UKCPS, Trace Debt Recovery, Moorside Legal Services and their common link . . .

markrhaynes

03/03/2024

Received parking charge notice from UKCPs - penalty stated as £100 reducing to £60 if paid within 14 days. Appealed promptly using the online process - appeal acknowledged in writing stating:

'A response will be sent to you within 28 days from the date that the appeal was received'. (I have the email)

No appeal outcome received. No follow up, no interim correspondence.

 

30/05/2024

Received a 'final demand' stating 'This charge has not been paid despite previous attempts to gain payment.' The only previous attempt being the original penalty charge notice.

 

07/05/2024

I wrote, recorded delivery stating full facts and copy correspondence, emails etc, and stated . . No outcome notice following acknowledged appeal, and no secondary attempt(s) to gain payment.

 

10/06/2024

Text SMS from Trace Debt recovery requesting that I contact by phone. No reference number or to any other parties. I called and was directed to enter the case ref number - as none was provided to me, I was unable to gain the advised 'call back'.  I assumed this was spam.

 

11/06/2026

Email from Trace - this time with a case ref which is unknown to me and relate to nothing I am aware of (as that time). I replied stating I had no idea what this was about and stated I would be treating such messages as unsolicited and hostile.

 

12/06/2024

Letter from Trace (states posted 06/06) - payment demand.

 

14/06/2024

I wrote to Trace, recorded delivery (signed for on 17/06/2024), stating the situation enclosing all copy correspondence.  I received no response.

 

17/06/2024

Letter from UKCPs thanking me for the letter ??? I can only presume Trace forwarded my letter to letter to UKCPs (maybe so they could be prompted to issue the appeal outcome?) . . . UKCPs letters states my letter (?) received on 14/06/2024 . . . the day it was posted to Trace . . ?

 

The UKCPs advised me the matter had been passed to Debt Recovery Trace . .  (the company is actually called Trace Debt Recovery . . ) and would not be entering into any further correspondence.

 

09/09/2024

Yup, almost 3 months later . . . Letter received from Moorside Legal Services threatening a County Court Claim!

 

16/09/2024

I write to Moorside, recorded delivery, signed for on 18/09/2024, restating all the facts restating again that no outcome had been received to my acknowledged appeal and enclosing all copy correspondence.

 

On the same day, I called Moorside to express that I felt this was unwarranted intimidation and harassment.

 

14/10/2024

'Letter Of Claim' from Moorside stating I have 30 days from the date of the letter.

 

22/10/2024

I called Moorside - I have the call recording provided by Moorside, in which i restated that I had received no outcome notice to my appeal. The agent was unhelpful. I eventually requested a transcript of the call and a call back from a Manager. I ended the call.

 

Following the call I emailed Moorside restating all the facts and expressing my frustration, vexation and sense of harassment. My message contained a clear request for acknowledgement. I received an automated response stating Moorside may take up to 28 days to respond . . .

 

23/10/2024

I get a call from a 'team leader' at Moorside who neglected to tell me the call was being recorded - ICO confirm this is in contravention of GDPR legislation Article 5. 1. a.    (I have a copy of the recorded call provided by Moorside).

 

In this call I was evident that my letters to Moorside had gone unread as, when I insisted the 'team leader' read my letters she (after many many months of stating I had not had an outcome notice) offered to send me a copy!  I stated, and confirmed by email to Moorside, I would want to receive this from the issuer I.E. UKCPs and made clear I did not trust Trace or Moorside in this matter.

 

23/10/2024

I email my complaint report to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (as recommend by an agent of the SRA).

 

I have since updated the SRA with content and context. This is being reviewed by them.

 

23/10/2024

I sent this email to Moorside:

"** PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THIS EMAIL URGENTLY **

 

As requested of, and confirmed by, 'Amanda' (Presumably 'Peel') Team Leader in a call recorded, by yourselves, today at 12:50 with a duration of 6m 18 seconds, I am additionally requesting a transcript and/or digital (CD) copy of that call.

