Hx Car Park Management and Gladstones Solicitors Letter Before Claim but I never received a ticket!

RedPen50

Hi there, I have only just received a letter of claim from Gladstones Solicitors, representing Hx Car Park Management.  It is saying I owe them £160 for parking charges on 29th November 2024 but doesn't state who the client is. The first paragraph says they wrote to me on 28th February 2025, probably at my previous address, and said they then carried out a UK search trace which gave them my (newish) address, so they are 'taking the opportunity to make contact'.  They then go on to say that they will recover unpaid parking charge notice(s) as detailed in the attached schedule, but all there is on the so-called schedule shows the PCN number, the date, the relevant land / Charlestown Retail Park, and the current charge.
At first I couldn't remember where I was on this date.  I hadn't received a ticket either on the car or through the post but if it had gone to my previous address, that would explain it.  They haven't sent me any pictures of what it is I am supposed to have done.  It doesn't say anything in the letter of claim other that three pages of how I am supposed to pay the fine.
On checking my credit card for that date, I saw that we were at Pizza Hut at Charlestown Road Retail Park in Halifax, but I had my disabled sister with me and we always use her disabled badge and park in the disabled bays.  
I have just called the manager of Pizza Hut and asked what the car parking policies were as I have never had this from Charlestown before.  There are a couple of other businesses in the car park.  The manager was very helpful and told me that there is a warden, who doesn't wear a uniform as such that goes around, usually from mid-day, through to 7 or 8pm at night and he only takes pictures, he doesn't issue any tickets.  But the manager said that people can usually park there for quite a while - the pizza hut staff can sometimes work 12 hour shifts and they haven't had an issue parking.
The only thing I can think of is possibly parking outside of the lines, but the two disabled spaces are quite tight together, surrounded by a small kerb.  When you enter the car park, you have to do a bit of back and forth to get in the space as it's direct on your right.  If someone parks a little off in one of the spaces, it can be a bit difficult to get directly in between the lines.  They can then usually drive off and leaves you looking like you have parked strangely.
Other than that I cannot think of anything else.  I haven't responded yet, but I remember when I took on Hx Car Park a few years ago, this forum was extremely helpful.  However that was parking supposedly for too long in a garage.  I don't know what this is, all I can do is assume.

I am not too sure what the next step is.  Do I or do I not acknowledge the letter?  Ask for photos of the supposed incident?  I would be very grateful for any help/suggestions.
Thanks

Gr1pr

If its a Letter of Claim giving 30 days notice,  email the response template in the newbies sticky thread in announcements,  second post 

Dont ask for any evidence,  just respond using the template 

RedPen50

Ok will do.

RedPen50

Ok I have copied the template and sent it through to Gladstones website, I haven't said who was driving etc, just my name and address.  Let's see what happens.

RedPen50

Hi All
I have received an email from Gladstones and also a letter through the post which confirms they have updated my information and will pass on to other data processors.

The email sent is as follows:

"Good Morning,  

We write further to your email. 

May we take the opportunity to thank you for your patience whilst awaiting a response. 

Your comments have been noted, however our Clients position remains the same. 

Please find attached the Evidence Packs which we trust to be self explanatory. 

Our Client is therefore satisfied the case against you should proceed unless the debt owing of £160.00 is discharged in full. To ensure no further action is taken, you should make payment on or before 10th April 2025.

If you do not make payment, we are instructed to issue legal proceedings to recover the outstanding balance in full. Should it become necessary to issue legal proceedings, we suggest you follow the steps on the claim form upon receipt of the same. 

Payment can be made to the account detailed as follows:  

XXX    

Please quote the above reference number 104263.11697 when making payment to ensure the payment can be allocated correctly.  

For the avoidance of doubt, we confirm we will not accept any further submissions from you. 

Kind Regards

Bethany Legal Assistant "

The evidence packs consisted of some photos of my car parked in the disabled bay.  Yes, it could have been parked a little neater but the badge was displayed and I wasn't causing an obstruction.  Also with the pictures, they sent documents from hybrid email showing all the times they had sent me information, even though this was to my previous address.

There was another email, referring to my 'complaint':

"Our Client; HX Car Park Management Ltd

We write further to your correspondence of 12 March 2025, whereby you express you wish to raise concerns.

Please note that our firm’s Complaints Procedure is for the benefits of clients only. As you will be aware, our client in these circumstances is HX Car Park Management Ltd. We do however always wish for individuals to raise any concerns they have with our firm, in order that we can review, address and respond to the same, as applicable.

We are acting on behalf of our client, HX Car Park Management Ltd for the recovery of monies relating to unpaid Parking Charge Notice(s); HX55612.

To process your data is necessary and lawful, as it is required in furtherance of our client’s instructions, and we act for them on their rights and obligations for the recovery of such monies. Our client is entitled to instruct our firm to recover such monies, their own attempts having been unsuccessful. Our client has a period of 6 years from the date of the contravention, to recover any monies owed to them.

Our client has a legal right to recover any monies owed to them, and it is reasonable to expect, following our client’s unsuccessful attempts to recover such a debt, that a Solicitor will be instructed in respect of a formal pursuit of the debt owed, through the debt recovery process, our client having exhausted their own avenues to recover monies.

Any allegation of Predatory Conduct is therefore refuted in its entirety.

The Pre Action Protocol allows parties to enter into discussions in relation to a dispute.

However, if the issues raised by a potential Defendant, are not accepted by a potential Claimant, continuing with protracted correspondence, is not within the best interests of either party.

Our client’s evidence and position in respect of Parking Charge(s) HX55612 has been put forward to you, and our client does not accept the dispute you have put forward. Therefore, the usual course of action would be, at this time, for our client to consider if they wish to issue proceedings before the Court, if no payment is forthcoming, in order for the Court to determine if the debt is owed.

No discourtesy is intended in not accepting the issues you raise, this is the usual process in such matters.

We hope the above clarifies the position.

Yours sincerely

GL Sig

The Compliance Department

Gladstones Solicitors Limited"

So what is my next step?  They have give until 10th April to pay.

 

Coupon-mad

Well obviously you let the court to determine if the debt is owed.  This is nothing new.

RedPen50

Coupon-mad
No I know it's nothing new to some people, but I was looking for some advice?

Coupon-mad

I say "it's nothing new" because this stage is covered by the 2nd post of the NEWBIES thread. It stops us drowning.

We don't need to advise on thread after thread, piecemeal, about stages covered by the resources written to stop the forum being impossible to manage. Please save us for when you actually need us.

That way, we can cope and we will be here for you and the hundred others who post each day.

RedPen50

Ok, I understand that, however I have tried to find the newbies thread and I am just getting so many different pages but none of them are showing the newbies thread.

Coupon-mad

RedPen50 said:

Ok, I understand that, however I have tried to find the newbies thread and I am just getting so many different pages but none of them are showing the newbies thread.

But you posted right under my signature.

RedPen50

Yes, I have tried looking for Home, Motoring and also for Parking Tickets Fines & Parking and there are multiple pages, I tried the first one and I was somewhere else, I have tried looking for Newbies Thread but it came up with three other choices.  It would be easier if Newbies Thread had the link attached so we can just click it and go straight there.  The pathway isn't clear, not to me anyway.