Direct Collection Baliffs Ltd - Help needed

[Tomsygal]

Hello, I would appreciate where I legally stand on the following matter.

Late last year I took my Son to play a football match and had to pay for parking. After taking my Son to the pitch I logged onto the parking app and made payment for the parking for the amount of time I was there. The car park I believe was private land car park.

A few weeks later I received a PCN stating I did not pay to park there. I appealed via popla and provided evidence of from my bank statement showing payment.

They rejected my appeal saying I did not pay within the 20 minutes required as per their signage. I believe I did.

I would not normally dig my heels in, but as I have evidenced I paid the required amount the same day, I feel this is very unfair.

The fine has now increased to £170 and I have today received a letter from Direct Collection baliffs Ltd telling me I have to pay and cannot appeal this further.

I suffer with PTSD and hate threatening letters or the thought of baliffs at my door. What are my rights and do I have to pay this?

Thank you

[echat11]

Hi Tomsygal

Welcome to LB

Try not to worry.

I would gather your evidence, payment details, evidence of health i.e. PTSD etc.
Send that to the land owner (you'll need to find out who it is), but also copy it
to the bailiffs firm, make sure you get Proof of Postage. If you can track down
email addresses, it might be quicker.

Also you maybe classed as a 'vulnerable' person because of your health.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/de...re-vulnerable/

https://www.stepchange.org/Portals/0...%20Letter.docx

[des8]

Please note DCBL are not bailiffs, but simply toothless debt collectors.

You will not have collectors or bailiffs or enforcement officers knocking at your door.

You can do as echat11 suggests, but they will ignore your letter and threaten some more!
You could just tell them the charge is disputed and they should return it to the parking company.
They will ignore that as well and eventually pass it to DCB Legal ltd, a firm of solicitors who likewise ignore all reasonable arguments and eventually initiate a court claim.
We have found that if a robust defence is made they will often discontinue the claim, but at the last minute.
This is because they hope to scare/intimidate their victims into paying.

You can surmise their reputation is not of the highest!

As a matter of interest, who is the parking company and do you still have a copy of the original PCN?
Also you might like to note that upping the charge from £100 to £170 leaves them on very dodgy ground

[Tomsygal]

Thank you for your responses and advice.

The original PCN was sent by a company called Civil Enforcement Ltd. Do you know much about them?

I shall try reaching out to the landowner, but just dont want the matter to escalate.

[des8]

CEL are well known to us and often make errors on their Notice to Keeper
However that is of little use to you as they know you were the driver, and this will be a "straight forward" (?) claim for breach of contract if it goes to court.
If the landowner will not help, or CEL ignore him, we can guide you if you wish to defend the claim.
CEL sometimes handle the matter themselves, other times they pass it to DCB Legal.
Often, in the face of a robust defence they discontinue the claim shortly before the court hearing