Smart Parking DCBL debt recovery letter

Gillwh

Hi 
Before any seasoned experts shout “read the newbies information”, I have, but I can’t find any advice on what I think is a unique situation so I’m hoping you can gently hear me out please!
I received a fine through the post in May 2022, alleging I overstayed permitted parking time in a small local car park the previous weekend.  I’d visited a cafe, entering my reg no on an iPad as I did every week, meeting my sister for breakfast.  I contacted the cafe owner who said that Smart Parking had issued many fines to their customers and that I should pop in with the letter and they’d sort it. They told me not to pay the fine as they were taking the issue up with the landowner (the owner of a supermarket next door to the cafe). I hedged my bets and unable to get through on the phone, I still submitted an appeal to Smart Parking online to explain what the cafe had told me, including screenshots of messages and evidence from my bank statement that I was in the cafe on that date.
in mid July 2022 the cafe posted on their Instagram account that “All parking fines have been cancelled”. They were offering a £5 voucher for customers who had been affected to encourage them back to the business, saying all who had received fines had been cleared by the landowner. 

A couple of weeks later (end of July 2022) I received a fine with £100 added on from Debt Recovery Plus, alleging that I had ignored two letters. I contacted the cafe again, and again they told me to ignore the letter as it was cancelled. I responded to DRP online to explain the situation, submitting the screenshot of the cafe’s Instagram post.
I received another letter from DRP another couple of months later but responded again online with the same information.
in September 2023 the cafe posted on Instagram that the cameras had gone from the car park, the landowner evidently having terminating the contract with Smart Parking.
In January 2025 I was clearing out cupboards and found the letters described above, plus my notes relating to the responses & appeals I’d sent. I presumed as almost 2 years had passed I would no longer need these so I binned it all.
Two weeks ago I received a letter from DCBL, to say they’d been instructed to collect the outstanding fine, saying the case would go to court if it remained unpaid. I rang them, quite anxious that I now had no proof of any of my potential defence. They explained that the case could only be stopped if the person instructing them cancelled the fine. I rang DRP who denied seeing any appeal, saying that was down to Smart Parking. I said surely the claim couldn’t still be pursued after so long, but they said in law they have 6 years after the offence to collect the fine.  I tried to ring Smart Parking but the same as my previous efforts, the phone isn’t answered.
i decided to visit the landowner who wasn’t at the supermarket but i spoke to two ladies who may have been related to him. They explained that as he had terminated his Smart Parking contract, he is unable to instruct anyone or cancel the remaining fines as they aren't his anymore.  They took my name & number but he hasn’t contacted me.
DCBL have phoned me today to ask me to pay the outstanding amount, which I’ve refused to do. Half of me is digging in my heels at the unfairness of this, but I’m wondering if I should just pay the amount they want, I’m exhausted and need to stop stressing about it.
Any advice would be welcome; again apologies if this has been covered elsewhere on the forum but I’m just word blind at this point!
Thank you.

Gr1pr

The simple answer is, IGNORE powerless debt collectors letters,  like from DRP LTD or from DCBL, regardless of the situation , never pay the debt collectors 

Its not a fine,  its an invoice from the private parking company,  Smart Parking 

I assume that your latest letters are wanting £170  ?  Ignore,  do not pay   !

Coupon-mad

in mid July 2022 the cafe posted on their Instagram account that “All parking fines have been cancelled”. They were offering a £5 voucher for customers who had been affected to encourage them back to the business, saying all who had received fines had been cleared by the landowner.

Please show that screenshot and tell us exactly which business and where? I'd like to contact some aggrieved retailers to respond to the imminent Public Consultation in regulating this rogue ANPR industry and tell their experience to the Government.

Certainly no paying! No need at all.

Gillwh

Coupon-mad said:

in mid July 2022 the cafe posted on their Instagram account that “All parking fines have been cancelled”. They were offering a £5 voucher for customers who had been affected to encourage them back to the business, saying all who had received fines had been cleared by the landowner.

Please show that screenshot and tell us exactly which business and where? I'd like to contact some aggrieved retailers to respond to the imminent Public Consultation in regulating this rogue ANPR industry and tell their experience to the Government.

Certainly no paying! No need at all.

Could I somehow send it to you personally rather than publicly please? I don’t want to cause them any more stress, their business nearly went under due to this. 

Coupon-mad

Yes you can send me a pm.