attitude towards people.

Coupon-mad

HighOrLow said:

Fruitcake said:

Ignore it in that case. If they want to play billy suggers then let them expend time, money and effort that they will never get back.

The most important thing from your point of view is to ensure that nobody pays it on your behalf and then tries to charge it to you.

Thought that this would be the case, many thanks for your help with this.

These companies really don't seem to care, they just do as they please with a terrible attitude towards people.

They do, but there is something you can do. The Government IS listening!

The below should be on your to-do list.

We need you (as a PPC victim of intimidation, sharp practice and an 'extortion' attempt that will add a false £70 on top in a ream of aggressive debt crawler letters) to respond robustly to the imminent Public Consultation.

The Government are regulating the parking industry and this final consultation will focus on the level of parking charges and banning of the false added £70 DRA 'fee' that too many honest motorists currently fall victim to.

It will need consumer input (powerful voices) but change is afoot. It's taken about 5 years to get to this stage:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6333036/breaking-news-government-has-announced-the-statutory-code-of-practice-and-enforcement-framework/p1

And then the industry threw victims' money at it and blocked and delayed it - explained here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79310609/#Comment_79310609

Please now Bookmark BOTH threads and set up email alerts on your posting profile, so that you get an email alert when we post there, as we will, once the Public Consultation opens - anticipated in a few weeks...

We need people like you and your driving family & friends to respond in high numbers.  I am sure you want your voices heard to stop this happening again.