Parking Charge Notice/Charging EV Advice - UK England

PolarBear9

Hi all,

Parking Charge - Bank Park Parking Management

Hoping for some advice please on a parking charge I’ve received recently for an incident on 20/08/2025. I parked to charge my vehicle using a PoGo Charge EV charging station located on the car park in question. Total duration on the car park 0 hours 51 minutes 37 seconds. Total duration vehicle on charge 0 hours 40 minutes (it took a while to initiate charging due to problems with the charger itself).

I’m disabled and have been unwell, so hadn’t opened my post until recently.

I’ve got a few questions but also any general advice would be hugely appreciated please 🙏🏻

- Could I argue that the legal definition of “parked” is not met as I didn’t leave the vehicle?

- Could I argue that Bank Park Parking Management don’t have permission to issue fines if parked in a bay owned/operated by PoGo Charge?

- I’m in a debt relief order, would this make a difference anywhere?

- I understand that if the parking charge was posted to you (all 4 were), that any payment deadlines start from “date of service” which is normally the second working day after the postmark on the envelope. I didn’t keep the envelopes as I didn’t realise until doing research that there might be a postmark on them, but the earliest possible posting date is obviously the date on the letter. So I would class the first letter date of service as being 02/09/2025, is this right? Or could I argue that the date of issue 30/09/2025 was a Saturday, so they cannot have posted it until the Monday meaning it would push all of the deadlines back even further which would mean I could even argue that they didn’t issue it within 14 days of the incident so it’s invalid?

Sorry for the long post - just trying to dot the i’s and cross the t’s! Really don’t want this going to court but have zero idea what to do next 😩

Thank you in advance 🙏🏻 🙌🏻

Letters Received

Initial letter states the breach was - “present on site in excess of the amount of time paid for/without making payment”.

And

“the terms and conditions of the car park were clearly and prominently displayed; and agreed to by the driver when the driver was parked on private land.”

And

“If, after a period of 28 days (beginning on the day after this Parking Charge is given), the amount requested in this Parking Charge has not been paid in full (or we have not been informed of the driver’s name or current address), you, the registered keeper, will, subject to the conditions of, and under the terms of Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, be liable to pay the unpaid Parking Charge. If no payment or representation is received within 28 days the outstanding debt will be forwarded to a debt recovery agency, at which point additional charges will apply in accordance with the terms and conditions of parking.”

Letter dated 13/09 -

“Your vehicle was in breach of the terms and conditions of the car park which were clearly and prominently displayed on the signage. This was agreed by the driver when your vehicle was parked on private land.

Despite writing to you previously we (Bank Park Management Ltd) have not received payment or any representations.

As 14 days have lapsed, you, the Registered Keeper of the vehicle can be made liable for the Parking Charge. If full payment is not made within 14 days, or if we are not provided the drivers details then the charge will be passed on to debt recovery and a debt recovery fee of £70.00 will be added to the Parking Charge.

Following from this, and if necessary, Bank Park Management Ltd will commence County Court Proceedings [NOT MENTIONED IN FIRST LETTER] against you for the amount outstanding, interest and court costs. If the Court orders Judgment against you, and payment of that Judgment is not made, this may affect your ability to borrow money or obtain credit in the future. A warrant may also be issued for the Court's appointed bailiff to recover the payment. At this point you would also become liable for the additional fees of the enforcement agency.”

The 28 days ended on 27/09.

Dated 27/09 - “NOTICE OF DEBT RECOVERY”

Payment amount increased and right to appeal ended. 7 days given to make full payment.

If no payment received, they stated they would “pass this matter to our external debt recovery agents and legal action through the County Court will be taken, at which point interest and court costs will be added to the amount outstanding which may rise the amount payable by you to at least £255. If you are unsuccessful in disputing the parking charge at Court and the Court orders Judgment against you, and payment of that Judgment is not made, this may affect your ability to borrow money or obtain credit in the future. A warrant may also be issued for the Court's appointed bailiff to recover the payment. At this point you would also become liable for the additional fees of the enforcement agency.”

Letter dated 05/10 - “FINAL DEBT RECOVERY NOTICE BEFORE ESCALATION Re: Unpaid Parking Charge £170.00. Act now! You have already lost two opportunities to pay at a lower amount. Pay now to prevent your balance increasing again.

Our external Debt Recovery and Enforcement agents are now aware of your PCN and our intention to transfer this case to them, which may result in legal action being taken. When legal action is taken through the County Court, interest and court costs can be added, increasing the amount payable to at least £255.00.

If you chose to make payment before 12/10/2025 you will secure the lower amount of £170.00 and remove your PCN from the list of cases we escalate.

TO AVOID LEGAL ACTION, PLEASE MAKE IMMEDIATE PAYMENT TODAY”

I would appreciate any advice that can be offered. This is causing me a lot of stress and I really don’t know what to do 😔. Sorry the post is so long!

Nellymoser

Don't believe everything Bank Park and Debt Agency say. Have a read of the NEWBIES Announcement thread. Post 4 is about debt letters and Post 2 small claim.

Coupon-mad

Obviously ignore £170 demands. Do NOT engage with DRAs. This is why we have the pictures in post 4 of the NEWBIES thread, that you seem to have missed.