[James Malloch]

I got a ticket in Sheffield a while ago and have had a few letters asking for increasing amounts and court action (ignored through the advice of Money saving expert among other sites and forums). I've just had my 'final demand prior to court action' letter.

Should I still be ignoring this? Has anyone experienced this company?

I'm not too bothered but the car is registered at home so mum is getting the letters and has asked about it a few times. Any advice appreciated.

Cheers
James

[tomtom]

THeres another thread here somewhere about this - but basically just ignore it.
I've done the same (a different co) and not heard a peep for about a year now...
The important thing is just to never get in touch with them - or they get their teeth into you - random calls etc..

[andy_e]

It might also be worth doing some digging into the company, a company were trying to extort me for £80 + £25/month or something ridiculous but I ignored it on advice from varoius websites, which also had the company's details, their creative accounting and non-existant addresses at which the business was registered. Certainly reassured me that I was doing the right thing not paying up.

[Wipey Why]

What everyone else said. Ignore it and do not reply to anything. My understanding is they have no legal right to fine you. (I am sure someone will now correct me)

They tried it with me some time ago. I ignored them and eventually they got bored and harassed someone else instead.

[LucyB]

Been going on with me well for over a year now. No sign of court action yet!

I have recently started getting the letters from a new solicitors dealing with it. I reported the old one to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the DVLA (they claimed they were phoning me 'on behalf of the DVLA'). Sure enough, after some digging, it turns out they were already under investigation for a whole load of dodgy stuff.

The parking company have obviously ditched those solicitors; it worries me slightly that I'm starting again with a new bunch, but I'll just push on with ignoring these ones too.

I'll let you know if I ever end up fighting it out in court 

[tomtom]

The thing to remember is THEY CAN NOT FINE YOU. Only a court, the police or the council can fine you.

They can take you to court for damages - i.e. lost earnings - which is the cost of the parking ticket. So they end up taking you to court for £2.50 or whatever... it will be small claims court where costs are limited to c.£100 from memory.

One of the other parking co's has done this once. And won the cost of the ticket... it is not worth their while - it is ALL BLUFF.

That said, if they do decide to take you to court to recoup their parking fee, then at the last minuite you can say that you were not driving. Unlike with speeding tickets (as its NOT A FINE) you are not responsible if you were not driving and cannot name the person who was driving...

Ignore them, ignore them and ignore them.

[SamT]

Only a court, the police or the council can fine you.

So - am I right in thinking that if I got a ticket in say Sharrow Vale, where the 'Council Parking Services' patrol regularly, or somewhere on the street in town, I'd be advised to pay up and that in fact - everyone else's tickets were issued  in some sort of private pay and display car park or some such.

[tomtom]

Only a court, the police or the council can fine you.

So - am I right in thinking that if I got a ticket in say Sharrow Vale, where the 'Council Parking Services' patrol regularly, or somewhere on the street in town, I'd be advised to pay up and that in fact - everyone else's tickets were issued  in some sort of private pay and display car park or some such.

Yes (I think so..), if you've a ticket for parking on a yellow line or some other council parking restriction then they can fine you - and if its a council car park IIRC... That includes ones where a private co. enforces the council parking regs.

So you may be best off paying it... but I'd have a google first - it may be a private car park pretending to be council etc..

[dave]

Council/five-0 tickets you've got to pay or go through the formal process of contesting it (which is worth doing, a mate of mine in prison has a 50% success rate based on a sample size of 2).

Private shit, they can whistle.

[James Malloch]

Awesome, thanks for the advice! I'll continue to ignore it then.

The worst bit is, we had 4 spaces out the back of out house, but were only allowed to use two of them. Someone parked in mine so I parked next to it in one which no one has a permit for but the company controls and he still gave me a ticket! Bastards!

[LucyB]

The thing to remember is THEY CAN NOT FINE YOU. Only a court, the police or the council can fine you.

They can take you to court for damages - i.e. lost earnings - which is the cost of the parking ticket. So they end up taking you to court for £2.50 or whatever... it will be small claims court where costs are limited to c.£100 from memory.

I kind of understand this. Suppose that someone had been accused of something other than non-payment, though. I don't know, maybe parking in a disabled bay, for example. Not that I know anyone in this situation. There isn't an issue of lost earnings here, so under what grounds would it end up in court? The advice from directgov.uk is that they could go through with small claims court, but I don't understand what the claim would be.

[GraemeA]

The thing to remember is THEY CAN NOT FINE YOU. Only a court, the police or the council can fine you.

They can take you to court for damages - i.e. lost earnings - which is the cost of the parking ticket. So they end up taking you to court for £2.50 or whatever... it will be small claims court where costs are limited to c.£100 from memory.

I kind of understand this. Suppose that someone had been accused of something other than non-payment, though. I don't know, maybe parking in a disabled bay, for example. Not that I know anyone in this situation. There isn't an issue of lost earnings here, so under what grounds would it end up in court? The advice from directgov.uk is that they could go through with small claims court, but I don't understand what the claim would be.

