notice of Debt Recovery but not PCN received

tes123ab

Hi everyone
I've started a new thread as I’m unable to find anything on the issue I have.
I have received a debt recovery letter today for an unpaid PCN from September, however I never reviewing the PCN in the first place.  I have spoken to the Debt Management Co and they have said there is nothing they can do as they are acting on behalf of their client, NCP.  I contacted NCP and explained that I never received the PCN and that had I received it I would have appealed (signage in the car park was unclear and a number of others had appealed as I found out via local Facebook forums who were issued fines that day!) They’ve told me that there’s nothing they can do as they have passed it on to the debt collection agency and can’t get it back (I don’t believe this and the debt collector said if they can only do what the client has instructed them to do so surely they can).  They also say as a company they do not have to prove I received it just that they posted it, how can this be? I can say with 100% certainty I did not receive it, I would not ignore a fine! I’ve been told by PCP if I want to complain I can but there nothing they can do.
They have now emailed me a copy of the PCN with a postal date of 20 Sep, 2 days after the parking incident.  The fine had I paid it within 14 days would have been £60, the debt collector is asking for £170! I can’t afford that.
Any advice on what my next steps should be would be greatly appreciated.

thank you I’m advance!

Fruitcake

It is not a fine.

Never, ever 'phone a parking company nor any of their agents. It's too late now, but don't make that mistake again.

Debt collectors are powerless and can safely be ignored.

ignore anything you read on Fakebook.

Plan A is always a complaint to the landowner and your MP.

Check your vehicle V5C. An incorrect address often caused by someone moving home but not updating it is the most common reason for not receiving the original PCN. Do not  assume. Go and look at the V5C.

Where did the alleged event occur?

UncleThomasCobley

tes123ab said:

Any advice on what my next steps should be would be greatly appreciated.

Have you even bothered to red the newbies/FAQ thread? Nowhere are you advised to contact the useless debt collectors. It's not a "fine".

Read the Newbies/FAQ thread please.

Coupon-mad

This might be due to your logbook not being updated after a move?  But you DO NOT PAY and you certainly don't phone these people.

tes123ab

Thanks for the comments.  I did read the newbie thread, I found it a little confusing if I am honest hence my post.
Yes I did phone them as  I have never received a letter of this nature in my life sorry if I’ve caused offence by being one of those people!
My log book is up to date, hence I received the letter from the debt management agency.  I’ve lived at my property for over  20 years.
I simply did not receive the original PCN, I have no idea why and I can’t prove that I didn’t receive it and they can’t prove they sent it so it’s my word against theirs.
I was parked at a small car park near some shops, block of flats and a pub.  I and others have parked there for many years without issue, but apparently the bays we were parked in are permit only.  There is a sign but it’s at the entrance of the second part of the car park not at the actual entrance so everyone assumed it applied to the bays past the sign, apparently not.

I came on for advice, clearly I’ve caused offence to some by asking the question so for that I apologise, however I am already feeling quite stressed about this, a little bit of kindness wouldn’t go amiss

UncleThomasCobley

You haven't caused "offence". You have made a slight blunder that is recoverable. The whole reason for the Newbies/FAQ thread, which we all agree can be slightly daunting, is there for a reason as 95% of all questions asked are already answered Ian the thread.

It is not something to be skim-read. It needs studying and referring back to all the time.

As for your case, it is not unusual at all for victims of these scammers to never receive any original NtK as the scammers know that they can wring more money out of their victims by having them get into a panick and frustration by leaving them wondering why they never received anything until the reminders which don't allow them to appeal or inflate the charge by removing the bribe discount.

If you re-read the Newbies/FAQ thread, you will note the 4 "plans" of action. Plan A, which most victims fail to do, is to contact the landowner and get them to cancel the PCN and also write to their MP to intervene.

Plan B, appeal to the PPC  is too late now. Plan C, a secondary appeal to a supposed "independent" appeals service (NOT) is also too late now and in many cases an exercise in futility, especially if the PPC is an IPC member.

You are now in the limbo stage of waiting for Plan C, a county court claim, where most of these scams get binned. You just have to weather the stream of useless debt collector letters which are harmless unless you are incredibly gullible and fall for their empty threats of CCJs and bailiffs etc.

So, you need to ignore all the debt collector demands and come back if/when you receive a real Letter of Claim which gives you 30 days to pay or a claim will be filed. When you read that, you will refer to the second post in the Newbies/FAQ thread which tells you everything you need to do, how to do it and by when.

Follow the advice and you don't pay these scammers a penny. In the meantime, just get on with your life.

Coupon-mad

It's not a fine and you just ignore £170 demands.  The fourth post of the NEWBIES thread covers this stage.

We aren't offended except by the private parking industry and their their debt crawlers!

Le_Kirk

As one of our long term regulars used to say, the NEWBIE sticky is not a skim read, more of a "cup of tea and a biscuit read".