Dodgy Van Sales Company - Bailiffs and statutory declarations..

cici1988 · 28 November 2024 at 5:23PM

Hello,

This could end up being quite long winded, as we have had many many different issues from a company that we part exchanged a van to last year, far too many to list. But, the problem i am having right now is as follows:

Part exchanged said van, on November 24th 2023.
December 04th, 05th and 13th 2023 - three ULEZ fines came through the post..

As soon as i received the initial PCN's, I sent them on to the van dealership who had informed me to not worry, they had taken representation for the fines. Great, i thought!

Fast forward to last week, we're coming toward the end of November 2024, and i receive text messages from Marston Debt recovery, notifying me that i now owe £355.00 per each ticket. A day later the three fines came through the posts.

On the same day, ive gotten in touch with the van sales company, who seem confused and have sent screenshots of them taking representation for the fines and Transport for London had accepted their representation, in May 2024.

I have been in daily contact with Marston, they are absolutely dreadful to deal with and i have gotten nowhere. I have explained the situation over and over again to them and the van sales company have also sent them an email to say that we were not the owners of said van on the dates of the ULEZ charges.

I have also been in touch with Transport for London, who were unsympathetic, and just told me to file a statutory declaration with the Traffic Enforcement Centre. They have also informed me that when the van sales company made 'representation' for the fine, they had actually just turned the fines back around to me.

Traffic Enforcement Centre have sent me a PE2 and PE3 form to complete, which i need a solicitor to verify my signature on.... Fine, ill do this as i dont know why i should be forced to pay over a £1000 on fines that i am not responsible for. Although this is something that i am going to have to pay for and take time off of work to complete.

I was hoping that the Traffic Enforcement Centre may notify Marston, and have the bailiffs put on pause while i file a statutory declaration, but they haven't and i have had to pay an initial £100.00 and set up a payment plan for the rest. I was forced into paying this, after the harassing text messages they are sending me each day to let me know that i am accruing further charges (£235), and will accrue even more charges when the bailifs make a visit.

I have sent evidence to both the Traffic Enforcement Centre, and to Marston and no one is listening to me. I feel like i have been going around in circles for the last week screaming help to everyone, but not one person has cared to listen whatsoever.

One of the initial problems i had with the van sales dealership was that on the day of the part exchange i did not bring the v5 with me, to be honest i didnt think anything of this on my way up there. I did ask the garage if they needed me to bring anything with me on the day and they said no. Because of this, they did not pay off the finance outstanding on the vehicle, which they had already part exchanged. I asked the finance company and citizens advice if normal procedure would be for me to hand them the v5 before they had settled the finance and both told me no, i should wait until they settle the finance, so that is what i did. And thats also how i have now ended up with these three fines in my name. I would also like to add that they didnt actually pay off the finance until March 2024, i had to still pay the monthly payments for a van i no longer owned.

When these fines came through, i questioned the garage on why the van is being driven around London, as they had told me that there were many problems with the vehicle and they explained that they were driving it to and from a repair centre. Only now, i have been told that the van had actually already been sold at this point. I have only found this out as i have seen the email the van sales company had sent to Marston, which gave the name of the 'owner' of the van at that time. How are they able to sell a vehicle they do not even have the v5 for?

Anyway, this is just a couple of the problems i have faced since selling the van, but the main one being the current problem which is the debt i now have in my name because of them. Im wondering if anyone has experience similar, or even just filed a statutory declaration before? Does anyone know who i can contact they could actually care about the situation? I hate how there are companys like this in the world, that just get away with it.