Multiple parking penalties

ABZ1968

Hi

Hoping to get some advice on some parking penalties I have received to see where I stand.

basically I received 4 penalties from UKPS all for parking in the same car park. They all were within a few weeks of each other and stupidly I didn’t realise I wasn’t allowed to park there until the penalties came though. It was a car park outside of a restaurant, which wasn’t actually owned by the restaurant. On reflection the signs were pretty obvious, but I didn’t really take notice of them as assumed it was the restaurant car park.

this happened around almost 3 years ago. I read some forums and most the advice seemed to be ignore them, so that’s what I did. After quite a lot of letters, eventually they stopped coming through.

however now, a few years later the letters have started coming through from a company called Trace. Obviously there is four separate penalties, so they are chasing four payments. They are now suggesting that this is being escalated to their solicitors as I didn’t respond, which I am guessing is a scare tactic.

i am wondering, is my best bet to continue to ignore, or is there something else I should be doing? I appreciate I probably should have done something sooner, but a lot of the advice seemed to be to ignore.

would appreciate any comments of anyone has experience of this.

thanks 

Gr1pr

Not much you can do, but as Trace debt recovery have sent you letters,  

Check that your V5c log book is up to date 

Also, email the DPO at the parking company with your correct address for the service of papers 

Then come back to this thread if or when you receive a Letter of Claim,  or a court claim,  before the 6 year deadline 

Umkomaas

I read some forums and most the advice seemed to be ignore them

Really?  The advice to ignore private parking tickets has not been given by any half-serious parking forum for over 12 years. Which ones were you reading?

Follow the advice given by @Gr1pr above. 

Coupon-mad

You won't be paying, just to make that clear.

ABZ1968

Gr1pr said:

Not much you can do, but as Trace debt recovery have sent you letters,  

Check that your V5c log book is up to date 

Also, email the DPO at the parking company with your correct address for the service of papers 

Then come back to this thread if or when you receive a Letter of Claim,  or a court claim,  before the 6 year deadline 

Thanks for your response (and everyone else's), much appreciated.

So my log book wasn't up to date for my new address which I have now updated.

When you say to email the parking company, do you mean UKPS or Trace? Is it ok to email them after ignoring them for the past few years? Should I acknowledge the fact they have sent me penalties, or simply just email them with my correct address?

Assuming I receive a letter of claim/court claim, what would be the next steps from there?

Appreciate I have handled this badly so might be tricky to advise. Hoping I am in the right place now in terms of having the best chance of getting myself out of this mess!

Thanks again

Gr1pr

Trace are debt collectors,  not a parking company.   UKPS are the parking company 

Trace wouldn't be involved if your correct address details were known

No harm in emailing everyone involved with the correct address,  which is your only current task

You are in the right place here,  if you receive an LoC followed by a court claim,  which is likely due to there being several outstanding invoices 

UKPS have 6 years from the incident dates to sue you 

ABZ1968

Also just to clarify, the letters from Trace and UKPS/debt recovery have all gone to my mums address where I lived previously. Nothing has come to my current actual address, so I am guessing I need to inform them of my new address.

Gr1pr

Gr1pr said:

Not much you can do, but as Trace debt recovery have sent you letters,  

Also, email the DPO at the parking company with your correct address for the service of papers 

Then come back to this thread if or when you receive a Letter of Claim,  or a court claim,  before the 6 year deadline 

No need to guess, I told you this earlier , I suggest that you inform all of them,  to stop your relatives from being harassed,  plus you do not want court papers going to an old address,  otherwise they could obtain a default CCJ against you

UKPS will have sent out Parking Charge Notices, not penalties 

ABZ1968

Gr1pr said:

Trace are debt collectors,  not a parking company.   UKPS are the parking company 

Trace wouldn't be involved if your correct address details were known

No harm in emailing everyone involved with the correct address,  which is your only current task

You are in the right place here,  if you receive an LoC followed by a court claim,  which is likely due to there being several outstanding invoices 

UKPS have 6 years from the incident dates to sue you 

Thanks, I will email them to confirm my new address. 

So unless an LOC is received, continue to ignore any letters from debt collectors?

1505grandad

"Thanks, I will email them to confirm my new address. "
Make sure you also instruct them to ERASE (use that word) any other address they hold for you.

ABZ1968

1505grandad said:

"Thanks, I will email them to confirm my new address. "
Make sure you also instruct them to ERASE (use that word) any other address they hold for you.

Cheers, have done!