Debt Recovery Over Unknown PCN

sh856531

Hi all

I recently received a debt recovery letter totalling £170 regarding a fine that was issued in April.

I was/am unaware of any of the details of the fine meaning it is hard to judge whether it is legitimate/justified. I am not someone who knowingly would park at risk of getting a fine so I am struggling to think what the basis would be.

The recovery agency has advised that the originating parking company has been trying to get in touch. In hindsight - this is possible because I have realised that although I recently updated my driving license - I think I may have forgotten the V5 Log book.

Can anyone advise on an approach to the issue. I have contacted both the debt recovery company and the original issuer of the notice advising them. 

If its the case that I was parked incorrectly - I would pay the fine. I do feel as though they should still be obligated to prove that I did something wrong rather than relying on the fact that its now with a debt agency. 

Can anyone advise on my actual rights, if any given this point in the process

Thank you

B789

Read and digest the Newbies/FAQ thread to begin with. Then read it again and keep referring back to it every time you have a question as it is more likely than not been answered already in that thread.

Why do you think you've received a "fine"? Count every occurrence of the word "fine" in all the paperwork you have received about this PCN and give me £100 for each occurrence. Seriously though, you have not received any "fine". You've received a speculative invoice for an alleged breach of contract from an unregulated private parking company.

When you say you have "contacted" the "recovery agency" and the "parking company" to "advise them"... of what? If you mean that they need to correct their system with your current address, you need to "instruct" them to rectify their records with your current address and to "ERASE" your old data. You must do this in writing, preferably by email. A telephone call won't do and isn't worth the paper it is written on.

So, which PPC and what was the location? If you want advice and assistance, you will need to provide a bit more information. You absolutely, positively DO NOT contact or communicate with the useless debt collectors. They are not a party to the alleged contract you allegedly breached and have no powers to do anything, no matter how scary they try to be. You use their letters as emergency toilet paper.

All the above is explained in the Newbies/FAQ thread so you need to go and study that for now and then answer the few questions already raised.

sh856531

So I was able to get some more information from the debt collection agency.

The situation seems to be as follows.

1. I stayed at a hotel with an arrangement with a local car park. My understanding was that the hotel had added on the parking fee to my bill and so I left without thinking much more about it. I have done this several times with this hotel

2. The car parking firm have, rightly or wrongly taken the view that I left without paying. I have contacted the hotel to see what they make of the situation. I wouldn't have knowingly not paid but I can't actually tell if the mistake was mine or theirs at this point

3. The debt collection agency has gotten involved and is now potentially going to make things more complicated as I'm sure they will want some money for their trouble now. 

Based on any experience that anyone has - will parking companies be reasonable if you contact them and explain the situation? I'm not sure if there are any legal protections I have at this point or if it will just become an escalating crap shoot at this point. 

Thanks

patient_dream

NUMBER ONE .....Forget all about the debt company, was it DRP?

THEY ARE 100% POWERLESS and they cannot do anything.
They are simply parasites begging for money  IGNORE THEM

Do you know what arrangement the hotel had with the car park

Who is the parking company ?

B789

B789 said:

You absolutely, positively DO NOT contact or communicate with the useless debt collectors. They are not a party to the alleged contract you allegedly breached and have no powers to do anything, no matter how scary they try to be. You use their letters as emergency toilet paper.

So which bit of the above advice did you decide to ignore? You come on here asking for advice and then go completely against it.

Good luck, as I'm not going to bother wasting my time on this thread.

sh856531

B789 said:

B789 said:

You absolutely, positively DO NOT contact or communicate with the useless debt collectors. They are not a party to the alleged contract you allegedly breached and have no powers to do anything, no matter how scary they try to be. You use their letters as emergency toilet paper.

So which bit of the above advice did you decide to ignore? You come on here asking for advice and then go completely against it.

Good luck, as I'm not going to bother wasting my time on this thread.

To be honest - based on your tone and attitude I doubt your input will be missed.

sh856531

patient_dream said:

NUMBER ONE .....Forget all about the debt company, was it DRP?

THEY ARE 100% POWERLESS and they cannot do anything.
They are simply parasites begging for money  IGNORE THEM

Do you know what arrangement the hotel had with the car park

Who is the parking company ?

So the arrangement was something like, you give the hotel your reg and then they add a charge to the bill that is considerably less than what you would pay if you paid the car park directly. I am almost certain I asked them to do this but have a slight concern because I can't prove it and I'm not sure they added it to the bill. I've asked them if they have any records of what they did. All I can see if the change on my bank statement but I can't tell if it includes a parking element.

The debt recovery people are Trace Debt Recovery. 

The parking firm was something like UK Parking Something. 

I know the stock advice is don't talk to the debt recovery agency - which is fine. What I ideally need is input on whether I can negotiate with the parking company or whether I should just call their bluff. In either case I am currently waiting to see if the hotel is going to be helpful. It's a premium hotel so you would hope they have any least a passing interest in not losing a customer 

Thanks 

Coupon-mad

 I am currently waiting to see if the hotel is going to be helpful. It's a premium hotel so you would hope they have any least a passing interest in not losing a customer 

That's good.  That is always 'PLAN A'.  They can and will cancel it.

Ignore the DRA demands entirely.  No, you can't negotiate with what sounds like UKPC.  Why would you negotiate, you don't owe them anything.   You won't be paying a "scam" ex-clamper. Exact same advice as on loads of threads at this 'nothing' stage, e.g.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80111295#Comment_80111295

Read that reply as if I'd typed it for you.  We assume you are not in Scotland.

But please come back to join us and do the PUBLIC CONSULTATION in August.

Join us all here then, to respond to the Public Consultation in August, to minimise the level of parking charges and INSIST ON A BAN OF FALSE ADDED 'FEES'.

We need you - as a genuine PPC victim of aggression, sharp practice and an 'extortion' attempt to add £70 - to respond robustly to the Public Consultation on the level of parking charges and banning of the false added 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 very soon...end of July we think.