UKCPS parking fine - IAS appeal dismissed

I_Googled_My_Username

Unfortunately, I arrived at the NEWBIES thread too late since I have already appealed to the IAS and my appeal was dismissed.

I have read over and over since that I shouldn’t have appealed and as a result I have given UKCPS more fuel to enforce the fine. If only I’d searched the internet sooner!

But here I am, so to recap, after receiving the fine I appealed to UKCPS and then to IAS. The ticket machine in the car park was covered in tarpaulin and out of use. I explained this in both appeals and attached a photo of said ticket machine.

The response from both was that I should’ve paid online, at the time I didn’t have any means of doing so and was running late to an appointment so ignorantly parked without payment. 

I’ve recently received a Final Notice Letter with the parking charge having increased to £130.

I feel like I’ve dug myself a hole by appealing and essentially admitting wrongdoing. Wondering what I should do now?

I have read and re-read the NEWBIES thread which is very encouraging but struggling to see relevant information (ie. IAS claim dismissed) and I’m getting myself worked up so can anyone please advise me?

Thanks in advance.

Umkomaas

Take a breath. UKCPS are highly unlikely to attempt enforcing this. Over the past 3 years or so they have shown no inclination to use the courts in an attempt to collect the charge. That is the only option they have available to them to have any chance whatsoever to make you pay them. Even with those parking firms who issue court proceedings and where we assist motorists to defend in court, we win the overwhelming majority of cases. 

UKCPS might try using a debt collector, who is restricted to just sending you silly threatening letters (they cannot turn up on your doorstep!), so you can safely ignore any of their correspondence. Come back on this thread in the vanishingly unlikely event of receiving a formal Letter Of/Before Claim, or a County Court Claim via the Northampton CNBC. 

Have you asked the landowner to intervene, especially given the issues with the payment machine?

I_Googled_My_Username

Thank you very much for your reply and reassuring advice.
I haven’t contacted the landowner. Do you know how I would go about doing this? 
After a quick Google, the car park shows as “permanently closed” and the company as “dissolved” on Gov.uk so I’m unsure who the current landowner is.

Umkomaas

After a quick Google, the car park shows as “permanently closed” and the company as “dissolved” on Gov.uk so I’m unsure who the current landowner is. 

Here's a standard reply I use wherein I offer some ideas on searching for the landowner. 

1. Google searches

2. If a retail park, check on any signage which lists the on-site outlets

3. Ask retailers on the site if there is a managing agent

4. Ask retailers on the site to whom do they pay rent

5. Contact the local authority and ask who pays the non-domestic/business rate for the car park (some councils have a spreadsheet on their website)

6. Contact the local Valuation Office and ask if they know. They often have a website which might provide the information 

7. Contact The Land Registry and for around £3 they should be able to provide definitive detail

8. If you haven't already done so, give us the name of the car park/site/location, we may have seen other cases there. 

But, if the company is dissolved and the car park is currently closed, it makes me wonder whether UKCPS still has authority to operate there. You'll need to do plenty of digging to get to the bottom of it, but if you do find out that their authority 'died' with the dissolution, then you can cause them plenty of pain with a complaint to the DVLA about them accessing your data when they had no 'reasonable cause'. 

Coupon-mad

You can safely ignore UKCPS.  Just tell their DPO if you move house within 6 years.
That is all.

fisherjim

Please stop calling this or thinking of it as a "fine" it's a speculative invoice, and the charge is not for £130, the additional fees have been added by scamming debt collectors that you won't be paying as you do not have a debt.

Also if all the pay machines were out of use and covered over a reasonable assumption could be made that charges were suspended unless notified otherwise, and not everyone has the option of paying by internet in the middle of a car park.

We might be able to help you with identifying the land owner or even looking for other info had you told us where the location was.

Please stop stressing out these are a private parking company like any old Muppet can set up they are not an authority or even regulated.

I_Googled_My_Username

Sweet Street car park in Leeds. 

Coupon-mad

Coupon-mad said:

You can safely ignore UKCPS.  Just tell their DPO if you move house within 6 years.
That is all.

As above. The advice about UKCPS is 'ignore'.

I_Googled_My_Username

I’ve since received multiple letters, all of which I’ve ignored but this one mentions “Imminent legal action”. I don’t want to give in to them now but should I be concerned? Or is this further scare tactics?

Thanks for everyone’s previous help and reassurance.

Coupon-mad

Search the forum for Abigale (spelt like that) and change to NEWEST results. 

Another search could be:

Debt Recovery Terminal notice

  

I_Googled_My_Username

Thanks so much! 

Sorry that you are having to repeat yourself. That post is very helpful and some of the comments even made me laugh, which I really needed as I still couldn’t help feeling very worried reading that letter.