Someone I know has just received a debt collection letter for a parking fine when there was no ticket on the windscreen.
Fair enough, you can't account for some scallywag taking the ticket off and throwing it. However, there were no subsequent letters from the parking company, just the Debt recovery notice.
The person requested pictures from the company, and received them, with one showing the ticket on the screen but this person has received tickets for other dates (it's a pay by phone station car park and he/she forgot to pay in time). On this occasion he/she paid from work, but late, so the car was parked there without a ticket for a bit, although the amount paid covered the time the ticket was 'issued'.
The date and time on the photos appears to be photoshopped on, and properties on the file only reveal the date and time it was opened and stored on the PC.
On top of this, the pictures are of a different location from the one mentioned on the Debt Recovery letter, the one on the letter is on the other side of the station.
So, what I'm asking is, is it fair of the company to charge a penalty fee when no parking charge notification letters were received, or should he/she just ignore the letters?
I'm reading on other sites that parking charge notifications are not enforceable in law, and charges can only be made for loss of earnings incurred by that car being parked there.
Anyone got any knowledge on this? They seem to be employing scare tactics, and when phoning to appeal, was told 'there is no appeal, you have to pay', which seems wrong.