UKPC parking appeal and debt letter

daffyUKduck

Hi all
I have tried to find the info I need from the boards but getting so confused with all the info there so thought I would post what is happening to me.
on the 26th March 2023 I received a parking charge notice on my windscreen for parking in a disabled bay and not displaying my badge.  I completely forgot to display the badge so I paid the fine of £60.  About a week or two later I received a letter of Notice to keeper about the charge on the same date but had a difference reference number.  Because I thought it was the same charge I ignored it thinking the payment and letter had crossed over.  Then at the end of April I received a final reminder dated 11th April 2023.  Same ref number as the first letter but different to the charge they had put on my windscreen.  Reading through all three I found they have also stated 3 different times. the windscreen charge stated 14.46pm then the 1st letter stated 13.33 and the final reminder stated the time at 14.33!  I went onto the UKPC website and put in an appeal and received an email confirmation back.  I still have not received confirmation of my appeal and cannot find anything on their website either.  Then today I received  a letter form Debt recovery plus stating I now owed £170 and I need to decide by the 10th May how I am going to pay or do nothing and receive bigger fines.  This letter is undated and received today - 9th May 2023.
I called the number to explain that I had an appeal and waiting for the result.  I explained that i thought this was a duplicate charge by UKPC mistake and the guy said no you can get numerous fines on the same day.  Things got heated and I said I refuse to pay the fine cos it is a duplicate!.  So what do I do now?  I can't contact UKPC about the appeal as no contact details and if they have refused the appeal, I read on here about getting a 10 digit verification number.  But how can I get that if I can't even speak to someone from UKPC?   
Please please can someone help me get out of this mess?
thanks in advance DaffyUKduck

B789

Oh dear. You paid the scammers £60 when you didn't have to actually pay them a penny. If only you'd discovered this forum earlier.

From now on, you do not have to pay them anything and you will get the advice you need to get out of this scam that you have found yourself in. The first thing you need to be aware of is that you can safely ignore any debt collector letters, no matter how threatening or scary they may seem. You need to understand that the debt collectors are a third party that are not a part of the alleged contract they are saying you have breached and so owe them money. They are powerless to actually do anything. Just keep their letters as emergency use toilet paper.

The main thread you need to read is the Newbies/FAQ thread near the top of this forum as that explains everything you really need to know about this scam, where you are in it and what steps to take and when. You will need to refer back to that thread, time and again whenever you have a question.

You need to understand that you are under no obligation to show your blue badge, even if you have one, no matter what a private parking scammer like UKPC says. All you had to do was show them a picture of it and that it was valid, once you received the PCN. They may have still stuck their fingers in their ears and screamed "nah nah" but they would now have been under notice that they are about to breach the Equalities Act. Not that UKPC/DCB Legal ever get to court if their claims are robustly defended using the templates we have on here.

You need to go back and look at all the correspondence and note how many PCN numbers and what dates they apply to. It sounds like you have at least one, if not more outstanding PCNs that need to be dealt with here. Just make sure that the first one which you paid, is not referenced anymore. That one is money down the drain I'm sad to say but at least it is finished with.

fisherjim

Stop phoning them it won't do any good and they will just ignore you any way, the reason you can't find anything on UKPC web site is because it has been passed to debt collection idiots, who will threaten all sorts of fire and brimstone but can't do diddly squat.

Also stop calling it a "fine" it's a speculative invoice UKPC are well know for bending the truth they have twice been banned by the DVLA for falsifying evidence.

Unfortunately you paid one invoice before coming here and they have you marked as a push over but they cannot issue more than one ticket on the same day for the same alleged contravention, their employee lied, and I doubt they called it a "fine" but if so that is also a lie for which they could if proven get sanctioned for.

I would complain to the land owner, the BPA and your MP this is not on at all!

Coupon-mad

Get the retail park managing agents (named on the entrance plinth as you drive in, or online on their website) to cancel BOTH PCNs and for UKPC to refund your £60.

Be angry about this discrimination.

Send an email complaint to the landowner's site agent, attaching a copy of your Blue Badge and a copy of BOTH notices (the windscreen one and the next one, and the debt demand too).

Tell the site managing agents what has happened and that you are disgusted and appalled that UKPC 'fined' you twice for one parking event AND didn't tell you in either notice that you could have had the PCN cancelled or reduced to £15 if you had sent them your Blue Badge.  Intimidated, you've paid them £60 unnecessarily and even worse, they have now got a notorious debt collector sending further demands of £170!

THEY CANNOT ISSUE TWO PCNS.

Demand these site Agents step in and cancel both PCNs and UKPC should refund the £60 and apologise for this appalling bullying and moneygrabbing treatment, that has made you feel like a criminal and will put you and your family off ever returning. Other local shops are available.


NB - For the future:

You don't have to ever pay PCNs if you forget to display a Blue Badge.  You just appeal and attach a copy of the BB.  Even Councils have to cancel PCNs and at the moment, UKPC normally cancel for £15 settlement but they don't tell you that.  And in 2024 private firms will be required to cancel at no cost for disabled people.

KeithP

Where exactly did these alleged parking events take place?

daffyUKduck

Thank you every one who has replied. Its very much appreciated! I will definitely follow through with your suggestions.  And to ask one more thing. If i keep getting the demand letters should i collect as evidence and ignore them? Thanks again guys!

daffyUKduck

KeithP said:

Where exactly did these alleged parking events take place?

On  retail site with asda  currys etc in Leyton, London

Boat_to_Bolivia

Ignore the letters.

Implement Plan A, complaining to the landowner and your MP?

Coupon-mad

Ignoring is 'collecting the letters as evidence'.

Same thing because you certainly don't bin them and you can use them as leverage to force the MA to sit up & take note of the harassment, and flipping well get you a refund and double cancellation.

Fruitcake

daffyUKduck said:

KeithP said:

Where exactly did these alleged parking events take place?

On  retail site with asda  currys etc in Leyton, London

That does not answer the question, "Where exactly did these alleged parking events take place?

KeithP

I worked it out to be Leyton Mills Retail Park, E10 5NH.

Seems to be owned by Aviva Investors and managed on their behalf by CSP Retail.

There's a contact name with email address and telephone number on this webpage...
www.cspretail.com/properties/leyton-mills-retail-park