Collection agency want +£500 for a London congestion charge that I paid over a year ago....!

Thanks all for the info, just wanted to update:

I was feeling increasingly threatened by the thought of the bailiffs coming around, so when the debt collection agency offered to let me pay a reduced fee (around £270) I decided to just pay it and then try to appeal (in which case they said I could be refunded the payment).

Anyway, I filed a statutory declaration (like a sworn oath witnessed by a lawyer) to say that I had only just received the PCN some 15 months later, and along with that I filed an 'Out Of Time' declaration to explain why I was challenging it so late. These went through the due process and were ultimately rejected and the fine was upheld. It seems like, although I updated my driving license address with the DVLA, I didn't update my vehicle registration log book or something (?! I have no idea about cars) and so that's the address they kept sending the notices to.

I realise ignorance of the law is no excuse, and will take my lumps for not having updated this secondary document that I didn't even know about, BUT it's super annoying (and feels like a scam by TfL) to have only been contacted at this one address rather than also my license address or even my EMAIL address (which they had on file from when I paid the charge!!) and so although I'm 95% not going to appeal this ruling through the small claims courts (at a cost to myself of probably around £300-400) there is a tiny shred of me that feels like I've been shaken down for my lunch money by the big London transport bully.....

If anybody has any further opinions or comments please feel free to share.
 
peanutismint said:
Thanks all for the info, just wanted to update:

I was feeling increasingly threatened by the thought of the bailiffs coming around, so when the debt collection agency offered to let me pay a reduced fee (around £270) I decided to just pay it and then try to appeal (in which case they said I could be refunded the payment).

Anyway, I filed a statutory declaration (like a sworn oath witnessed by a lawyer) to say that I had only just received the PCN some 15 months later, and along with that I filed an 'Out Of Time' declaration to explain why I was challenging it so late. These went through the due process and were ultimately rejected and the fine was upheld. It seems like, although I updated my driving license address with the DVLA, I didn't update my vehicle registration log book or something (?! I have no idea about cars) and so that's the address they kept sending the notices to.

I realise ignorance of the law is no excuse, and will take my lumps for not having updated this secondary document that I didn't even know about, BUT it's super annoying (and feels like a scam by TfL) to have only been contacted at this one address rather than also my license address or even my EMAIL address (which they had on file from when I paid the charge!!) and so although I'm 95% not going to appeal this ruling through the small claims courts (at a cost to myself of probably around £300-400) there is a tiny shred of me that feels like I've been shaken down for my lunch money by the big London transport bully.....

If anybody has any further opinions or comments please feel free to share.
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Why did you pay :/ rule 1 of these guys is never pay unless your 100% sure you won't win.
 
The reason they send it to the registration address is simple, that is all they have.

They don't know who is driving a vehicle, but they do know who is meant to in charge of it (the registered keeper), so contact is to the RK.
 
peanutismint said:
This is the kind of stuff they should teach in school :D But now if I update this and send the log book in, are they going to fine me £1000 for not doing it when I moved house like 2 times since the original form was issued!?
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Just set the date of change as the day you send the v5 of as you can't really back date it. If traffic plod stop you you'll like end up getting reported for the offence mentioned so I would not delay.
 
The internet is full of good advice. There was a thread here a few months ago about whether it’s legal to fleece your employer by setting up a company to sell it products that you have been tasked with procuring and the consensus was that was it shady but legal (it isn’t).

Tough luck OP. The law is strict on the liabilities of registered keepers to prevent people playing silly buggers and some people who make a genuine mistake get caught up.
 
ScoTTyBEEE said:
The secret to avoiding bailiffs is to not open the door. Also helps if you don’t own anything.
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This I have 3 addresses all with different accounts, doctors, car, council tax etc.

Also I don't own a thing at any of the addresses. DVLA is at my mums address so is my bank accounts and credit, Doctors is at my exes address, and the only thing registered to where I actually live is council tax and gas and electricity.

You need to move about and screw them over.

I got a letter sent to my mums from a british gas debt from 2003. lol :D As its statute barred and not on my credit file.

Also you acknowledged the debt by getting in contact, big mistake that a lot of people do.
 
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Efour said:
Go online.
Search bank account for transaction.
Ring collection agency.
Tell them to stop wasting their time.
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Do not phone them at all as it will give them a leverage if taken to court. Ignore everything for 6 years and the is not a thing they can do.
 
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