DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
FreeTrafficLegalAdvice
HTML https://ftla.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Private parking tickets
*****************************************************
#Post#: 118586--------------------------------------------------
APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: kjs31
Date: May 13, 2026, 11:06 am
---------------------------------------------------------
At the start of May my friend received 2 letters on the same
day. The first is an APCOA PCN letter informing them that the
car was parked without valid payment and the second a letter
from a debt recovery company. The original letter is dated March
but not received for more than a month later.
Driver usually pays for station parking by scanning the QR code
in the car park but on this occasion (it’s never happened
before) the payment didn’t go through and the driver didn’t
notice. The driver would have paid the reduced fee of £60 had
the letter been received in time to do this but now it’s timed
out to even pay the full £100 and the fee increased to £170
despite not having received a letter at that time. The keeper
has been registered at the same address for several years and
the car is owned, not leased etc. Post sometimes takes a few
days to arrive but never over a month!
Looking for advice on what to do next please. No appeal can now
be raised with APCOA and the defence that the letter has only
just been received isn’t likely to succeed with the debt
recovery company. Keeper doesn’t want to risk getting a CCJ /
prosecution and is worried about the charge increasing even more
than £170 yet doesn’t feel that the £170 is justified.
I tried to do some reading first and note that cases taken to
court via the railway byelaws are criminal prosecutions rather
than civil matters. The Debt Recovery Plus letter certainly
mentions Railway Byelaws. I’ve also read that APCOA ‘never take
a case to court’ but also that the regs changed in 2026? Not
sure what changed or if it’s relevant TBH. Driver admits that
sadly a mistake was made and they didn’t check that they had
paid but takes issue over a £170 charge given that the keeper
has only just been informed. I don’t want to give my friend duff
advice and they definitely don’t want to risk a CCJ or criminal
prosecution. Many thanks in advance.
#Post#: 118587--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: jfollows
Date: May 13, 2026, 11:13 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Railway land is no longer not “relevant land” under PoFA 2012.
HTML https://lordsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/98511/Pdf?subType=Standard
HTML https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/read-this-first-private-parking-charges-forum-guide/
APCOA don’t tend to “do” court, and the criminal prosecution
route has been ruled out, and a CCJ which affects credit etc.
only happens if you lose in court and do not pay within 30 days.
Read
HTML https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/kellys-storage-luton-universal-parking-enforcement-ltd/msg59804/#msg59804
#Post#: 118666--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: kjs31
Date: May 14, 2026, 5:56 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: jfollows link ---
>
> Railway land is no longer not “relevant land” under PoFA 2012.
>
HTML https://lordsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/98511/Pdf?subType=Standard
>
HTML https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/read-this-first-private-parking-charges-forum-guide/
> APCOA don’t tend to “do” court, and the criminal prosecution
route has been ruled out, and a CCJ which affects credit etc.
only happens if you lose in court and do not pay within 30 days.
Read
HTML https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/kellys-storage-luton-universal-parking-enforcement-ltd/msg59804/#msg59804
>
--- End Quote ---
Thanks. Do you think that as the debt recovery letter states
railway byelaws and as far as I understand it proceedings under
railway byelaws have to be proceeded with within 6 months this
then precludes APCOA from taking this to the civil courts within
the 6 year period? I can’t see how they can explicitly mention
action being taken under Railway Byelaws which the receiver may
have expected to time out after 6 months but then proceed with a
civil claim 6 years later. Thanks.
#Post#: 118667--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: jfollows
Date: May 14, 2026, 6:17 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Please show us the notice and letter you have received. I know
it’s your friend, but either your friend needs to post directly
or we’ll just pretend for now it’s you, it gets too complicated
otherwise.
#Post#: 118668--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: RichardW
Date: May 14, 2026, 6:23 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Post up the PCN and other docs received so that it can be seen
what they are alleging.
#Post#: 118754--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: kjs31
Date: May 15, 2026, 8:20 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: RichardW link ---
>
> Post up the PCN and other docs received so that it can be seen
what they are alleging.
>
--- End Quote ---
Thanks. I have photos of the documents. Just need to work out
how to add them here as there is no upload thingy.
#Post#: 118757--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: DWMB2
Date: May 15, 2026, 8:26 am
---------------------------------------------------------
The forum guide that jfollows linked to in the first reply
includes advice on uploading.
#Post#: 118968--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: kjs31
Date: May 17, 2026, 11:18 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: jfollows link ---
>
> Please show us the notice and letter you have received. I know
it’s your friend, but either your friend needs to post directly
or we’ll just pretend for now it’s you, it gets too complicated
otherwise.
>
--- End Quote ---
Hopefully this will work. The Debt Recovery Plus letter mentions
Railway Byelaws.
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/DSr579fJ/IMG-4963.jpg
HTML https://postimg.cc/DSr579fJ
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/qNsQpPBz/42127731-c338-4c8c-ab23-0b4431a67538.jpg
HTML https://postimg.cc/qNsQpPBz
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/cvRTdp13/IMG-4964.jpg
HTML https://postimg.cc/cvRTdp13
HTML https://i.postimg.cc/FYyGhMF1/4107d3c3-5348-448d-a887-a5647c618385.jpg
HTML https://postimg.cc/FYyGhMF1
#Post#: 118970--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: jfollows
Date: May 17, 2026, 11:44 am
---------------------------------------------------------
DRP also refers to a Penalty Charge Notice, which it isn’t.
DRP are pretty useless and probably haven’t worked out that the
law has changed.
In any case, they are no party to this dispute and what they say
is irrelevant. All they do is make threats to hope you pay up,
from which they take a cut, but if you don’t they can’t do
anything.
#Post#: 118990--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA PCN received for parking at Oxted Railway Station
DIR By: kjs31
Date: May 17, 2026, 3:23 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: jfollows link ---
>
> DRP also refers to a Penalty Charge Notice, which it isn’t.
>
> DRP are pretty useless and probably haven’t worked out that
the law has changed.
>
> In any case, they are no party to this dispute and what they
say is irrelevant. All they do is make threats to hope you pay
up, from which they take a cut, but if you don’t they can’t do
anything.
>
--- End Quote ---
I was just wondering, as DRP are acting on behalf of APCOA and
quoting Railway Byelaws, presumably with APCOA’s blessing,
whether this now precludes APCOA being able to issue court
proceedings as a civil matter? Surely if the ‘penalty’ the
driver is liable for is quoted as Railway Byelaws then that must
be the legal route that APCOA must take forward to court?
Hypothetically that is as the driver is very much hoping that it
doesn’t progress to court.
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 2
DIR Next Page