Re: Collectica and PCN

[becky]

You've come to the right place. Which county are you in? Details will follow as soon as you tell us.

Hello I'm new to all this and just wondering if you could give me any information regarding collectica? Basically what happened is I sold a car which then got a parking ticket from the council, I rung them up and told them I sold the car months ago, they then asked for proof, I got onto the dvla who kindly informed me it's still in my name even tho I sent the log book off. Then the council sent me another letter out saying I have to pay the £125 fine weather I have the car or not. I stupidly put the letter in the draw and genuinely forgot about it until now as I had no other letters, it is now a good few months later since the £125 fine when a man from collectica came knocking at my door saying I owe £422!! I was in shock as I had no other letter saying anyone was coming out, he then noticed I was pregnant and told me he couldn't do anything as I was pregnant and that my payment will be back to £125 and to be paid the month after baby is born which was for the 20th September 2014 I was in relief I asked him to write it me down on his collectica sheet so I knew then he went. Iv now received a letter from collectica saying they want the proof and my balance is still £422, confused I rung them up and asked about it, the man I spoke to was rude and had an attitude, I told him about the man coming out what he said and that it was in writing and the man on the phone told me that it didn't matter and that I have to still pay the £422 and send the proof off to them saying I'm pregnant and to pay the £422! I asked for the man's name and number that came out to my house to be told I wasn't allowed it, I then asked why I was given false information! The man on the phone raised his voice at me and told me "Im telling you now that you have to pay £422!" I feel like I'm hitting my head against a wall....can they do this? Is there anything I can do? I'm currently 7months pregnant and don't work. Sorry for the long post I'm just at my wits end with it. Thanks becky.

[ploddertom]

Re: Collectica and PCN

Who did you sell the car to? When did Collectica first attend? Have you received a Notice of Enforcement?

You will also need to write to both Council & Collectica advising them of your current status - to back this up you will also need a letter from a medical professional, midwife would be fine.

[becky]

Re: Collectica and PCN

Who did you sell the car to? When did Collectica first attend? Have you received a Notice of Enforcement?

You will also need to write to both Council & Collectica advising them of your current status - to back this up you will also need a letter from a medical professional, midwife would be fine.

Thank you for the reply, I had all the details on my phone for the people I sold the car to a few months later I upgraded and lost everything, I didn't think it mattered about needing the information anymore (first time selling a car) I also didn't know that I was supposed to receive anything back from the dvla after sending the logbook off. Collectica came to my house last week said about him not been able to do anything and not having to pay £422 and instead £125 then left, I had no notice of this no. I will be sending the proof off today, not sure if it will make any difference as the man on the phone said I still need to pay the full amount which is why I'm so confused....why would the bailiff say that to me if it wasn't true?

[becky]

Re: Collectica and PCN

Just to add the car was sold at the beginning of June 2013

[ploddertom]

Re: Collectica and PCN

You can start the ball rolling by contacting the Traffic Enforcement Centre 0300 123 1059 / 01604 619450 and submitting an Out of Time application - if I remember correctly wait until the options have finished and it lets you talk to a human. They can email you the relevant forms which you return via the same medium and providing you get it off before 4pm then all enforcement should cease immediately until it is sorted.

As to Collectica - they should hang there heads in shame as one of their Agents has correctly identified you as potentially vulnerable yet the faceless office wallahs have decided otherwise. I will let someone else know about this as they are collecting info to forward to the MOJ.

[becky]

Re: Collectica and PCN

Thank you so much for your help I will ring the traffic enforcement centre right away. I didn't realise the bailiffs could say one thing then the people on the phone could say another again thank you.

[bizzybob]

Re: Collectica and PCN

Once the Out of Time is accepted, you can either pay or contest the ticket again, You could start a Formal Complaint with the council o further down the line once you safely have the new baby born, to complain about the reprehensible actions of their agent Collectica who have ignored a defitite vulnerability. Collectica seem to treat a civil PCN as if it is a criminal fin, and there are subtle differences in what an EA can do to collect them regarding forced entry.

[Milo]

Re: Collectica and PCN

Becky,

Unless you are able to find out the name of the Enforcement Agent it will sadly be the case that Collectica will likely claim that the matter of the fees is merely your words against their records. Unfortunately, there is also a problem with the new regs in that they have not prescribed a specific form to be given to the debtor when an enforcement agent visits the property and does not secure payment or 'take control of goods'. The effect of this being that the debtor does not know who attended !!

Before commenting further on the above (which is of serious concern) there is a further query. Do you know what this debt is actually for? The reason for me saying this is Collectica have a contract to enforce Magistrate Court FINES and they also enforce Westminster parking tickets.

Until reading details of the amount requested (£422) I had assumed that the debt was a Westminster parking ticket. However, if this is the case then the amount normally requested at the door (under the new regs) would be £512. Can you please clarify the position.

Secondly, if the debt is not in relation to a PCN then you cannot file an Out of Time witness statement. Also, before filing an OOT you will need the PCN number (which for Westminster tickets will start with WM and be followed by 8 numbers.

Can you post back with further information.

Lastly, the enforcement agent cannot take control of the vehicle as that has been sold. However he can take another vehicle to secure the debt. Do you have another vehicle?

[Milo]

Re: Collectica and PCN

Becky,

Do you have an update on this query?

Under the new regulations (that took effect on 6th April) there is significantly more protection for debtors who are deemed "vulnerable".

One important change is that where 'vulnerability' is proved the enforcement companies should 'rewind' the enforcement stage to the Compliance stage. In simple terms; it means that the 'enforcement stage' fee of £235 will be removed and instead, the amount due would consist of the amount due to the creditor (local authority or court etc) AND the Compliance stage fee of £75.

It is vitally important to ensure that evidence is provided of vulnerability.

[bluebottle]

Re: Collectica and PCN

It sounds like the buyer of the OP's car has not bothered to inform DVLA they have acquired ownership or DVLA or being unbelievably careless. Whatever it is, although the local authority may have relied on the details DVLA gave them, in view of what appears to have happened, it would be in the best interests of all concerned for the local authority to suspend all enforcement action until DVLA explain what is going on. For them to allow Collectica to continue regardless would expose the local authority to litigation.