Euro Car Parks

pinkerton_angel

Hi all,
So 2.5 years ago I received a PCN from Euro Car Parks.
Whilst I'm switched on with a lot of things, I was very naive about the world of parking tickets etc. I did all the things I shouldn't have done. I admitted I'd been driving, I appealed to POPLA and was unsuccessful.
Yes in hindsight I appreciate I should have paid more for my parking. No excuses and some of my family have called me stupid but it was my daughter's 10th birthday and I had just found out my mum had a terminal illness (which she sadly passed from some short months later).
I had an activity booked with my daughter and we were a little early, we got to the car park and drove around for a while to try and find the phone number to pay for the parking. Before I paid I had a little meltdown in the car over my mum's illness. I then paid by phone, parked the car and left the car park. I paid for 2 hours and parked for 2 hours. Admittedly it was probably around 20 minutes before I paid (yes I know that was my fault).
I appealed to POPLA on grounds of compassion (they have none) and also the fact that the car park signage stated paying for parking, not paying from arrival at the car park. This was all outright rejected.
I have since received various solicitor threats and have ignored them all and on the look out for the letter before action. I'm now actually considering court if it goes that far. What would be my chances of success if it came to this and what would be the consequences of me losing (other than financial)? any marks on my credit score etc?
Is it worth now speaking to the BPA or my MP (who is useless I might add)
Many thanks

Grizebeck

just come back to us if you get a court claim

Gr1pr

Read this thread that explains the difference between a CCJ and a bad credit report following it possibly being recorded on the public register , or not 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6534418/court-changes-or-conflicting-advice-ccj#latest

Essentially, the defendant pays in full the amount listed by the judge, preferably ASAP, definitely within 30 days, notice the Martin Lewis warcry , IN FULL, And the ASAP 

No problem if its paid quickly in full, typically about £200 for a single PCN 

But this is a long, long way from any possible court hearing 

fisherjim

POPLA assessors probably have more compassion than PPC's but they are only paid to adjudicate on if the PPC followed the process not mitigation, you fell in the trap I'm afraid.

The PPC in essence has the ability to accept mitigation and could according to the rules of the COP have let you off, the landowner has lost those 20 minutes which ever way it falls. But PPC's are lazy, greedy scammers you were never going to succeed you are now in ignore mode unless these nasty guttersnipes try a court claim to pressure you.

Follow Grizebeck's advice, forget complaining to The BPA not worth the time they won't help, complain to your MP by all means the more complaints they see the better.

Read the newbies thread on here, you can't get a bad credit score unless they take you to court, you lose and don't pay up. At this stage you only have a speculative invoice from dozy chancers, there is no proven debt.

Coupon-mad

Gr1pr said:

Read this thread that explains the difference between a CCJ and a bad credit report following it possibly being recorded on the public register , or not 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6534418/court-changes-or-conflicting-advice-ccj#latest

Essentially, the defendant pays in full the amount listed by the judge, preferably ASAP, definitely within 30 days, notice the Martin Lewis warcry , IN FULL, And the ASAP 

No problem if its paid quickly in full, typically about £200 for a single PCN 

But this is a long, long way from any possible court hearing 

I find some advice here a little alarmist.

The OP won't lose if they get a court claim.  I know they asked this and you were answering:

"What would be my chances of success if it came to this and what would be the consequences of me losing (other than financial)? any marks on my credit score etc?"

...but that's already covered in the second post of the NEWBIES thread, which is far more positive (tells people that we win 99% of cases and there's zero CCJ risk by following our advice) and it's where people should be signposted first and foremost.

Gr1pr

I never comment on chances at ADR or Court, but its always been my thought that People should always have an understanding of the various topics, especially when probably 90% dont understand the topic of CCJ and credit reports etc 

At no point was I answering the issues in the post, but clarifying just that part relating to the credit report etc 

So for balance, the OP should read a few recent concluded cases and especially the discontinuations thread by Umkomaas, which shows the currently known hundreds of cancellations by one set of lawyers 

So because its currently not in the court claim system, the OP should be doing more research and get to know what might come, same as having a jack and spare wheel in the boot in case of a puncture on a dark road at 3am when its cold wet and raining, don't try to learn from scratch after the breakdown happens, know beforehand, even if it might not happen ! Not everyone gets a puncture ! Nevermind in inclement weather with no handbook available 

I don't believe that ECP will start issuing claims, but we have thought that before with other parking companies, so never say never, expect that it won't happen in this particular case but as the scouts say, be prepared 

Coupon-mad

We have a few ECP claims here filed by QDR and by DCB. Easy to defend and no CCJ risk.