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private parking fines - mini

Hi there. .The short version is that I have received several letters from a private parking company the last one from a solicitor informing me of notice of impending legal action.I contacted the company asking why they were still sending me letters when I had sent them a letter of explanation concerning the fine. They deny having received the letter. I expressed annoyance and commented on their incompetence. They asked me to send a copy of my appeal letter and I said something along the lines of if this matter is subesequently not ended after they receive my letter, I will be contacting my solicitor. Having read the threads on private fines,I realise I shouldn't have contacted them but can you advise what course of action I should now take. I appreciate any advice given.

private parking fines - Cymrogwyllt

Ignore them

private parking fines - LucyBC

If you are the same person who has sent three copies of a very similar post to Honest John and Ask Lucy and are surprised because you have not received an answer it is because the email address you are using is incorrect and the replies keep bouncing.

Edited by LucyBC on 01/01/2011 at 19:44

private parking fines - mini

Hi there.I'm so sorry.Didn't realise. Is it possible to get an answer in the back room?

private parking fines - LucyBC
The answer is to never enter into any correspondence as it confirms your address.

Letters from solicitors of "impending action" are sprayed around like confetti at this level and are sent by databases. The legal firm gets paid around £1.50 per letter. It is not something that is closely considered.

If your letter came from "Graham White Solicitors" there are problems for them - not you.

Ignore anything unless you are actually sent a claim by the court - not a threat of a claim. If they do so you then file a defence which costs you nothing.

The court is the first place you will get a fair hearing.

LBC
private parking fines - mini

Thankyou for that. In your expert opinion, do you think they will continue to send letters, especially since I made mention of an appeal letter against the fine?

private parking fines - mini

Sorry.Forgot to ask, how is it problems for the solicitors?

private parking fines - LucyBC

They trade in sending letters. That's all they do. They are letter writing factories sending out an official looking letter on cheap paper in a cheap envelope with a second class stamp in the hope you will send them a large cheque by return.

Many people do.

If you want to know how it works there are hundreds, possibly thousands of posts on the issue on this website and others which explaining it in great detail - including this particular version of "Graham White Solicitors".

They are thus not hard to find.

private parking fines - mini

Can I ask if anyone out there had a similar problem?How many letters from the solicitor did they get before they stopped?Sorry to keep harping on but whole thing has got to me!

private parking fines - LucyBC

They will continue to write for about a year. In that time the "debt" will have been sold on a few times for ever less money - I am talking of a miniscule amount, maybe not even a penny.

You are not dealing with a firm of solicitors - you are dealing with a firm of debt collectors who pay a solicitor (an elderly person who used to work in the housing department at Hackney Council until he retired) to lend his credentials to their operation. This permits them to send you what you see (and what they hope you will see) as a "Solicitors letter" which they believe it gives it more credibility.

In fact it's the same people sending the letter, just a different name on the top.

The problem for them is their practice does not comply with Solicitors Regulatory Authority requirements.

The guidance is never connect with them, never answer any post, don't even read it if it bothers you - just put it in the bin.

If you ever get a letter from the county court - which is very unlikely (and I mean a real letter from a court not a "threat of court action" - of which there will be many) then come back here and we will tell you how to deal with it.

private parking fines - mini

Thankyou for all your advice. I shall take on board what you have said.I feel much I have to say.Thanks again

private parking fines - concrete

Hello Mini, you are not alone. Many of us have been harrassed by these parking 'cowboys'. Do exactly as lucybc states, ignore them. In the past few years I have been harrassed on two occasions. The first sent three very official looking PARKING charge notices, made to look the same as real police PENALTY charge notices, each one demanding greater sums of money if I did not pay quickly, then a letter from a debt collector, which strangely had the same address as the parking company, funny that! They eventually got sick of wasting stamps and gave up. The second went straight to a solicitors letter with all sorts of implied threats designed to unsettle the average person in the street. Again I gave it a good coat of ingoring and they seem to have given up again. If you ignore them you hold all the cards. They do not know you or where you live for sure. They probably cannot prove who was driving the vehicle and you do not have to tell them. Finally it is your money, safely in you bank and they have no means of getting their sweaty little paws on it, unless you give it to them. If they went to court against you ( and you really have more chance of a ride on Flipper than that happening) it would cost them a fortune to try to recoup a tiny amount of money and they are very, very unlikely to win. A stamp is cheaper. So unless you receive an official court summons, which you should recognise immediately, bin their letters and don't lose any sleep at all. Good luck. Concrete

private parking fines - mini

Thank you for your encouraging words concrete.I would feel more confident had I not made contact with them but then you live and learn. I will keep you posted on any developements and hope to tap on your expertise in this matter.

private parking fines - Ecksjay

Hi LucyBC,

You've mentioned a few times to let you know if anyone does receive actual Court papers stamped and signed etc and you'll advise them.

My friend and I live in an apartment block with allocated parking bays. The car park is monitored by OPC. I received 2 parking permits with my lease but as hers is a 1 bed, she only received 1 permit, even though there are 2 cars per household. We'd read all of these forums and even the OPC parking attendant told us that the tickets aren’t really enforceable but that they are a deterrent for those who would park here all day and walk to the nearby train stn.

I have only revived 1 ticket (as my permit had fallen into my foot well) but my friend continued to park without a permit and ignoring all the tickets. She has now had a County Court summons for £325 and can’t believe it. Her daughter who also only received 1 ticket has had the same Court summons. I’m now concerned I too will receive one. Can you please advise us on the next step now it seems to be official??

Thanks

private parking fines - LucyBC
You need to file a defence within 14 days of the issue of the writ - or better still fill out the section to get an extension to 28 days. Details of how to do this are in the court pack.

If she then scans and sends me the detail of the claims (to asklucy@honestjohn.co.uk) I will write defences free of charge.