What do you make of this?

[The Boss]

I didnt know that if you commit a motoring offence and have a penalty to pay, that they can clamp or tow your car

This is news to me.. Shocking!

Driver hit with £779 clamp fee 'never received formal warning' (From Harrow Times)

 

[bpsorrel]

Draconian!! How the hell does a £60 fine end up costing £779!! It's crazy!

And, since when do they have the right to remove and CRUSH your car over a relatively small amount like that?!! I despair!

 

[BaldGuy]

I personally think all clamping companies are run by mostly gypos who could do with a damn good hiding!!!

 

[s88]

So three letters have gone missing?

Or is she giving a false address to get the kids into a better school?

Something not quite right.

 

[Howard]

Glad someones thinking along the same lines as me S88

One letter going missing i could believe , but not three.

There's always something wrong with the kids as well isn't there , a reason why they can't take the car !

 

[d w124]

^ Calm down lads as it did happen to me.I did`nt get a ticket or a warning,all i`ve was 180 fine + 5 fee for the court.PS that was the fourth one they`ve send me

 

[clk208]

Interesting. Similar thing happened to me (without the bailiffs part). Returned from holiday to find a demand from a debt collection agency for c. £250 in relation to an alleged parking offence at a McDonalds months ago. I hadn't received a ticket or any other communications but the demand included a parking fine and a bunch of "solicitors" fees.

I do not live near the area of the "offence" and this was the first time I had visited the area - my car was in for service at a garage nearby but I did not actually drive near the McDs. Thought it must have been the mechanic or whatever so I sought some advice on the consumeractiongroup forums. Apparently the companies involved in the parking demands Roxburghe and Michael Sobell Solicitors are well known and this is basically a scam.

Was advised to just ignore all comms from them and any threats of sending round bailiffs because in order to get to that stage they would have to first take me to court (or issue a summons and me fail to turn up at court) and they would have absolutely no chance of winning for a number of reasons (regardless of the fact it wasn't even me driving). Ignored subsequent threatening letters and never heard anything since which ties in with what others have said on this.

Not good as many people will be intimidated and just pay up. Not sure how this woman has got to the stage of bailiffs appearing though..

 

[uknown]

There is a difference between the council prosecuting you and these private companies.

She committed a highway offence (as the article says she was caught on camera) - whereas McD's is private property and they allow you to park on there whilst you use their restaurant - they /can/ fine you for not parking to their conditions (ie, too long, two spaces instead of one, etc) but it's not enforceable as such. They'd have to take out a CCJ against you to get funds off you and have to prove to the court they were in the right, loss of potential earnings from your parking, etc. Very difficult as they don't even know who was driving it at the time?

With the council though, they'd have sent this to court when she didn't pay (like council tax) and the next step would be commercial baliffs. However, in all council/baliff situations you can ignore the baliffs and pay the debt owed directly to the council instead and then the baliffs give up - the council HAVE to accept your payment as it was their initial charge.. she should have read some forums instead of just ignoring it all

 

[d w124]

There is a difference between the council prosecuting you and these private companies.

My one was for parking on a 20min box,not loading.I know the place and i even rememdber the day being longer than 10 min.

 

[The Boss]

once i drove down to my local BnQ in Stanmore, and was in the store for 10 minutes, left but then realised i wanted to get stuff done, so drove back within 10 mins, and was in store for and hour and 45 mins..

Anyway

2 weeks later, started getting a letter from a parking company about over parking.

I am like i was shopping, and because they registered my car coming in at a certain time, and leaving after 2 hours, they started hassling me.

Only after court attendance, did it drop when i asked them to prove that i hadnt left inbetween, they said i had not, then they played the camera footage, and voila, there was me leaving first time round and then returning for more shopping soon after..

Pathetic really!

 

[renault12ts]

This wouldn't happen in Northern Ireland. Bailiffs do not exist here.

 

[renault12ts]

once i drove down to my local BnQ in Stanmore, and was in the store for 10 minutes, left but then realised i wanted to get stuff done, so drove back within 10 mins, and was in store for and hour and 45 mins..

Anyway

2 weeks later, started getting a letter from a parking company about over parking.

I am like i was shopping, and because they registered my car coming in at a certain time, and leaving after 2 hours, they started hassling me.

Only after court attendance, did it drop when i asked them to prove that i hadnt left inbetween, they said i had not, then they played the camera footage, and voila, there was me leaving first time round and then returning for more shopping soon after..

Pathetic really!

Whether you left and came back or not...are you saying that B&Q only allow you less than 2 hours to shop in their stores??

 

[The Pan Man]

SCAM indeed

Roxburghe and Michael Sobell Solicitors are well known and this is basically a scam.

Recently had dealing with this shower, they are a bunch of chancers. When I asked for proof they went away. Funny that.

 

[MercFanUk]

I despise the bailiff system, it's such an archaic method of doing things.

 

[The Boss]

Whether you left and came back or not...are you saying that B&Q only allow you less than 2 hours to shop in their stores??

yeah.. something about commuters using the car park in the past etc etc..

it was a few years ago... really bad service in my opinion..

 

[grober]

Roxburghe and Michael Sobell Solicitors are well known and this is basically a scam.

Recently had dealing with this shower, they are a bunch of chancers. When I asked for proof they went away. Funny that.

Are you not confusing them with Sue, Grabbit and Runne that other well known firms of Solicitors?

 

[st4]

So three letters have gone missing?

Or is she giving a false address to get the kids into a better school?

Something not quite right.

Yes I agree but its some way of dealing with the offence. Its a minor infraction, a phone call from the local police or maybe sending the letters recorded mail to prove she was in reciept of them would have been a better course of action.

 

[Satch]

The bit of paper she was holding is from Newlyn, just one of a bunch of truely repellent outfits that have sprung up as direct result of money grabbing local authorities, NHS trusts etc seeing motorists as a source of easy money.

Did they have court papers or were just waving yet another official looking frightener? Typical trick of some of these types is to imply that they are "Bailiffs" when at that point in time they are not actually acting as officers of a court, simply debt collectors with sod all powers misrepresenting themselves.

 

[Beetnik]

One missing letter I can accept but not three - her story's not credible.

 

[jeremytaylor]

The bit of paper she was holding is from Newlyn, just one of a bunch of truely repellent outfits that have sprung up as direct result of money grabbing local authorities, NHS trusts etc seeing motorists as a source of easy money.

If you had seen the Newlyn boss's motor boat (I have) you will realize that there is one heck of a profit in their line of 'work'.