Enforcer hounds disabled man
has a right to be there and we assumed our honest explanation had been accepted.”
But in April this year Thomas got a letter out of the blue quoting the two-year-old notice from UKCPS’s debt collector Debt Recovery Plus (DRP) stating Thomas owed £160.
Paul again replied explaining the circumstances. But this cut no ice because the family then received a warning that DRP would take Thomas to court.
“We are so worried,” Paul added. “My son’s disabilities don’t make it easy for him to deal with complicated issues.
“His carer is very upset and has offered to pay. But it seems so wrong that these firms can bully people like this.”
The absence of communication of any kind following Thomas’s first response, meant any chance of exercising his right to appeal to an independent adjudicator had also been denied him. UKCPS is part of the Independent Appeals Service whose free process allows 21 days after a first appeal to the operator has been rejected.
Yet UKCPS’s site carries this warning to motorists: “Do not ignore your ticket. You can be sure that we will not.”
The hypocrisy of this was not lost on the Spares who, just like most members of the public, understand parking needs to be controlled for everyone’s benefit.
But the way it is done has to be fair and reasonable and in this case it certainly was not.
CRUSADER was appalled too that even though Paul had explained the situation to DRP, it just brushed it aside. And the company’s ruthlessness was also apparent when we initially approached it asking for an email address for our inquiry as that was the quickest way to get the problem noticed and ease the family’s worry. DRP, whose directors include Lisa Clure and Gareth Brierley, refused to supply that.
Eventually, nine days after we sent a guaranteed delivery letter we got a follow-up call and then an abrupt statement saying DRP had dropped its pursuit.
But thankfully their action came too late.
We had already told all to Savills, the managing estate agent for the Coliseum site and UKCPS’s client, and it had wiped the charge within hours.
UKCPS subsequently called and apologised to Paul but there was no goodwill gesture recognising the distress caused.
It has also emerged it may well have flouted the code of practice of the operator scheme it belongs to when it pursued such an outdated notice.
The Independent Parking Committee code advises members that they must respond appropriately within 28 days after considering representations from drivers who get tickets.