F1rst Parking University PCNs at tedious threatogram stage

troublecreator

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask for some advice regarding a private parking ticket situation and the possible next steps.

My appeals have already been rejected and the case has now reached the debt collector stage. I received the first debt recovery letter on 10 April, asking for payment of £145 by 24 April (£75 original PCN + £70 debt recovery fee). As of today (8 May), I still haven’t received any Letter of Claim.

What I’m most worried about is that I’ll soon be leaving the UK for a few months over the summer. I’m concerned that while I’m away they might suddenly send a Letter of Claim or even court papers, and if I don’t receive them in time I could miss the response deadline and end up with a default judgment (CCJ).

At the moment I’m considering whether it would make sense to take a middle-ground approach by paying the original £75 only, but refusing to pay the additional £70 debt recovery fee, and then emailing them to explain that I do not accept the extra charges and am only paying the original PCN amount in an attempt to resolve the matter.

Does this approach actually help in practice? Is it likely to reduce the chance of further action?

Also, if they do continue pursuing the extra £70 while I’m outside the UK, is there any practical way to make sure I don’t miss important court correspondence or deadlines?

I’ve read through some of the newbie threads already, but my situation feels slightly different, so I’d really appreciate any thoughts or experiences from others. Thanks very much!

Coupon-mad

No you can't pay £70.

So if your home is going to be empty with nobody checking the post all Summer, I would simply change your address for service to a relative's. Now!

A primed and sensible person who certainly won't pay and won't panic & wrongly think that a £170 debt threatogram means bailiffs are coming knocking. But who will open all letters & email or WhatsApp them to you.

troublecreator

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81991866#Comment_81991866

Thank you, that makes sense. I will update the debt recovery company with a reliable UK correspondence address before I leave, so I don’t risk missing anything important while I’m away. Really appreciate the advice!