Sip Parking fine

RocknRoll69

Please can you help, I have a parking fine from SIP Parking and I haven't paid and its now £160 and they are threatening court. 
I was annoyed as when I received the original fine in August.24 it arrived late which meant it had gone from £60 to £100 and I hadn't had a chance to pay the lower amount.
It has since gone to £115 and £125 and now £160 and the next threat of court action. 
They have got my name slightly wrong on the letter (one missing letter) so I was hoping the court would throw this out but reading other threads this might not be so.
Please help do I need to pay this ridiculous charge or should I go to court?

Gr1pr

We don't recommend paying, but SIP will probably issue a court claim and take you to civil court due to non payment 

Not much you can do at the debt collector stage , the name issue is minor, it wont affect any court claim, but do get out your V5c log book and double check that the details are 100% correct 

Not_A_Hope

Regulars on this forum would advocate fighting the PCN in court in the vast majority of cases rather than paying and funding the scam that is the private parking industry. Perhaps you could provide some detail on where this PCN arose and why? 

Coupon-mad

Let it go to court claim.

Defend - see our Template Defence.

A Mediation phone call is compulsory:

if you think it's fair them make an offer of maybe £35 and see what they counter with (this is something you can't do now, only after a court claim is defended)

or

if you think it was an unfair PCN, offer nothing at mediation call stage and carry on with your WS and evidence, then let a Judge decide.

fisherjim

Please stop calling it a "fine" it's an invoice or charge issued under contract law.

RocknRoll69

Thanks Gr1pr I've checked the V5c and its the same misspelling so that's where the error has come from. 
Thanks Not_A_Hope I also think its a scam but in life isn't always fair so just trying to avoid a more costly mistake. Background is I parked for 39 mins in an area in town where I didn't know you needed a ticket as its been having renovation I thought it was free space. I am probably at fault o not an unfair PCN as I suppose I should have known so don't think I have any defence there.  
Thanks Coupon-mad you appear to be be more take a chance spin the wheel but I am concerned on my chances. Don't get me know I know their practise is wrong but must also be careful not to cut of the nose to spite the face. I shall have a look at the Defence Template. At what point or when should I do the Mediation phone call? They tried calling me one day about 10 days ago and bombarded  me with calls and left empty voice messages, struck me as intimidation but I was surprized when they stopped after 1 day. Should I call them myself and offer £35?
So today is the 14th day since the last letter stating pay up £160 or court, what should I expect next please.
Thanks again.

Gr1pr

The days of fly parking, taking a chance, are long since over with, nowhere is safe, apart from your own driveway 

Perhaps you should rectify the DVLA database problem. ? Definitely worth looking into 

You could try the £35 without prejudice offer, if you want to 

Alternatively, the debt collectors letters may continue, ignore and file away, post 4 in the newbies sticky thread 

Eventually you should receive a Letter of Claim with 30 days notice, in which case you should follow the advice in post 2 in the newbies sticky thread in announcements 

After that you should expect a court claim pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL to arrive in the post, again follow post 2 in the newbies sticky thread in announcements by coupon mad 

So debt collectors letters, followed by an LoC , followed by a court claim 

Sip have 6 years from the incident date in which to make a court claim using MCOL 

Not_A_Hope

Background is I parked for 39 mins in an area in town where I didn't know you needed a ticket as its been having renovation I thought it was free space

You have to consider why you didn’t know the terms and conditions of parking. I suggest you should check the signage at this site. Court cases are often won on inadequate signs. Their claim is based on contract law so if there was inadequate signage there could not be an offer for you to consider and then accept.

Coupon-mad

Letting it go to a court claim isn't 'taking a chance'.  I've no idea why people think it is.

My advice is 100% serious.

Should I call them myself and offer £35?

Obviously not at this stage. That's not what I said. That would be pointless.

This is why I carefully explained that court claim/defend then attend the Mediation call is THE ONLY ROUTE to get to a place where you can make an offer and they have to respond.

That is the right advice and I don't know why you'd think it's taking a chance or 'spinning the wheel'. It's not. We know what we are doing and right now there is NOTHING for you to do at all.

IGNORE DEBT THREATOGRAMS

"but I am concerned on my chances"

I don't understand? What do you mean? Nobody said you had to let it go to a hearing.