If there is any single person who deserves some kind of penalty for what might be described as generally shit parking then I wonder who it might be 

[LucyB]

The UF told me to park there 

[LucyB]

Resurrecting this thread with a 'hypothetical' question:

Suppose someone was already receiving the threatening letters but had decided to ignore them, and things have now quietened down (after about a year). Then, they receive a letter from the same parking company saying they owe £60 for not displaying a ticket in a different carpark recently. There is a photo of the car clearly displayed on the letter, not that this is proof of who was driving at the time.

Whoever may or may not have been driving the car at the time actually tried to buy a ticket, but the bloody machine was out of order, with a bloody great 'out of order' sign on it! Would it be sensible in this situation to continue to ignore the letters, with the worry that they might step up the harassment for two alleged offences? On the other hand, if the person who may or may not have been driving the vehicle at the time contacts the parking company to point this out, it may be seen as an admission that they were driving the car. I know from experience what a low-life bunch of  they are.

Any advice appreciated.

[tomtom]

Continue to ignore... MrsTT's ticket had a picture of the car and loads of anpr guff.

Same procedure as before....

[tommytwotone]

Resurrecting this thread with a 'hypothetical' question:

Suppose someone was already receiving the threatening letters but had decided to ignore them, and things have now quietened down (after about a year). Then, they receive a letter from the same parking company saying they owe £60 for not displaying a ticket in a different carpark recently. There is a photo of the car clearly displayed on the letter, not that this is proof of who was driving at the time.

Whoever may or may not have been driving the car at the time actually tried to buy a ticket, but the bloody machine was out of order, with a bloody great 'out of order' sign on it! Would it be sensible in this situation to continue to ignore the letters, with the worry that they might step up the harassment for two alleged offences? On the other hand, if the person who may or may not have been driving the vehicle at the time contacts the parking company to point this out, it may be seen as an admission that they were driving the car. I know from experience what a low-life bunch of  they are.

Any advice appreciated.

Don't you mean "the person who may or may not have been driving knows from experience what a low-life bunch of  they are."?

 

[James Malloch]

Bringing this up from the grave...

I recently received a letter from Roxburgh Debt Collectors saying I have 14 days to pay £162.00 or my details will be passed onto their solicitors, Graham White. However 8 days (6 days sooner than they said) later I got a letter from the said solicitors also asking for the money too.

As they go to my home, my mum read them and is worried. Should I keep on ignoring them or could it lead to something? This is more for my mums piece of mind really...

[slackline]

I read this article on parking charges a week or so ago.  Recommends AppealNow.com (assuming its a private company, see other pages for other scenarios) as a useful resource.

[tomtom]

Bringing this up from the grave...

I recently received a letter from Roxburgh Debt Collectors saying I have 14 days to pay £162.00 or my details will be passed onto their solicitors, Graham White. However 8 days (6 days sooner than they said) later I got a letter from the said solicitors also asking for the money too.

As they go to my home, my mum read them and is worried. Should I keep on ignoring them or could it lead to something? This is more for my mums piece of mind really...

Have you been to court or had a summons served upon you? If not they cannot take money from you. If anyone comes around demanding money and you've not been - or asked to be in court - then call the police as they are demanding money with menaces.

Ignore them, it's all rubbish.

Slackers, there's some good info on that site, but the appeals URL seems to make its money from selling its advice. Hve a look on the moneysupermarket.com message boards, there's a load of really useful threads there.

[andy_e]

Hi, you walked through my line of vision. I hearby charge you £600 eyespace rent. This is about as realistic a court case as parking tickets being proven. Don't sweat it.

[slackline]

Slackers, there's some good info on that site, but the appeals URL seems to make its money from selling its advice.

Yes its a .com domain. 

[chris j]

Bringing this up from the grave...

It sounds like Graham White do their best to make themselves a nuisance but otherwise nothing to worry about...

http://abrightonboyblogs.co.uk/2011/08/graham-white-solicitors-parking-companies-and-the-law/

[psychomansam]

Bringing this up from the grave...

I recently received a letter from Roxburgh Debt Collectors saying I have 14 days to pay £162.00 or my details will be passed onto their solicitors, Graham White. However 8 days (6 days sooner than they said) later I got a letter from the said solicitors also asking for the money too.

As they go to my home, my mum read them and is worried. Should I keep on ignoring them or could it lead to something? This is more for my mums piece of mind really...

Have you been to court or had a summons served upon you? If not they cannot take money from you. If anyone comes around demanding money and you've not been - or asked to be in court - then call the police as they are demanding money with menaces.

Ignore them, it's all rubbish.

Slackers, there's some good info on that site, but the appeals URL seems to make its money from selling its advice. Hve a look on the moneysupermarket.com message boards, there's a load of really useful threads there.

Amusingly, the car park co., solicitors and debt collectors often happen to have the same address.
I've ignored multiple such letters.

[LucyB]

It's true, Graham White Solicitors and Roxbergh Debt Collection are indeed one and the same person - Michael Sobell.

[James Malloch]

Thanks again for the replies. Just goign to have to tell my mum to stop her worrying and continue to ignore them.

To be honest I don't think they'd want to go from Surrey to West Cumbria for the sake of £162 either!