Please help! PCM and Trace Debt Recovery

db3333

Hi all,

I've heard people have got some really great advice from this forum so I'd greatly appreciate any help with this matter please as I'm not completely sure where I stand.

In December I popped to my daughters house at around 9.30pm to drop off some medication for my poorly grandaughter. I knew I'd only be a minute or 2 so stopped on the double yellow lines outside her house as there is no guest parking at all.

She lives in a small private cul-de-sac owned by a housing association and patrolled by PCM.

Each house has it's own parking bay and must display a permit to avoid being ticketed by these thieves. They've still left tickets on the cars of residents in their own spaces!

There is a sign next to the parking bays saying they are for residents only but no sign on the railings where I stopped.

The cul-de-sac is off a bigger road that had noweher to park and as it was dark, 9.30 on a Saturday night and I'm a woman I didn't fancy parking a few streets away and walking on my own through the dodgy surrounding area!

I popped into my daughters house for about 2 minutes to console her (my grandaughter is autistic and was not well) and as I went to leave I saw a dark shape near my car through the front door.

I looked out of the window and saw a man dressed head to toe in black with a black hat, no logos on his clothing and no company vehicle anywhere, filming through my car windows.

I called my husband who told me to call the police if the alarm went off but not to leave til I was sure he'd gone.

When I left a few minutes later he'd left a ticket on my car for £100.

He must have been hanging around very close by in order to catch me out, which I find sinister in itself.

I didn't respond and PCM began sending letters to my husband who is the registered keeper. When he didn't respond either, we recieved a letter last week from Trace Debt Recovery which is worded quite aggressiely and making threats that we have 14 days to now pay £170 but that PCM can step in at any point and start legal proceedings.

I've not replied to Trace but started a Resolver case against PCM on Friday stating all of the above.

I've also included photos of their operative dressed as he was and parked across 2 of the parking bays another night and displaying no permit himself.

PCM have just replied, very briefly saying it's nothing to do with them now as it's been passed to Trace and it's too late to appeal.

Does anyone know where I stand with this please?

I've read various forums etc, most stating that even police and council traffic wardens give you 10 minutes grace for stopping on double yellows but the 13 photos this guy took of the inside and outside of my car were taken in 2.5 minutes!

Thank you for reading this far!

db3333

I forgot to add, I was causing no obstruction at all - there are only about 15 houses and there was room for a lorry to get past me.

My son-in-law has also contacted the housing association who told him they don't police the double yellow lines, only the parking bays.

TOP_CAT

Your out of your depth with this as everyone is.
So will need to post on the motoring private parking sub forum for accurate indepth direction and knowledge from the best in the country.
You can forget any other options .....its that specific .

Be prepared for a drawn out learning curve and alot of work to understand the reality of it all as your up against poisonous slithering scammers .

What ever you do dont fold under the mountain of bluster and pay them .

As someone else stated  previously your not dealing with John Lewis here and so reasoning can and will be pointless  They  want your money and will do and say anything to get it .

The level of manipulation is very high hence the experts advice in this is critical .

KeithP

Yes, as @TOP_CAT says, best to post this on the Parking tickets board.

Perhaps the easiest way to make that happen, is to simply hit the Report button -  - below your post and ask the MSE Forum Team to move this thread.

db3333

Hi all,

I've heard people have got some really great advice from this forum so I'd greatly appreciate any help with this matter please as I'm not completely sure where I stand.

In December I popped to my daughters house at around 9.30pm to drop off some medication for my poorly grandaughter. I knew I'd only be a minute or 2 so stopped on the double yellow lines outside her house as there is no guest parking at all.

She lives in a small private cul-de-sac owned by a housing association and patrolled by PCM.

Each house has it's own parking bay and must display a permit to avoid being ticketed by these thieves. They've still left tickets on the cars of residents in their own spaces!

There is a sign next to the parking bays saying they are for residents only but no sign on the railings where I stopped.

The cul-de-sac is off a bigger road that had noweher to park and as it was dark, 9.30 on a Saturday night and I'm a woman I didn't fancy parking a few streets away and walking on my own through the dodgy surrounding area!

I popped into my daughters house for about 2 minutes to console her (my grandaughter is autistic and was not well) and as I went to leave I saw a dark shape near my car through the front door.

I looked out of the window and saw a man dressed head to toe in black with a black hat, no logos on his clothing and no company vehicle anywhere, filming through my car windows.

I called my husband who told me to call the police if the alarm went off but not to leave til I was sure he'd gone.

When I left a few minutes later he'd left a ticket on my car for £100.

He must have been hanging around very close by in order to catch me out, which I find sinister in itself.

I didn't respond and PCM began sending letters to my husband who is the registered keeper. When he didn't respond either, we recieved a letter last week from Trace Debt Recovery which is worded quite aggressiely and making threats that we have 14 days to now pay £170 but that PCM can step in at any point and start legal proceedings.

I've not replied to Trace but started a Resolver case against PCM on Friday stating all of the above.

I've also included photos of their operative dressed as he was and parked across 2 of the parking bays another night and displaying no permit himself.

PCM have just replied, very briefly saying it's nothing to do with them now as it's been passed to Trace and it's too late to appeal.

Does anyone know where I stand with this please?

I've read various forums etc, most stating that even police and council traffic wardens give you 10 minutes grace for stopping on double yellows but the 13 photos this guy took of the inside and outside of my car were taken in 2.5 minutes!

Thank you for reading this far!

db3333

I forgot to add, I was causing no obstruction at all - there are only about 15 houses and there was room for a lorry to get past me.

My son-in-law has also contacted the housing association who told him they don't police the double yellow lines, only the parking bays.

I started a Resolver case Friday and they initially replied yesterday saying there's nothing they can do as it's now with their debt collector.

I told them we noth know that's not true and they can can cancel that action whenever they chose.

I also reminded them their operative broke the law and added photos of him dressed like a ninja and parking across 2 marked bays when patrolling - no logo anywhere!

They then replied, having cancelled the recovery action and starting again but in my name now, giving me 14 days to appeal.

At least this gives me a bit of breathing space.

B789

Which PPC? So, you revealed the identity of the driver. Not a good move. You need to read the Newbies thread near the top of the forum. You do NOT communicate with the debt collectors. They have no powers to do anything, no matter how much they threaten in their letters.

MSE_ForumTeam5

We've moved the thread for you

Grizebeck

You ignore Trace and just await any court claim

fisherjim

PPC's copy double yellow lines to trap people they do not mean the same on private property as they do on the street, in fact they could say that no blue cars can park on them if they want, welcome to the scammers paradise.

Ignore debt collectors they are powerless, the housing association are telling porkies if they engaged PCM they engaged PCM for the site, what does the signage say?

It could be argued of course if the DYL's are not mentioned on the signage they can be interpreted as being the same as street DYL's, photos of the signs in the dark should be taken and dated for evidence.

NB their operative did not "break the law" this is an unregulated industry full of dodgy practices.

db3333

B789 said:

Which PPC? So, you revealed the identity of the driver. Not a good move. You need to read the Newbies thread near the top of the forum. You do NOT communicate with the debt collectors. They have no powers to do anything, no matter how much they threaten in their letters.

It was Parking Control Management Ltd. I've ignored the debt collectors.

I had to say it was me driving because my husband is due to renew the mortgage later this year and if they do take it to court he can't afford to risk a CCJ.