 

Furthermore, I require a formal notification from yourselves that you will desist your intimidation correspondence as this is unnecessary given, as stated in writing multiple times, I have never received any outcome to my appeal from UKCPs. It is for that party to complete the process and I will be expecting such from them alone, together with any other 'claimed' collection request correspondence between the original notice dated 14/03/2024 and their threatening letter to me dated 03/05/2024 as, I have stated multiple times in correspondence received by Trace Debt Recovery and yourselves, I have received nothing in between.

 

Finally, following your compliance and satisfaction of this and all my formal requests to you, take this as my notice to exercise my 'right to erasure' of my personal data held by yourselves as your organisation will no longer need my data for the original reason it was collected.

 

Please confirm you have understood and actioned all requests in this message."

 

Again, I get the automated response - - 28 days etc.

 

25/10/2024

Email from Moorside with my 2 requested call recordings and a pdf copy of the UKCPs outcome notice dated 14/04/2024 . Also included was a copy of the UKCPs Final Notice letter dated 03/05/2024.

 

In this email they ask that I make payment of £170 within 7 days.

 

15/10/2024

At 15:18 this day, the last day of school before half term, I send Moorside this email message before collecting my daughter from school.

"Please ensure any communications are posted.

This email address with shortly be unmonitored.

Correspondence will be dealt with in 'date posted' order on my return to the UK on the 4th November."

 

26/10/2024

I am completing this for to yourselves (Gov agency and BBC Watchdog). I have explained to Moorside that our GP has just doubled my wife's anxiety medication in part due to the stress of this situation.

I note that Mr. Mike Marrs, CEO of the British Parking Association (of which, UKCPs is a member) is also CEO of the APN Group consisting of two companies . . . Trace Debt Recovery and Moorside Legal services.

 

This 6 minute minor parking infraction appears to have been escalated from a £60 charge, through apparently connected organisations culminating in 3 fee escalations - £60 to £130 to £170 with the threat of an estimated £281+ should this reach court!

 

If I wanted to make a lot of money before the sharp practices of this sector became fairly regulated, this is a construct I would be considering.

 

As is, I am of the strongest conviction that the careless, lack lustre actions of UKCPs, Trace Debt recovery and Moorside Legal Services requires significant investigation.

 

All docs are available, letters, call recordings, emails etc.

Any words of wisdom people?

 

Thank you for reading.

Mark Haynes

Gr1pr

I don't believe that it was a Penalty Notice, not if UKCPS sent it, more likely to be a Parking Charge Notice, a PCN

I doubt that the PCN was £60 , more likely to be £100

UKCPS are only corporate members of the BPA, most parking companies are, but UKCPS are actually active AOS members of the IPC, so follow their code of practice 

The system is currently unregulated, but UKCPS are the owner and data controller of the PCN, always were, still are, so you should be updating the DPO at UKCPS by email with a suitable address for the service of papers, a data rectification notice 

Trace and Moorside are sub contractors, all legal even if it seems dubious and unsavoury 

Its the Letter of Claim stage followed by a court claim that are important stages going forward 

Plenty of information about trace and Moorside in other threads here. ( Ignore trace. )

Coupon-mad

This is a good point to ask journalists to look into (albeit UKCPS are not in the BPA AOS):

"I note that Mr. Mike Marrs, CEO of the British Parking Association (of which, UKCPs is a member) is also CEO of the APN Group consisting of two companies . . . Trace Debt Recovery and Moorside Legal services."


However STOP taking the bait and spending money on recorded delivery letters!  It isn't worth the replies.  Stop phoning them.

Wait for the court claim. Defend it.  Loads of ML cases on this forum already. They are new kids on the block.

Castle

OP

Email from Moorside with my 2 requested call recordings and a pdf copy of the UKCPs outcome notice dated 14/04/2024 . Also included was a copy of the UKCPs Final Notice letter dated 03/05/2024.

