How to Deal with an Unfair Parking Ticket?

MarbleCases

In October, I parked at Watford Junction Station car park but the ticket machines weren't working so I took photos and didn't buy a ticket. In December, I received a debt collection notice from ZZPS saying I owed them £170. However, I hadn't received any notice of the penalty before receiving their debt collection notice. I believe I should have received this initial notice within 14 days of me parking there.

For these two reasons (no initial notice received and both the ticket machines being broken), I emailed ZZPS to ask them to cancel the fine. They didn't respond for quite some time but about a month ago, they said they had noted my comments, that they had passed my email to the appeals team and that they had "pulled my account back". They also said I should receive a response within 72 hours. However, that was almost a month ago and I haven't heard from them. Today, I received a new letter from them saying that if they don't receive payment within 14 days, they "shall seek confirmation from their Client that they can pass this account for legal debt recovery".

Would anyone be able to advise me on what my options are to go from here?

KeithP

Hello and welcome.

Which parking company? Saba Park Services UK Limited?

ZZPS are nothing more than harmless debt collectors. The fourth post of the NEWBIES thread explains exactly how to deal with debt collector's letters, but to summarise that post - ignore them.

Debszzzz2

When you say you "emailed ZZPS to ask then to cancel the fine", did you reveal that you were the "driver"? Hopefully not, especially if they had "passed my email to the appeals team".

As advised above, you must not, under any circumstances, contact the useless debt collectors. Please make sure you fully read, digest and understand the content of the Newbies/FAQ thread.

As long as the identity of the driver has not been revealed, you cannot be held liable for the PCN. Only the driver is liable and, unless you have revealed the identity to them, they have no idea who that is and no assumptions can be made.

Coupon-mad

MarbleCases said:

In October, I parked at Watford Junction Station car park but the ticket machines weren't working so I took photos and didn't buy a ticket. In December, I received a debt collection notice from ZZPS saying I owed them £170. However, I hadn't received any notice of the penalty before receiving their debt collection notice. I believe I should have received this initial notice within 14 days of me parking there.

For these two reasons (no initial notice received and both the ticket machines being broken), I emailed ZZPS to ask them to cancel the fine. They didn't respond for quite some time but about a month ago, they said they had noted my comments, that they had passed my email to the appeals team and that they had "pulled my account back". They also said I should receive a response within 72 hours. However, that was almost a month ago and I haven't heard from them.

Today, I received a new letter from them saying that if they don't receive payment within 14 days, they "shall seek confirmation from their Client that they can pass this account for legal debt recovery".

Would anyone be able to advise me on what my options are to go from here?

Welcome! You won't be paying a penny.

Did you miss the announcement thread in capital letters at the top of the forum?

You don't contact - or take seriously - the likes of ZZPS.

MarbleCases

Yes, the parking company is Saba Park Services UK Limited. Unfortunately, I did implicitly acknowledge in my email to ZZPS that I was the driver, not realising my mistake at the time. Is my best option still to maintain silence? Should I not email them to say I haven't received a response from their appeals team?

Umkomaas

MarbleCases said:

Yes, the parking company is Saba Park Services UK Limited. Unfortunately, I did implicitly acknowledge in my email to ZZPS that I was the driver, not realising my mistake at the time. Is my best option still to maintain silence? Should I not email them to say I haven't received a response from their appeals team?

ZZPS Appeal Team?  Never heard of that porky before. Ignore ZZPS - debt collectors. Come back if you receive a Letter of Claim from solicitors representing Saba, or a Court Claim via the Northampton CNBC. Very defendable.  Normally Saba pull out before any claim gets to a court hearing. Stay alert for any of the above.  Come back on this thread if you receive either. 

Coupon-mad

ZZPS don't have an 'appeals team' nor even a veil of a customer service ethic IMHO (you are not their customer anyway).

You have read their Trustpilot reviews? Appalling conduct alleged; not a reasonable firm to contact which is why we say ignore them.

fisherjim

ZZPS are a debt collector not a parking company, they have been passed a file of an alleged debt to put on pressure not to give any form of service, or appeal.

MarbleCases

Okay, thank you. Should I contact Saba Park Services about it or would that also be a mistake? I haven't received any letters from them, only from ZZPS.

Umkomaas

MarbleCases said:

Okay, thank you. Should I contact Saba Park Services about it or would that also be a mistake? I haven't received any letters from them, only from ZZPS.

Once they've handed things over to a debt collector, they won't communicate sensibly with you. You're not dealing with cuddly Marks and Sparks or John Lewis!

Have you checked that your address, shown on your V5C (logbook), is up to date?  90% of cases where parking firm documents are not received are most likely down to out of date V5C data. Please check, as there's a £1,000 (real) fine from the DVLA potentially awaiting you. Can be easily updated quickly online. 

Nellymoser

If you're correct address does happen to be on your V5C please consider supporting this.

So many people don't receive 1st and/or 2nd pcn but the £170 payment due letter often manages to drop through letter boxes.

PPCs always claim discounted rate/full rate pcns/court claim letters were sent though they offer no evidence to prove this. Since they CHOOSE NOT to provide evidence of their posting we must continue to press gov to ensure they do and see it included in the new Parking CoP.

Please sign/share @jmccabe petition closes 22nd june 2024.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/652355
Require communications from Private Parking companies to be traceable/trackable
Thank you