Letter before claim - Euro car parks - please help

[letterBC]

I have received a letter before claim from SCS solicitors for 10 parking tickets over the span of a few years parking at my local supermarket to do my shopping - I have a young child I take shopping with me and sometimes it takes longer than normal, however I didn't know I had the tickets until now as there was no ticket on my windscreen and I have received no letters before this one.

I contacted the supermarket manager and they offered to contact euro car parks to have them cancelled. They then reassured 2 weeks later they were going to help me and not to worry. They have now contacted me, after the 30 day period is up, to say that euro car parks won't respond to them and that they cannot help. Each parking ticket has been increased to £130 and I'm not sure what to do as I can't afford to pay what they're asking me to and they're threatening to take me to court. Please can someone give me advice as to what I can do?

[ostell]

If you've not received anything before then SAR to the parking compnay

Letter to the solicitor demanding copies of all documents they intend to use in court in order to narrow the issues between you. As they must have these to hand then you expect them by return and in any case within 7 days.

You also refute any debt is owed to their client as the Letter before Claim is the first you have heard about this matter.

See if you can get an email from the supermarket confirming that they have request that the charges be cancelled.

[letterBC]

If you've not received anything before then SAR to the parking compnay

Letter to the solicitor demanding copies of all documents they intend to use in court in order to narrow the issues between you. As they must have these to hand then you expect them by return and in any case within 7 days.

You also refute any debt is owed to their client as the Letter before Claim is the first you have heard about this matter.

See if you can get an email from the supermarket confirming that they have request that the charges be cancelled.

Thank you. Do I email or send a physical letter to euro car parks with the SAR? I assume I can use the template provided on this website?

Would the letter to the solicitors follow the same template?

Apologies, I've never done this before and don't want to get it wrong and negatively affect the outcome.

Ultimately, if given the option to pay the tickets at their original price I would take it to save myself the hassle but I'm assuming I am too far down the line to do that.

[letterBC]

How does this look to send to the solicitors??

Dear Sir/Madam

I received your letter regarding the account indicated above, claiming that I owed a specific amount.

I would like to inform you that I do not know of any such amount I owe (name of specific creditor). I would also like to call your attention to the FCA’s (Financial Conduct Authority) Consumer Credit sourcebook that states that:

A firm should neither ignore nor disregard a customer’s claim that his debt has been settled and/or is disputed and must stop making demands for payment without providing the customer clear justification and/or evidence as to why the claim is not valid. 7.5.3

A firm must suspend or cease the steps it or its agent takes in the recovery of a customer’s debt where the customer disputes or has settled the debt on valid grounds or what may be considered valid grounds. 7.14.1

If a customer disputes the debt on valid grounds or on what may be considered valid grounds, the firm must re-examine the dispute and provide details of the customer’s debt to the customer in a reasonably timely manner. 7.14.3

If there is a dispute regarding the identity of the borrower or the amount of the debt, it is for the firm (not the customer) to establish, that the customer is indeed the correct person/identity in relation to the debt owed or that the amount is correct under the agreement. 7.14.4

A collection firm must provide the customer with information regarding the outcome of its investigations about a debt that the customer disputed or has settled on valid grounds. 7.14.5

If the customer disputes the debt and the firm who seeks to recover the debt is neither the lender nor the owner, the firm is required to:

> (1) Pass the information given by the customer to the actual lender or the owner; or

> (2) If the firm was given authority by the lender or the owner to investigate the dispute, the firm is required to notify the lender or owner regarding the outcome of the investigation. 7.14.6

You have not ceased your collection activities whilst investigating a reasonably disrupted or queried debt, a method that is considered unfair and deceptive. Furthermore, by continuing to make demands from me to make payment whilst ignoring/disregarding claims that my debts are disputed or settled, your agency is committing what amounts to psychological and/or physical harassment.

In light of this, I am asking that you do not make contact with me regarding the above account without providing me with evidence regarding my liability.

I shall wait for your response confirming that the matter I have presented above is closed. If I do not receive such confirmation, I shall file a complaint with the department of trading standards and may inform the FCA regarding your actions.

If necessary, I shall also forward a complaint with the Office of the Financial Ombudsman Service and Information Commissioner.

I look forward to your response.

Yours truly

(Your printed name without your signature)

[ostell]

Solicitor is a CPR 31.14 request