Smart Parking fine, now I have a dc+ letter

[Jath310]

Hi guys,

I received a letter from Smart Parking that I overstayed my time at metrobank. I appealed and they sent an email with “ appeal acknowledgement” which zaid the following: Thank you for your recent communication.

We can confirm that your appeal has been received and that all action has been suspended pending adjudication. We will endeavour to respond to your appeal within 35 days.

If your appeal has been received within 28 days of issue of the Parking Charge Notice (PCN) and your appeal is unsuccessful, the PCN will revert to the amount outstanding at the point of appeal and the payment terms will be extended.

Yours sincerely,
Smart Parking Limited“

Anyways, I let it be and was awaiting their response but they never got back to me. And then today I receive a letter in the post from DC+ telling me to pay £170? I find this unfair as Smart parking never got back to my appeal. If they had told me to pay the original amount, I would have. But instead I get this letter 3 months later.


side note: I checked my parking notice and it said my contravention date was 05/09/2023 and issue date was 09/10/23.

I am so unsure on what to do, should I just pay £170?

[PallasAthena]

They only say "endeavour" to respond within 35 days, not promise they will. So use that to your advantage. Write to Smart Parking enclosing a copy of DC+'s letter and the the email and say that you are still awaiting the outcome of your appeal so you are surprised to be contacted by DC+. Get Proof of Posting.

Who are DC+? It's not a name I've come across. If they are debt collectors (and not solicitors) they cannot take any legal action themselves and can safely be ignored.

As a general rule I would say that appealing to private parking companies is a waste of time. They rarely allow appeals and they are only interested in getting your money. They are financial vultures. But worse they try to use the appeals process to get you to admit who the driver was. Identifying the driver gives away valuable protections if it goes to court. If they have sent the PCN to you as Registered Keeper you should never identify the driver.

[Jath310]

Thank you! I think there has been a slight confusion. So I sent the appeal towards the beginning of October. And they sent that email that I included in the original post 20 October. So it has been over 35 days. However, they never got back to me. Shall I still email smart parking, asking why they haven’t gotten back to me, yet I get a letter from debt collectors ? Thank you in advance

[PallasAthena]

Yes. 35 days wasn't a maximum, just something they would try ( "endeavour") to do. So you are still waiting the result from SP.

[KAustin]

Hi I am at the same stage. My email from them was on 19th November, with the POPLA number. Rang POPLA who were useless and told me to contact Smart, which I wont be doing as I advised they should contact me. For the above I haven't yet received anything else, but presume I will be getting something.

For the OP. How have things gone with contact to SP?

Thanks