Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

[roop27]

[MENTION=5354]mystery1[/MENTION]

Hi M1 (or anyone else for that matter),

I'm looking for advice on behalf of my sister who has received a Debt collectors notice from Debt Recovery Plus Ltd for £160 for an unpaid fine (overstayed paid time)

My sister is adamant she's never received a fine in the post and her DVLA details are all in order. The offense date was 24/11/2016 and the debt collectors notice was issued 6/1/2017. They are requesting payment otherwise court action will be issued.

its clearly not fair to revert to a debt collectors without any evidence that the letter was even received! Can you provide any advice? If i should contact the companies, could you let me know who and how i should contact them.

Thanks in advance!

Evidence attached.

[ostell]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Was that all of the parking charge notice?

DRP can't do anything, they are just trying to frighten you into paying.

[mystery1]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

info@smartparking.com and info@drpl.co.uk

Dear Sirs,

I have been sent a debt collection letter by DRP for an alleged debt which i assume is for parking. This is the 1st communication i have had regarding this matter and as such i have no detail nor an opportunity to appeal.

I note that as registered keeper i have no liability in this matter due to not having received a notice to keeper.

Yours etc


They will both tell you to get lost and beg you for money. There is nothing you can do as it's up to them to give you an opportunity to appeal, which they will not do. The purpose of sending the above email is for evidence if it ever reaches court. As yet, they don't do court http://www.bmpa.eu/companydata/Smart_Parking.html

Keep all communications safe in a drawer and ignore, unless you get court papers or a letter before action.

M1

[roop27]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Hi [MENTION=5354]mystery1[/MENTION],

Thank you for your reply. Are you indicating I should just continue to ignore them once the email has been sent? And just file all communications incase summons are delivered?

[roop27]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Was that all of the parking charge notice?

DRP can't do anything, they are just trying to frighten you into paying.

Hi Ostell,

Thank you for your reply. Yes that was the only communication received. THe back page is just payment details.

[mystery1]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Hi @mystery1,

Thank you for your reply. Are you indicating I should just continue to ignore them once the email has been sent? And just file all communications incase summons are delivered?

Correct. The only other thing you could do is pay and i assume you don't want to do that. I certainly wouldn't.

M1

[roop27]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Correct. The only other thing you could do is pay and i assume you don't want to do that. I certainly wouldn't.

M1

agreed - definetly not paying. lets see what happens. they havent replied to my email yet.

[roop27]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

[MENTION=5354]mystery1[/MENTION]

Dear Sir/Madam,



Thank you for your recent communication.



We would like to confirm the initial parking charge notice was sent to you on the 30/11/2016 and as no appeals or payments have been received within the given time frame the parking charge notice was referred to debt recovery correctly.



Kind Regards,



Latest reply....

[mystery1]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Well you could keep replying saying they may have sent it but it wasn't received and you had no chance to appeal etc or you could just start filing all letters and see if a proper letter before action or court papers arrive before saying any more.

M1

[roop27]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Option number two! I'm keeping quiet. Thank you!

[roop27]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Hi [MENTION=5354]mystery1[/MENTION]

Its been a while but i thought i'd update you. In the last few months i've received countless letters stating for example i must pay or legal action will be taken, the debt collection will now pass on the solicitors etc to we're willing to offer you a payment plan etc. I've now recieved the following letter in the post. It seems quite similar to the previous letters, just with a different header. Any advice?

[mystery1]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Gladstones do go to court on behalf of IPC members but are hopeless and lose a decent amount of the time. Smart are BPA members and i don't think they've initiated court action, yet.

As they are asking you to contact a debt collector to pay i'd still say ignore as debt recovery plus cannot be involved in court action since they do not own the "debt"

M1

[roop27]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Gladstones do go to court on behalf of IPC members but are hopeless and lose a decent amount of the time. Smart are BPA members and i don't think they've initiated court action, yet.

As they are asking you to contact a debt collector to pay i'd still say ignore as debt recovery plus cannot be involved in court action since they do not own the "debt"

M1

Hi again

Thank you as ever for your advice. Can I confirm that if it ever did go to court I would get one last chance before Court summons. I'd rather not go to court, even though as you say Gladstone's are hopeless

[ostell]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

This looks like a DRP letter using Gladstones letter heading. If the reference begins with 1 then it's Gladstones, 3 or something else it's probably not.

Smart are smart enough to know that going to court is a way to lose money, even if they win the case. Have a look at this summary

If they are thinking of going to court then you will get a "Letter Before Claim", which you must respond to. Then you mayget a claim form from Northampton court who handle the claim first then transfer to a court local to you. If it does get to court, and the chances are low, then small claims court is you, the parking company rep and the judge in a room. The judge sits higher than the others. Forget those court scenes you see on TV.

[mystery1]

Re: Earl Haig Hounslow Parking Fine

Hi again

Thank you as ever for your advice. Can I confirm that if it ever did go to court I would get one last chance before Court summons. I'd rather not go to court, even though as you say Gladstone's are hopeless

You can pay at any time, even at the doors of the court. Smart NTKs are shite though.

M1