[Help] Parking Charge Advice

[AlwaysASeagull]

Hi all

Wonder if the good folk of NSC can offer any advice please if having been in a similar situation before.

Back in June I unknowingly overstayed my welcome (by 14 minutes) in a shopping centre car park. Fast forward to returning from a family holiday in late September (and not receiving either of the letters supposedly posted to me prior to this, which I’d have paid) and I picked up a final penalty charge notice dated 29/8 (which arrived in the post some time after 12th Sept when we left for our holiday), offering 7 days to pay the fine before passing to a debt collector. I had no way of appealing or finding out where it had been escalated to until a debt collector sent their letter, which was now asking for £170.

I called them with no joy, merely being told by the robotic script reader on the phone that I can ignore their correspondence and risk it going to court, or pay up. I also emailed Nexus Group who issued the fine in the half hope by explaining the situation and offering to pay the original fine (I’m assuming would be £35-£40) that something could be done, only to be emailed that it’s been passed to the debt collection agency and I need to go through them.

Have any of you good NSC folk ever being got to the stage of going to (or threatened to be taken to) court and know if my ‘word against theirs’ approach would have any chance of success? Bearing in mind I’ve had no way of paying a fine I knew nothing about.

Thanks so much, any advice very welcome for a stressed-out BHA fan!

 

[sully]

Paging @LadySeagull and / or @Westdene Seagull

The former helped me all the way to a court date (with papers submitted), which the shysters ducked out of. I was rather looking forward to it by that point!

My best bit of advice is don't get stressed about it. They're all scammers and unlikely to go all the way to court. Fight them all the way.
Also, look at the Pepipoo forum http://forums.pepipoo.com/ or Money Saving Expert Parking Tickets Fines

 

[AlwaysASeagull]

Paging @LadySeagull and / or @Westdene Seagull

The former helped me all the way to a court date (with papers submitted), which the shysters ducked out of. I was rather looking forward to it by that point!

My best bit of advice is don't get stressed about it. They're all scammers and unlikely to go all the way to court. Fight them all the way.
Also, look at the Pepipoo forum http://forums.pepipoo.com/ or Money Saving Expert Parking Tickets Fines

Great, thanks so much for the advice and links - very reassuring!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I'm a bit rusty on this nowadays as I haven't really assisted anyone who's missed the appeal stage and therefore gets it cancelled at POPLA in the last few years.

That said, the first thing to remember is that debt collectors have ZERO powers in these situations. It's absolutely worth reading the main thread on MSE as this contains ALL the advice you will need.

It may well be worth contacting the shopping centre ( or which ever shop you used ) - it's often the quickest and easiest way to get these scam tickets cancelled.

If I were you, I'd stop stressing and follow the MSE advice.

It's interesting that Nexus Group are the trading name of CP Plus Ltd who are a well known bunch of criminals in the parking world. Nothing like changing your company name to try and dump your clamping and criminal past. Also interesting that they reside at Jack Straws Castle - do you have a sideline @Jack Straw ?

 

[AlwaysASeagull]

I'm a bit rusty on this nowadays as I haven't really assisted anyone who's missed the appeal stage and therefore gets it cancelled at POPLA in the last few years.

That said, the first thing to remember is that debt collectors have ZERO powers in these situations. It's absolutely worth reading the main thread on MSE as this contains ALL the advice you will need.

It may well be worth contacting the shopping centre ( or which ever shop you used ) - it's often the quickest and easiest way to get these scam tickets cancelled.

If I were you, I'd stop stressing and follow the MSE advice.

It's interesting that Nexus Group are the trading name of CP Plus Ltd who are a well known bunch of criminals in the parking world. Nothing like changing your company name to try and dump your clamping and criminal past. Also interesting that they reside at Jack Straws Castle - do you have a sideline @Jack Straw ?

Brilliant thanks for your advice, MES looks very helpful too. Stressing much less thanks to you you both!