PCM - Blue Badge - L&Q Resident - Move-in day - IAS Rejected - Trace Debt Recovery

hausDerWeisheit1447

Hi everyone,

New to the forum and looking for some guidance on my next steps after a rejected IAS appeal and first Trace debt recovery letter.

Regarding the PCN:

• Location: Residential estate by L&Q. I am a tenant and my mother recieved the PCN
• Operator: PCM.
• The Incident: My mother was helping me move into my new L&Q flat. She parked in a "2-hour removal vehicle exemption" area.
• Signage: While there are private land - permit signs nearby, they are on the opposite side of the road; the specific spot and side used had only the exemption sign only. Interestingly enough, I recently noticed they even removed the 2 hour removal sign.
• Mitigating Factors: My mother is a Blue Badge holder, a cancer patient, and was helping me for loading/unloading for my move-in.
  

What has happened so far:

1. PCM Appeal: Rejected with a generic response. They ignored that my mother was helping me (a resident), parked within the 2 hour removal area, and other mitigating circumstances. PCM literally just rejected without addressing any of the points.
2. IAS Appeal: Rejected. I repeated the same points. I was surprised initially since PCM’s responses during the appeal were subpar - they were barely trying. I wasn’t surprised later when I found out that the so called “independent” appeals service is the furthest thing from being so.
3. L&Q Involvement: My property manager actually emailed PCM to cancel, but PCM claimed their "hands are tied" because she had appealed (what else do you do with an invalid PCN). I started L&Q’s compliant procedure but L&Q staff now claim they have "no say" in the matter and PCM have their own internal procedures I need to follow.

My mother has received the first letter from Trace Debt Recovery for £170. This includes a £70 surcharge. As I understand, they will send more of these letters, each getting more aggressive, but they are apparently harmless.

Some questions I had:

1. Trace Letters: Is it safe to complete ignore these? I have seen some suggest sending a one-time "Debt is Denied…etc." rebuttal? Has this actually ever been shown to be useful in court later?
2. L&Q: I feel like I am hitting a brick wall with them. Is there anything else worth trying? Is it worth contacting local MP for an individual case like this?
3. Anything else at all useful for me to do to help my mother prepare for any future court case?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Gr1pr

1 see post 4 in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum by coupon mad

2 waste of time, apart from complaining about it to your local MP

3 study other cases on here, learn thetopics and processes

Come back to this thread if a Letter of Claim or Money Claim arrives in the post

Coupon-mad

Come back when you get the second Moorside Legal letter. Not the first one.

hausDerWeisheit1447

Nice thanks a lot! Will do these and come back when LoC or LbC comes