UKPC PCNs > DCBlegal + Debt recovery plus.

Xefton

Hi all,

A huge thank you to everyone here that helps out with all the PCNs and appeals. And a huge thanks for the writing of the newbies post. It has definitely helped get my head in order with what to do/where to go next. I have so many MSE threads and tabs open I'm losing track of where I've read everything.

I don't know how to start this post without rambling too much. And I was hoping to just be a silent reader of the forum whilst sorting out my PCNs using all the threads I could here. Until I got another letter today. Decided to start my own thread.


The tldr version,
I rented a flat, parking included. In an underground secure car park.
UKPC hit me with PCNs for "Parking displaying a permit that is not valid for site"
I appealed to UKPC, they ignored me, they've sent dcblegal and debt recovery plus after me.
That's where I'm up to.





Long form.


I rented a flat in Manchester from 22/9/22 until 21/8/23. From the 19/7/23, I started receiving PCNs from UKPC.

The flat I rented came with parking. The car park was underground, secured with metal sliding door opened with key fob.

As the letters were coming through, I was already moving into my new house, and staying in the new house as setting it up.

By the time I checked the mail and saw the initial issue PCNs, I was started to get posted with the final notice £100 ones.

I appealed to UKPC on 17 Aug 23, now as I had 5 letters at this time, 2 final notice.

I have received no reply from UKPC on my appeal, so I do not know when their appeal decision was made.

Now, in my ignorance, I only appealed one of the PCN references with UKPC, but in that appeal, included all the other PCN reference numbers I had. 
Believing this was just a misunderstanding and it would get cleared. My main reason for believing this was, in the UKPC appeals site, and using their images, was a picture of my permit, on my dashboard. And my appeal pointed to the fact that my permit, was in fact, on show.
I know right, absolutely stupid of me. 
I heard nothing, after 2 months or so, I threw all the letters away.

I thought nothing of it all until this week, when on 4 Dec 23. dcbLegal letter of claim was posted through, chasing up 2 of the UKPC claims. For the same reason stated earlier in the post.

That's when I found MSE, and this forum, reading through over and over. Settled my mind a lot. I'm currently going through an application of my first mortgage, and got nervous these letters would effect my mortgage chances. Until this forum tells me any possible chance of that happening is way down the line, If I lose the court case and refuse to pay.

I was starting to debate paying the £340 just to !!!!!! them off. I can afford it to get rid of the hassle, but it really didn't sit well with me. Had I not found MSE, I may well just have done that. But I'd rather ride the wave and add another post onto their thread of cases thrown out.

Now I've spent 3 nights on this forum, the newbies thread, using as many links in the newbies thread to collate my thoughts and decide on my actions, when today, another Letter of Claim came through. This time from Debt Recovery plus(DRP for time purposes). Chasing up 1 of the UKPC claims, for still the same "invalid permit" reason. So it's now actually 3 separate claims of £170 each.

DRP threatening me with 7 days to respond or court bla bla. Their letter is dated 1/12/23 and it only just arrived today. 7/12/23


With my UKPC appeal being ignored, I believe I'm at the "SECOND STAGE APPEAL - POPLA OR IAS" 

UKPC and debt recovery plus are listed on the BPA partners. So my plan was to appeal through POPLA for all 3 of these cases. Would this be 3 separate appeals? Or 1 appeal to cover all 3.


Some additional details that you may ask.
I've chased my old landlord up for 2 days now, demanding the the exact details with regards to my right to parking at the residence as in my Tenancy Agreement I signed last year with them, that agreement doesn't give specific details on the car park other than to keep to keep the car park in good condition.

I've included the estate agent in the chasing up of this. And they confirmed back to me that they listed the apartment with parking included.

I don't know if I can still appeal through POPLA, as I've no idea what date UKPC rejected my appeal. Or if I'm allowed to appeal through POPLA because I technically only raised 1 appeal through UKPC.

My landlord has asked if I have a photo of my permit in my car. Of course I don't. Who takes photos of their car windscreen + permit in their spare time. However UKPC do I have a photo of my permit in my car. But I can not access their photos now, as any attempt to use my PCN ref on their site just says "been moved on to our litigation teams"


I'm not sure what else to add right now, my brain is fried from being hit with this, this week, the same week I've started going through mortgage application. I'm sure I had more to say, but I can't think of it at the moment.

i do not know the landowner, or management company of the block of apartments yet. I'm trying to get that information from my individual landlord of the apartment, as she has said she's messaged them.

I also (before finding MSE) tried to dispute the dcblegal claims on their site, which lead to a massive list of personal financial questions which I refused to answer, deciding against.
This lead to me receiving an email from a member of dcblegal, asking my to confirm my address which would give them consent to use my email address.
I found this odd as their letters found me at my new address easily enough.




I know I'm unprepared(and stupid) in throwing away the initial PCNs. Believing it will all come good because I've done no wrong. But since the first Letter to Claim on monday, I'm regretting that. But intend to take this all the way if it isn't thrown out at the POPLA stage.

I will not do my POPLA appeal until I've collated every point I can from this forum, get some clarity on the exact wording for the parking terms on my old lease for the apartment and then send them the biggest possible appeal.

