Parking charges - what's the latest view on paying?

[Docca]

Hi

I was forwarded a letter last week from a legal firm advising they are representing 'Parking Charge Limited'


March last year, I visited a countryside walk. You know the type; muddy car park and then access to a load of fields. The parking machine on the day was broken. I tried to pay online but there was no 3/4g/wifi.

I'm now being chased to pay '£170- which will go up to £260 and a risk a CCJ if I don't pay'


I never heard a think from Parking Charge Limited. First correspondence was through this legal team. They've advised I should have called the number on the machine and also that I should check with the post office for any post that hasn't got through to me (?!) They also stated they've had my emails address....but didn't send anything there.


Oh wise and sage internet know-it-alls, what's the current view on this? I've just told them I'm not paying and refused to give my new house address.


I did politely enquire if I could pay it back £10/month and they've refused that, too

[Taipan]

My Son got one years ago and we ignored it as was advised to back then. I never acknowledged or responded to any of their threats. The company in question issued a summons to court and then i replied saying that it was the first i'd heard of any of this and had received no correspondence and required proof etc. I never heard any more or got any costs etc? Things might have changed since then so best to read Martin Lewis advice here;

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/recla ... g-tickets/

[DefTrap]

I ignored a demand as well. I was definitely at fault but fvck 'em.

[wull]

It’s shit like this that boils my piss, they’re all crooks the lot of them.

[Horse]

Might be worth checking.

Think I've seen Black Belt Lawyer in YouTube saying "don't ignore" them.

Did you take a photo of the out of service machine?

[Ian]

I think the advice is don't ignore summons or they will automatically get a default judgment in their favour if you don't defend.

[Cousin Jack]

First thing, this is a bill, not a fine.

You were deemed to have agreed a contract when you parked. You did your bit by attempting to pay by coins (machine out of order) and online (n signal) I am sure you tried to phone too, it may have slipped your memory but the number was engaged.

So you did EVERYTHING right on your side of the contract. They did the provide parking space bit, but they FAILED to send you a timely bill (because you hadn't actually paid). AFAIK the MAXIMUM charge at that stage is £100, and you have options to appeal and so forth. They skipped this bit, despite having mechanisms to e-mail you

They seem to have jumped to the next stage, where they have engaged solicitors and then the fee can be raised, but this is a contract.
You did all your bits, and they failed. So the failure is their problem.

I would call their bluff, say you will see them in court. They may issue a summons, elect to defend the case in person and ask for it to be held at a Court convenient to you. Ninety nine time out of every hundred they wont turn up and you will get judgement by default
They wont turn up because this is the Small Claims track, so no costs for anyone, and the actual cost of sending a solicitor would be more than the claim itself

[Mussels]

I had a parking company (ACPOA) say they couldn't get in touch in touch so two bills went up to £170 with no right of appeal according to them. They did everything they could to refuse talking to me, fortunately it was a train station and their utterly rubbish ANPR system was to blame rather than me. I managed to get the train company to agree I was right and quash the tickets, that stopped them for a few months and they started sending demands again. I have again got the train company to agree to get them stopped, I've not heard anything for a few months but these twats are still behaving like legalised scammers. The new legislation that was meant to have set controls seems to have backfired as they still do what they like but with more power than they had before.

[Count Steer]

Outfits sometimes sell on the 'debts' to even more aggressive outfits.

(I've told the story before, so short version...we inherited this land-line number so, even though we're ex-directory, we got harassed by an increasingly desperate and aggressive cascade of phone calls about a debt for Calor gas owed by the previous user of the number. He'd actually been murdered but the body not found....long story. In the end I told them if they wanted to speak to him try a séance or, failing that, West Mercia police.

'We're sending in the bailiffs - they're nearby' they said.
'Fine' said I 'This isn't the address of the Calor account and I'm not him'.
'Oh. What's your name and address?'
'Go **** yourselves'. *click*

Calor just sold on a tranche of bad debt after a few attempts. I think the second lot sold them on again).

[Cousin Jack]

I had something similar. Letters arrived for a Mr Xxxxx, I marked them "Not known at this address" and popped back in the post. After a few weeks of this a bloke turned up at the door looking for a Mr Xxxxxx (rather similar but not identical name to mine). I initially said sorry, that's not me. He became a bit more insistent and was invited to go away. He did, but spent about 6 hours a day for 3 or 4 days parked up watching the front door from 50 yards up the road.

[Docca]

I had something similar. Letters arrived for a Mr Xxxxx, I marked them "Not known at this address" and popped back in the post. After a few weeks of this a bloke turned up at the door looking for a Mr Xxxxxx (rather similar but not identical name to mine). I initially said sorry, that's not me. He became a bit more insistent and was invited to go away. He did, but spent about 6 hours a day for 3 or 4 days parked up watching the front door from 50 yards up the road.

that's horrendous!


Thanks for the replies, folks. Helpful.


I think I'm going to sit it out and then if need be, I'll go to court and tell them (if they turn up) to GFTs

[MingtheMerciless]

I had something similar. Letters arrived for a Mr Xxxxx, I marked them "Not known at this address" and popped back in the post. After a few weeks of this a bloke turned up at the door looking for a Mr Xxxxxx (rather similar but not identical name to mine). I initially said sorry, that's not me. He became a bit more insistent and was invited to go away. He did, but spent about 6 hours a day for 3 or 4 days parked up watching the front door from 50 yards up the road.

That would've resulted in a call to the Police saying there's a stranger in the street in his car (reg XXX) taking pictures of the kids playing. He looks really creepy and I'm concerned for the kids.

(this happened to a BT manager who was checking up on home start staff).

[Horse]

That would've resulted in a call to the Police saying there's a stranger in the street in his car (reg XXX) taking pictures of the kids playing. He looks really creepy and I'm concerned for the kids.

(this happened to a BT manager who was checking up on home start staff).

A colleague was doing a street condition / safety survey.

Outside a school at closing time.

Lots of wary looks from parents.

So he went back to his car, put on a hi-vis - went invisible!