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How can I stop a parking company from harassing me over an unpaid parking ticket?

In your columns in the Daily Telegraph Motoring Supplement a while ago you referred a correspondent who was being harassed by a firm called Premier over parking charges. I am in the position of being similarly harassed over a debt I do not believe I owe (£25). Making use of your advice I invited the company I was in dispute with to take the matter to a small claims hearing at County Court and informing them that I would abide by the decision of that court. This was ignored by the company and I was then bombarded by a variety of threatening letters from a debt collection agency, who continued to ignore the statement I had made to the company and which I repeated to them. Eventually I reported the matter to my local police, who wrote to the debt collection agency, but this had no effect.

The police have now written to me as follows: “I have taken advice from an officer in the Crime Management Unit and he states that this case is civil and he suggests that you take your complaint to the Information Commissioner/Ombudsman. Furthermore he states that it is unknown whether the debt is lawful or not and that this will not be known until a court decides.” I would be very interested to hear your observations?

Asked on 28 January 2012 by RP, St Annes, Lancs

Answered by Honest John
The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 is an Act of Parliament, but is too loosely written to provide hard and fast rules. These will have to be determined by case law. See www.yourrights.org.uk/yourrights/privacy/harassmen...l

But in order to have obtained your details in the first place, this outfit must be a member of the British Parking Association. You can complain to the BPA. The BPA has asked that if I receive further complaints that I feel are justified, I should ask them to register their concern at www.britishparking.co.uk/AOS-Enquiries You can find the BPA Code of Practice at: www.britishparking.co.uk/Approved-Operator-Scheme-...e
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