Parking charge at own address but I now need a parking permit - England

AZUL28

Le_Kirk said:

Why are you putting permits in your car?  Did you agree to this? In the premises where you live, do you have an agreement that you signed where you agreed to display a permit?  Before the parking vampires descended, had a ballot of all leaseholders (and other interested parties) been carried out and what was the result?

Oh, to clarify, this is a rented apartment, I don't own the place. I have already messaged my landlord's estate agent and the building's management company to intercede. So far, I have received no reply. 

Coupon-mad

1505grandad said:

"Before they introduced it at least once a week I'd come home and find a random car parked in my space leaving me with no where to park ...."

I wouldn't dare suggest that they were anything to do with a ppc  -  that would be a horrible thing to do (i.e. both suggest it and for them to do it).

Yep (the person you replied to doesn't seem to have twigged that use of decoy cars is what some PPCs do, in order to get a foot in the door by creating a pseudo 'parking problem' at a site they are targeting for a contract) ... but this wasn't posted by the OP.  

Lesson for @AZUL28 (a tenant): next time, never rent somewhere infested by a PPC.  They ruin lives & credit rating if you let them. But you won't be paying. We've got your back against this 'outrageous scam'.

AZUL28

Coupon-mad said:

Lesson for @AZUL28 (a tenant): next time, never rent somewhere infested by a PPC.  They ruin lives & credit rating if you let them. But you won't be paying. We've got your back against this 'outrageous scam'.

Thank you for the reassurance. I was pretty desperate for a place and took the first one I saw. Never again. 

AZUL28

Coupon-mad

An update:
I have now received a NTK and I have the following questions:

1. I contacted both the Letting Agent for my flat and the Shared Ownership Company (SOC) responsible for managing the building and parking spaces. The Letting Agent was useless to put it mildly, there was no pushback from them when the SOC replied with "As PCM are an individual company not linked to the SOC any tickets/fines issued need to be queried/appealed with them directly as this is not something we have any control over..." The rest is a generic message quoting PCM asking me to appeal.
   
   However, I am considering getting back to both stating that "Parking Control Management has limited hours (9am-3pm weekdays, closed weekends) and long wait times of at least 30 minutes which is longer than my lunch time. The responsibility lies with you for assigning the parking contract to a company without adequate provisions for working residents. I will dispute this and may involve you in my claim".
   Is this suitable?
   
   
2. The NTK template from the FAQ includes asking them for close up and photographic evidence all of which they have included on the claims portal. Should I send them only the following:
   "I dispute your 'parking charge', as the keeper of the vehicle. I deny any liability or contractual agreement and I will be making a complaint about your predatory conduct to your client landowner.
   
   There will be no admissions as to who was driving and no assumptions can be drawn."

Coupon-mad

What 'claims portal'?  There is no claim yet. And no appeal will work so IMHO don't bother with IAS (second stage appeal).

And even if you send an initial dispute, DON'T use the template.  Just say you'll see them in court and attach proof of being an authorised resident.  They won't cancel but your attempt to resolve the dispute now will look better later, for you, when you win in court.

Wait for the court claim.  Come back when you get that. Tell them if you move house, for obvious reasons.  For six years.

Re the landowner: I'd be asking them for a copy of the landowner contract, because you believe PCM's standard one includes a PCN cancellation allowance of a certain number of PCNs per month.  As such, it is frustrating that this right isn't being exercised for residents.

AZUL28

Coupon-mad said:

What 'claims portal'?  There is no claim yet. And no appeal will work so IMHO don't bother with IAS (second stage appeal).

And even if you send an initial dispute, DON'T use the template.  Just say you'll see them in court and attach profit being an authorised resident.  They won't cancel but your attempt to resolve the dispute now will look better later, for you, when you win in court.

To confirm, I should try and appeal on PCM website now, would this suffice "I am an authorised resident and contractually allowed to use the car park, see attached lease contract. And I will strongly point out that You (PCM) have limited working hours (9am-3pm weekdays, closed weekends) and long wait times of at least 30 minutes which is longer than my lunch time. This makes it difficult for working residence to contact you". 
Wouldn't this identify me as the driver? I assume it no longer matters at this stage?

Re the landowner: I'd be asking them for a copy of the landowner contract, because you believe PCM's standard one includes a PCN cancellation allowance of a certain number of PCNs per month.  As such, it is frustrating that this right isn't being exercised for residents.

Also, you mean ask the EA/SOC for the landowner contract between SOC and PCM because this most likely include PCN cancellation allowance of a certain number of PCNs per month? If so, what would be the legal way of wording it this? I imagine threatening to drag them into the dispute as previously mentioned would not work? 

Coupon-mad

Just word it as I said.  Not in legalese.

Admit to driving.  It's irrelevant in your case.

Typo here:

"working residence"

AZUL28

Coupon-mad said:

Just word it as I said.  Not in legalese.

Admit to driving.  It's irrelevant in your case.

Typo here:

"working residence"

I have now appealed and it was rejected, the next step is IAS which I have zero faith in.

The Housing Association got back to me and basically said "their contract with PCM is commercially sensitive which is between both parties" however, they sent me a resident letter (between residents and PCM) which states "Your HA has no jurisdiction over enforced vehicles and under no circumstances will they act as mediators in any cases concerning enforcement action of any vehicles". I rent from a landlord through an estate agent (not directly from the housing association). I have asked the estate agent to provide their copy of that agreement, but it has been crickets ever since.

When the IAS appeal fails, what will be my defence in court (I really want to be sure this succeeds)? 

While I did park even with clear signage saying otherwise, their online permit request website doesn't work. Also, the telephone route takes as long as 40 mins which they acknowledged in the appeal rejection letter.

Coupon-mad

Of course you'll succeed in court. You are right NOT TO TRY IAS.

As I said before:

"even if you send an initial dispute, DON'T use the template.  Just say you'll see them in court and attach proof of being an authorised resident.  They won't cancel but your attempt to resolve the dispute now will look better later, for you, when you win in court.

Wait for the court claim.  Come back when you get that. Tell them if you move house, for obvious reasons.  For six years."

That's all you need to do.

PLEASE don't tell us about debt collector letters.

We don't need to discuss those. See the 4th post of the NEWBIES thread; no need to give PCM or their debt crawlers the time of day.

DO NOT PAY.  

Did you know PCM were ex-clampers and were outed as rogue traders on Watchdog?

http://parking-prankster.blogspot.com/2015/05/is-it-pcm-uk-who-make-up-stuff-all-time.html?m=1

You don't pay private parking firms, all the time that this rogue industry has engineered it to duck Government regulation.