And with regards to a POPLA appeal, and collating evidence. Getting pictures of my own will be difficult, as I moved out of that apartment weeks later. And can not get access into the car park.


Many thanks, sorry it's a wall of text. It's hard to keep track of everything in this eventual long process and knowing the exact best thing to do.


Cheers again.

Coupon-mad

You are not at an appeal stage.  The one with the DRP letter is to be ignored - see the 4th post of the NEWBIES thread.  It's not a real LBC.  And you can't use POPLA now.

The DCBLegal one is a LBC but they'll discontinue in 2024 and the rest of the PCNs will gradually go the same way.

Not to be paid. Easier than you think. 

  

P.S. have you told UKPC to erase your old address for ALL PCNs?

Xefton

Hi Coupon-mad

Thank you for the quick response, I've read a lot of your responses and helps on these threads.

And yes the DRP letter was not headed as an LBC whereas the DCBLegal one was. I will ignore DRP in that case.

As I can no longer appeal with POPLA, and I thought that was my next stage. My understanding from your newbies thread, is that my next step is to drop an email to DCBLegal telling them I refuse the claim using the template you've given in post #2 in the newbies thread.



I've read the newbies thread several times now, and yet it's still just a panic with what to do.


To your P.S. No I have not. I'll get on that now. Once I find any sort of way to email them. I'll scour this forum for an email address.


Cheers again,
It is much appreciated the work you've done on this forum.

KeithP

Xefton said:

To your P.S. No I have not. I'll get on that now. Once I find any sort of way to email them. I'll scour this forum for an email address.

As suggested in the NEWBIES thread, UKPC's Data Protection Officer's email address can be found in their Privacy Policy.

There is a link to their Privacy Policy at the foot of every page of their website.

Xefton

Update.

Finally received my CNBC claim form. Issue date 15-4-24 through UKPC/DCBL

DRP stopped sending letters after their 3rd or 4th "final notice".

The PCN that was being pursued by DRP, has now been taken over and added to DCBL claims as of last month. 

The CNBC claim form includes all 3 PCNs now totalling £677.80. Which is madness when I was parked in my own parking spot.

Will spend the next couple of days going back over Newbies thread and template defence thread to complete my defence..

And again, thanks the for abundance of information and help, all free, on this forum.

Coupon-mad

Make sure you do the AOS in time.

That's over the £600 ceiling for High Court enforcement of a CCJ, so if you miss a deadline, there will be DCB HCEOs on your doorstep clamping your car.

Shocking isn't it?  How has it come to this horrendous point?  The MA should hang their heads in shame for inflicting this on residents.

This is why we say people should boycott flats with parking firms infesting the site, and tell managing agents and landlords why.

KeithP

Xefton said:

Finally received my CNBC claim form. Issue date 15-4-24 through UKPC/DCBL

With a Claim Issue Date of 15th April, you have until Tuesday 7th May to file an Acknowledgment of Service but there is nothing to be gained by delaying it. 

To file an Acknowledgment of Service, follow the guidance in the Dropbox file linked from the second post in the NEWBIES thread.

Having filed an Acknowledgment of Service in a timely manner, you have until 4pm on Monday 20th May 2024 to file your Defence.

That's almost four weeks away. Plenty of time to produce a Defence, but please don't leave it to the last minute. 

To create a Defence, and then file a Defence by email, look again at the second post on the NEWBIES thread - immediately following where you found the Acknowledgment of Service guidance.

Don't miss the deadline for filing an Acknowledgment of Service, nor that for filing a Defence.

Do not try and file a Defence via the MoneyClaimOnline website. Once an Acknowledgment of Service has been filed, the MCOL website should be treated as 'read only'.

Xefton

Thank you Keith, I had read these points on the relevant threads. But thank you for streamlining it for more clarity.

My initial personal choice was to not file an AoS and go right to filing a defence within the initial timeline. I had noticed to ignore the MCOL website even though the CNBC claim form directs you there.

Do you still recommend filing the AoS first to file the defence at a later date even if I had a defence prepared this week?

With regards to the £600 limit. That's news to me, and yes, shocking. I'll be emailing the landlord and estate agent again with this info (even though both have been useless to me in this whole process).

Coupon-mad

You don't have to do AOS but with the >£600 risk exposing you, I would do that today.

Give yourself the breathing space of extra time, even if you don't intend to use it: e.g. What if you get knocked down by a bus and end up in hospital for weeks.  Not wishing that in you(!) but life changes or family emergencies can suddenly happen that mean you could take your eye off the ball.  

KeithP

Xefton said:

My initial personal choice was to not file an AoS and go right to filing a defence within the initial timeline. I had noticed to ignore the MCOL website even though the CNBC claim form directs you there.

Do you still recommend filing the AoS first to file the defence at a later date even if I had a defence prepared this week?

Do as you wish, but just make sure you don't miss any deadline.
Filing an Acknowledgment of Service does give you a breathing space that may be useful if any surprises crop up which somehow delay your plan.

Xefton

Thank you both,

Will keep updates on this thread. Hopefully get this added to the DCBL thread of discontinuances.

Cheers again