Some debt recovery letter questions (after reading newbie threads)

Waspyyy

Gr1pr said:

There are around 14 million PCNs issued annually at the moment,  from over 170 private parking companies,  a lot of whom have signed up with debt collectors and legal firms,  especially since the pandemic 

Anything in the under 6 years category in England and Wales is fair game,  hence why we are asking who the parking company and debt crawlers and any legal companies are 

The latter 2 are doing what their client tells them to do 

Ok thanks, hadn't realised the scale! ok then it's G24 and DCBL

Gr1pr

G24 have recently been signed up,  I think by Moorside Legal,  plus most companies are signed up with dcbl as debt collectors anyway.  G24 have probably handed over tens of thousands of unpaid invoices over

You are now awaiting a Letter of Claim from a legal company 

Waspyyy

Gr1pr said:

G24 have recently been signed up,  I think by Moorside Legal,  plus most companies are signed up with dcbl as debt collectors anyway.  G24 have probably handed over tens of thousands of unpaid invoices over

You are now awaiting a Letter of Claim from a legal company 

Sorry is that the same as letter before claim? Is it LoC essentially a summons?

KeithP

Waspyyy said:
Sorry is that the same as letter before claim?

The first couple of lines of the second post of the NEWBIES thread answer that.

TheWaspyyy said:
Is it LoC essentially a summons?

No.
You will never be summoned to appear in court over a private parking dispute.

Gr1pr

Waspyyy said:

Gr1pr said:

G24 have recently been signed up,  I think by Moorside Legal,  plus most companies are signed up with dcbl as debt collectors anyway.  G24 have probably handed over tens of thousands of unpaid invoices over

You are now awaiting a Letter of Claim from a legal company 

Sorry is that the same as letter before claim? Is it LoC essentially a summons?

Letter of Claim is the current incarnation,  an LoC , used to be LBC,  Letter Before Claim,  or even LBCCC,  take your pick,  its irrelevant , its the one before a court claim 

The Letter is a pre court letter giving the recipient 30 days,  not 7 or 14 days 

Its definitely not a summons,  because this is a civil matter,  not a criminal offence,  a shoplifter may get a summons but no magistrates or court will contact you 

The court claim in civil matters is MCOL,  as was stated earlier,  sent by the CNBC in Northampton 

So read the previous replies 

You will definitely not receive a summons 

Waspyyy

Gr1pr said:

Waspyyy said:

Gr1pr said:

G24 have recently been signed up,  I think by Moorside Legal,  plus most companies are signed up with dcbl as debt collectors anyway.  G24 have probably handed over tens of thousands of unpaid invoices over

You are now awaiting a Letter of Claim from a legal company 

Sorry is that the same as letter before claim? Is it LoC essentially a summons?

Letter of Claim is the current incarnation,  an LoC , used to be LBC,  Letter Before Claim,  or even LBCCC,  take your pick,  its irrelevant , its the one before a court claim 

The Letter is a pre court letter giving the recipient 30 days,  not 7 or 14 days 

Its definitely not a summons,  because this is a civil matter,  not a criminal offence,  a shoplifter may get a summons but no magistrates or court will contact you 

The court claim in civil matters is MCOL,  as was stated earlier,  sent by the CNBC in Northampton 

So read the previous replies 

You will definitely not receive a summons 

Thanks, I went back and reread the post - sorry to derail into ok information already covered

I will start preparing my defence then

Waspyyy

Thanks all for your help, v useful 

Waspyyy

Hi all, ok so I have now received a LoC, as predicted (hilariously after several 'warning' letters which really just amount to begging), is it possible or wise to paste a redacted version of my proposed response here please? Think I've covered all points but wanna get a second opinion. 

Many thanks 

Ralph-y

yes post up without any personal details....

Waspyyy

ok thanks, here is the proposal in italics:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Parking Charge Reference: XYZ

Vehicle Registration: XXYY ZZZ

I am writing in response to your Letter of Claim dated [date of letter] regarding an alleged parking charge at a location managed by your client, Parking Cowboys Ltd.

I am disputing this claim for the following reasons:

A. Insufficient information: Despite this being your xth communication, your letter fails to provide essential details about the alleged contravention, including:

   - The specific date and time of the alleged breach

   - The exact location where the vehicle was parked

   - The specific terms that were allegedly breached

B. Lack of evidence: You have not provided any evidence to substantiate your claim that a breach occurred, such as photographs or CCTV footage.

C. Excessive charges: The sum of £XXX appears disproportionate. Please provide a detailed breakdown of this amount, specifically identifying the original penalty and explaining how the "debt recovery costs" have been calculated.

D. Pre-Action Protocol compliance: While your letter states it complies with the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, it fails to include sufficient "information about the basis on which the debt is claimed" as required by paragraph 3.2 of the Protocol.

E. I was a legitimate customer of the [establishment name] at the time the vehicle was parked.

Under the circumstances, I request that you:

1. Provide full details of the alleged contravention

2. Supply evidence that supports your claim

3. Provide a detailed breakdown of the £XXX being claimed

4. Explain your client's authority to issue charges on the land in question

I look forward to receiving this information within 14 days, after which I will consider my position further. Until I receive satisfactory responses to these points, I do not accept any liability for the alleged debt.

This letter is written without prejudice to any rights or remedies available to me.

Yours faithfully,

i need to double check the items 1 as they might have supplied specific dates and times in the earlier letters but is that relevant or are we talking about this information being required on the LoC itself?

Following to this I am expecting either a letter of clarification on points requested (IE a letter that actually adheres to Protocol) or an MCOL claim immediately. Is this fair to assume? Point E hints at my (I think solid) defence 

Thanks again