Advice on PCN after changing address

Wingnut_2757

Hi, I've been sent a letter in the post telling me I recieved a PCN last year after someone driving my car dropped someone off in an empty car park late at night which apparently wasn't allowed (from street view, it looks like there's a small sign at the entrance, wouldn't be able to read it when driving past, even if it wasn't dark at the time).

The initial notices were sent to a previous address and eventually a debt collecter traced me to my current address and their letter is the first I'm hearing of any of this. I've read the Newbies and adjacent threads so I'm not panicked by the debt collector, however I'm confused on the best order of actions I should take. I don't have the original PCN, or a letter with "Notice To Keeper" on it, just the one debt collector letter.

I know I should contact the debt collector (using my full name?) advising them of my current address and requesting they erase any other addresses.

The car park was for a petrol station chain, presumably they're the landowner? They seem to have a large PPC running their car park scam who are now using a debt collector to contact me.

Presumably any chance of an official appeal is long gone, despite this only being brought to my attention now, months later? Should I still do step 1 (complain to land owner) in this scenario? Do I contact the PPC and the debt collector about my current address? Do I complain to the PPC as well as land owner? Or do I just sit tight?

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated! The fine probably costs less than the cost of my time but I want to fight this on principle! I'm not the first person this place has scammed.

Nellymoser

Which PPC?

• Complain to landowner.

• Email PPC and debt agency DPO (find address in their privacy policy) erase old address and give current address for service.

• Update V5C and driving licence with DVLA.

• Complain to your MP about the scam operating at the site this thread may help

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6583618/ive-written-to-my-mp

Wingnut_2757

Thanks, @Nellymoser the PPC is UK Parking Patrol Office Ltd. I tried to find details of the original PCN to see what the CCTV was showing by looking up the PCN no. on their website but it just says they've passed it on to the debt collectors.

Coupon-mad

Just ignore UKPPO, who have are not known for bulk litigation.  Sit tight.

Do nothing except the below.

By going confidently into the 'ignore' stance, the only steps to take (because you MUST check every letter) are:

- Tell them if you move house within 6 years.

- Ignore the tedious £170 threatograms shown in pictures in the 4th post of the NEWBIES thread.

- Come back if you get a solicitor's LBC as per the 2nd post of the NEWBIES thread.

Nobody pays a penny and no hearing is even needed in most cases. Search the forum and read a few cases as they are easy to beat by waiting for a claim form - it is easier than appealing!

There is no risk AT ALL in defending a court claim. No CCJ. No bailiffs.

But yes you MUST tell the DPO of both UKPPO and the debt crawlers, to erase your old address.

Wingnut_2757

Thanks @Coupon-mad, so I shouldn't bother with complaining to the petrol station company?

Re: no risk in ignoring, do you know if being taken to court over a PCN can harm my credit score? I'm willing to deal with the spam in the post but I don't think it's worth any further repercussions.

Coupon-mad

Of course it can't affect your credit score as long as you follow our advice.

Think about it. Do you think we'd tell people to defend court cases every day here (literally look at any thread except yours) if we were putting anyone at risk of a CCJ?

The NEWBIES thread second post tells you this already.  No risk even if it got as far as a hearing & you lost (vanishingly rare here) because you'd just pay what the Judge ordered (less than the claim but I don't need to explain that because the NEWBIES thread already does).

Wingnut_2757

UPDATE: Letter of Claim from BW Legal on behalf of UKPPO.

I understand that this is the last chance to complain to the landowner (could be petrol station or airport, struggling to find out), UKPPO, BPA, IPC to get the charge dropped. I took the ignore stance before, should I complain to any of the above now?

I'm deliberatley not mentioning specifics of where this was but I've seen others include those details in other threads, some at the same place as me, and recieve advice / offers of support. Is it okay to mention these details?

I plan to send BW Legal an email using the template from post #2 of the Newbies thread. I haven't confirmed who was driving the vehicle or complained about signage at this point, should I mention these details in this email?
Note: I never recieved the original PCN(s) and have no idea what evidence UKPPO collected.

Thanks in advance for your generous help.

Coupon-mad

Read the other BW Legal UKPPO thread from yesterday. They are clearly sending a batch!

Wingnut_2757

Thanks Coupon, if you mean the thread by Carys 42, I had read that, there's is a debt recovery letter, mine is a Letter of Claim so they're escalating mine from debt recovery letters to a court claim now.

From studying the forum, it seems at this stage a court claim is most likely, so I'm wondering if it's worth deviating from your previous "ignore" advice as a last ditch effort to get it squashed before that happens?

Again, I haven't confirmed who was driving, never complained about signage, but don't know what evidence they have.

Coupon-mad

The advice for a LBC is not to ignore it.