14/04/2024 was a Sunday

markrhaynes

my typo - 04/04/24

Grizebeck

no need to phone or write recorded letters
just defend any court claim, anything else doesnt make any difference

KoalaMSEF

From somebody who has gone through a similar pathway and currently in a similar situation - phones, letters, or anything else do not make a difference. Nobody will read your stuff. There is every slightly a chance for them to get the money, they will continue to the last second.

It is unregulated and it is practically an embracement to this country. If it did not get cancelled, fight it when the court claim comes. Even if it says it is cancelled by landowner etc, make sure you have your written confirmation. This is very likely for the bloodsuckers say one thing (i.e., promise to the landowner etc) and did another thing (i.e., keeping pursuing until we see them in the court). Law, order, justice, reason, nothing works in this industry. Sometimes, I do wonder if I live in some third-world country. 

markrhaynes

ML have emailed me a copy of the UKCPs outcome of appeal - dated 04/04/24 - which I never received from UKCPs. I believe UKCPs deliberately hold back these letters so they can escalate to debt recovery etc to ramp up the charges! It's as if they are all in it together - and there is plenty of evidence of common personnel. 

I have purposely send recoded delivery letters so I have proof they have received (if not read) the points I make.

It has taken from early March until very recently (within the last few days) to even get ML to send a copy of the denied appeal letter - which, I requested in writing to UKCPs just after the 28 days they state it may take them to respond. I did this because in their small print they state "If you do not hear from us within 28 days then please contact us, do not assume that your appeal has been successful."  Next letter I get is a final demand!

So what should have been a £100 fee reduced to £16 for early settlement (confirmed as maintained throughout the appeals process, jumped to £130 then £170 with now the threat of a CCJ with cost estimated at £281 !!! 

Utter incompetence or a very good scam!

Coupon-mad

markrhaynes said:

ML have emailed me a copy of the UKCPs outcome of appeal - dated 04/04/24 - which I never received from UKCPs. I believe UKCPs deliberately hold back these letters so they can escalate to debt recovery etc to ramp up the charges! It's as if they are all in it together - and there is plenty of evidence of common personnel. 

I have purposely send recoded delivery letters so I have proof they have received (if not read) the points I make.

It has taken from early March until very recently (within the last few days) to even get ML to send a copy of the denied appeal letter - which, I requested in writing to UKCPs just after the 28 days they state it may take them to respond. I did this because in their small print they state "If you do not hear from us within 28 days then please contact us, do not assume that your appeal has been successful."  Next letter I get is a final demand!

So what should have been a £100 fee reduced to £16 for early settlement (confirmed as maintained throughout the appeals process, jumped to £130 then £170 with now the threat of a CCJ with cost estimated at £281 !!! 

But there is no cost.

Stop taking the bait.

Come back when you get a court claim form.

KoalaMSEF

Similarly, you can put forward your cost estimate... a day of wage, court fee, travel expense etc etc. All these are threats, psychological manipulation. If we have to deal with them in court, we will do so accordingly. Mr Koala did the same thing as you did because he believed that these people were reasonable. 

Email everything.... you have your digital receipt, time stamped, and it costs nothing. 

Deal with it when court claim form arrives. We will see when it will arrive. Plus, it doesn't hurt to complain to the MP, not just for your case, but urging them to championing/campaigning for regulating private parking companies, because these companies in the residential area (at least in our case) has further stigmatised the leaseholders, exacerbating the housing crisis as flats are less desirable in E&W (Scotland is different). It may not make any difference to individual cases, as most MPs seem unable to grasp the scam, but it definitely won't make any difference if MPs still think these private parking companies are little angels. 

patient_dream

I wonder if Moorside know what they are doing as this is just a copycat version of the other legals who play musical chairs with their try-ons 

Judges already label these firms as a regime with their fakes add-ons  and taking time wasting stupid claims to court

I guess Moorside know all about the DCBL FAILURES with their own dedicated thread .... DCBL DISCONTINUATIONS

If Moorside continue with their try-ons, there will be a MOORSIDE DISCONTINUATION thread soon