Tweet
Hi
i was was hoping to please get M1's help on this matter as I have seen the way he has helped so many others.
Here is my current situation:
At the end of June I received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus saying they were chasing me for £150 for overstaying in a car park at McDonald's at the beginning of Feb 2916. They said they had gotten my details from an agency as previously my car's registered address was incorrect. I wrote to them saying I had changed my registered address as soon as I moved house and asking why this charge has been issued, asking them to provide evidence. They simply wrote back saying that the charge was valid and that I had overstayed the time limit, with no photos/evidence etc sent.
I therefore wrote them another letter saying that I had not had an opportunity to appeal this, I had not even been aware that I had been issued with a charge until June and that I had no intention of paying it so if they wish to take me to Court I will file a defence and dispute the charge. I also said I would not engage in any further correspondence with them.
They then sent me a letter with a reduced payment of £120 which I ignored.
I have since had another letter from Zenith about a month after the last one (who I know are the same company) saying they will reduce the charge to £79 if I pay within 14 days.
As Feb was quite a long time ago I am not exactly clear on the details but I do recall that the day of the alleged charge the McDonald's had been very busy so I had entered the car park, there had been no spaces and I had then driven back in slightly later to park and then gone in to eat. My sister was with me at the time too. I think therefore that there must have been an error with their cameras, referred to as "double dipping" on some of these forums.
I was wondering what to do in this case as I clearly missed the appeals date and the POPLA appeal date even though I was never even notified that I could appeal (I am assuming that they sent the letters with this information to my old address which I never received).
I know full well that Debt Recovery cannot enforce the charge but MET can so I was wondering whether to take advantage of the reduced rate and pay it? I cannot really afford to do so but then if the case goes to Court I really could not afford to take the time off work and pay the £150 plus Court costs and interest etc (assuming I lost the case?).
It is obviously quite stressful receiving the letters and knowing that they could keep chasing me for 6 years is also quite worrying. Do MET have a history of pursuing debts all the way to Court?
Thank you so much in advance for your help.
i was was hoping to please get M1's help on this matter as I have seen the way he has helped so many others.
Here is my current situation:
At the end of June I received a letter from Debt Recovery Plus saying they were chasing me for £150 for overstaying in a car park at McDonald's at the beginning of Feb 2916. They said they had gotten my details from an agency as previously my car's registered address was incorrect. I wrote to them saying I had changed my registered address as soon as I moved house and asking why this charge has been issued, asking them to provide evidence. They simply wrote back saying that the charge was valid and that I had overstayed the time limit, with no photos/evidence etc sent.
I therefore wrote them another letter saying that I had not had an opportunity to appeal this, I had not even been aware that I had been issued with a charge until June and that I had no intention of paying it so if they wish to take me to Court I will file a defence and dispute the charge. I also said I would not engage in any further correspondence with them.
They then sent me a letter with a reduced payment of £120 which I ignored.
I have since had another letter from Zenith about a month after the last one (who I know are the same company) saying they will reduce the charge to £79 if I pay within 14 days.
As Feb was quite a long time ago I am not exactly clear on the details but I do recall that the day of the alleged charge the McDonald's had been very busy so I had entered the car park, there had been no spaces and I had then driven back in slightly later to park and then gone in to eat. My sister was with me at the time too. I think therefore that there must have been an error with their cameras, referred to as "double dipping" on some of these forums.
I was wondering what to do in this case as I clearly missed the appeals date and the POPLA appeal date even though I was never even notified that I could appeal (I am assuming that they sent the letters with this information to my old address which I never received).
I know full well that Debt Recovery cannot enforce the charge but MET can so I was wondering whether to take advantage of the reduced rate and pay it? I cannot really afford to do so but then if the case goes to Court I really could not afford to take the time off work and pay the £150 plus Court costs and interest etc (assuming I lost the case?).
It is obviously quite stressful receiving the letters and knowing that they could keep chasing me for 6 years is also quite worrying. Do MET have a history of pursuing debts all the way to Court?
Thank you so much in advance for your help.
Comment