PLEASE HELP!!! I have a PCN (Private, not Council) situation

LightningFast

Gr1pr said:

3) Its the private parking company claimant that can cancel the PCNs  ( not fines  ) , so not Moorside Legal 

She is informing the wrong company , it should be Countrywide Parking Management 

Thank you for the clarification. It helps a lot.

Yes, both my landlady and the block management have already emailed Countrywide before. Countrywide cancelled three PCNs that had not yet been processed, but they refused to cancel the ones that had already escalated to debt recovery — which accounts for about 95% of them.

I suppose the only option left now is to defend it using the template in the newbie's thread?

Coupon-mad

LightningFast said:

Gr1pr said:

3) Its the private parking company claimant that can cancel the PCNs  ( not fines  ) , so not Moorside Legal 

She is informing the wrong company , it should be Countrywide Parking Management 

Thank you for the clarification. It helps a lot.

Yes, both my landlady and the block management have already emailed Countrywide before. Countrywide cancelled three PCNs that had not yet been processed, but they refused to cancel the ones that had already escalated to debt recovery — which accounts for about 95% of them.

This is because they make more than face value (£135 instead of £100) if people pay PCNs that are with their mates at a DRA firm.

Generally the false £70 is split between them and there is nothing in it for them to cancel or hear potentially valid disputes. Hence they put their fingers in their ears.

This should NEVER be the case with debt recovery third party involvement because it means neither PPC nor DRA will listen because they make money if they carry on.

Debt recovery for a trader-consumer case should be a last resort like it is for vets, dentists and nursery schools owed money. Those businesses are even encouraged by DCB Ld to 'send reminders first'.

Look, they tell vets to issue reminders:

https://dcbltd.com/news/debt-collection-for-vets-top-5-recovery-tips/

"Discuss Payment Plans as Alternative Methods

Discussing payment plans is a good solution for customers who cannot immediately pay their debt.

It may make them feel better about paying for the treatment if they know they can do this in instalments.

Contact the Customer When Bills Become Overdue

Verbal conversation through phone calls can help to understand the reasons why people haven’t paid their outstanding bills

Should they fail to provide a proper reason for not paying, it is time to contact a professional (DCBL)."

and more of the same to dentists:

https://dcbltd.com/news/dental-debt-collection-unpaid-dental-fees/

"Send Out Payment Reminders

If a customer has missed a payment chase it with emails, letters, and phone calls.

Reaching out can provide answers to why the payment has been missed and alternative solutions can be made if the debtor is struggling to pay.

Have Alternative Payment Methods

It is in the best interest of the dental practice to hire reception staff with expert knowledge.

This creates ease for the customer, as providing alternative payment methods such as credit can mitigate the need for debt collection agencies."

and more of the same to nursery schools:

https://dcbltd.com/news/unpaid-school-fees-debt-collection-guide/

"Have a Credit Control Process in Place

Having a strong credit control process in place can help prevent the need for a school fees DCA.

These actions can include sending invoice reminders, upcoming payment reminders, notices if payments have not been made successfully etc.

The first step that should be taken by the finance team in the debt recovery process is to contact the debtor as soon as their payment is missed.

It is important to note that the longer a debt is left, the more difficult it becomes to recover so the sooner you act, the better.

Payment Plans

Like in most businesses, payment plans allow companies to tailor the payment needs of their customer. This can help companies benefit from a reduction in late payments and an increase in cash flow.

Parents may have a better time paying for school fees if they know they can pay for this in instalments.

However, it is important to note that if someone agrees to pay via a payment plan, they can easily cancel the direct debit and result in default on payments.

Engage With the Debtor

It is a reality of life that communication can help with the peaceful resolution of any situation, and the same can be said for debt recovery.

Communicating with your debtors, such as sending letters or emails, can encourage payments.

A gentle nudge that payment is due plus any agreements made will certainly highlight to the debtor that they owe money and you are serious about recovering it.

14 days is a reasonable time to wait for a response. If you get no response during this time, you may consider escalating matters further.

If no response has come from the letter, the next step is to engage with your debtor by either phone or an in-person meeting.

It is important to keep your tone professional and express empathy for the customer’s circumstance, as this can help your school debt recovery process run smoothly.

Debt Collection for Unpaid School Fees

If you have followed our tips and still need school fees debt collection, contact the professionals."

Note that there is no such guide for parking firms because (thanks to the BPA - Moorside Legal connected - and IPC, aka Gladstones when the DVLA first let them become a trade body) that rogue industry has invented its own rules including a jolly wheeze to inflate a parking charge by adding £70.

Thus it is a first resort to farm cases out to a DRA with no extra work done whatsoever by the parking firms.

It's not hard to see that the way to tackle this consumer harm and stop the court claim rush is for the MHCLG to make sure the Code of Practice bans any DRFee and forces the parking industry to adopt the above norms.

Please can someone ensure those three webpages are saved (weigh-back machine?).

LightningFast

Coupon-mad said:

This is because they make more than face value (£135 instead of £100) if people pay PCNs that are with their mates at a DRA firm.

Generally the false £70 is split between them and there is nothing in it for them to cancel or hear potentially valid disputes. Hence they put their fingers in their ears.

Note that there is no such guide for parking firms because (thanks to the BPA - Moorside Legal connected - and IPC, aka Gladstones when the DVLA first let them become a trade body) that rogue industry has invented its own rules including a jolly wheeze to inflate a parking charge by adding £70.

So that's what's going on. That is shady!!!

Coupon-mad said:

This should NEVER be the case with debt recovery third party involvement because it means neither PPC nor DRA will listen because they make money if they carry on.

Thus it is a first resort to farm cases out to a DRA with no extra work done whatsoever by the parking firms.

It's not hard to see that the way to tackle this consumer harm and stop the court claim rush is for the MHCLG to make sure the Code of Practice bans any DRFee and forces the parking industry to adopt the above norms.

I fully agree with you. They need to be stopped.

Coupon-mad said:

Please can someone ensure those three webpages are saved (weigh-back machine?).

Sorry.. I don't know how to do that. I mean, I can bookmark it on mine, but I'm not sure that's what you mean...

Thanks for all the info tho. It was an interesting read.

Umkomaas

Please can someone ensure those three webpages are saved (weigh-back machine?).

Copy the whole post, and saved for posterity in my iPad Notes! 👌