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#Post#: 77675--------------------------------------------------
Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: bigred247
Date: June 23, 2025, 5:43 am
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Received Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE – Confused About
Process and Next Steps
Hi all,
I received a letter from TRACE Debt Recovery dated Friday 20th
June regarding an alleged non-payment to National Car Parks
(NCP) for a drop-off at Gatwick Airport.
Some background for context:
- I am the registered keeper of the vehicle (as per the V5C).
- The vehicle is registered at my former address, where my
sister and mother currently live.
- Although the car is legally mine, they have been using it
regularly for the past 18 months. I didn’t change the address on
the V5C as it made things easier for them to manage MOT,
insurance, servicing, etc.
- After receiving the TRACE letter, I spoke to my sister who has
now found an unopened letter from NCP (photo attached) at the
old address regarding the original PCN (photo attached).
- What’s puzzling is that TRACE managed to send the debt
recovery letter to my current address, where I’ve been living
for around 3 years. I’m not sure how they obtained this.
My questions:
- Is there any advice on how to handle this?
- Now that the matter has been passed to debt recovery, where do
I stand legally?
- Is it possible to rewind the process and go back to appealing
the PCN?
- Can I ignore this letter entirely?
- I came across [member=26]b789[/member]’s comment in this
thread:
HTML https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/pcn-from-ukcps-limited/msg74440/#msg74440<br
/>– does that situation apply here?
Grateful for any help or insight.
Thanks in advance.
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### Trace Debt Recovery
HTML https://i.imgur.com/WlFhLHE.jpeg
HTML https://i.imgur.com/HM9k8yc.jpeg
### NCP
Apologies for the poor quality of the NCP images.
HTML https://i.imgur.com/OxBh0lx.jpeg
HTML https://i.imgur.com/fuaYawC.jpeg
#Post#: 77692--------------------------------------------------
Re: Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: b789
Date: June 23, 2025, 6:34 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Too late appeal now but nothing to worry about. Ignore Trace and
any other useless debt collector. They are powerless to do
anything except to try and persuade the low-hanging fruit on the
gullible tree to pay up out of ignorance and fear.
There is zero risk of a CCJ, even if this were one of the less
than 0.1% of cases that ever made it as far as court and you
lost. They have no idea of the drivers identity and unless the
Keeper blabs it to them, they have nowhere togo with this as the
Notice to Keeper (NtK) was not delivered within the relevant
period to be able to rely on PoFA 2012 to hold the Keeper
liable.
However, anything going forwards has to be in the name of the
Registered Keeper, irrespective of who was driving. No "on
behalf of" but in the Keeper name.
For now, I advise that you email the following as a formal
complaint to NCP as the registered Keeper. Address it to
customer.service@ncp.co.uk and also CC in yourself:
--- Quote ---
> Subject: Formal Complaint and Challenge to Keeper Liability –
PCN [Insert Reference Number]
>
> Dear Sir/Madam,
>
> I write as the Registered Keeper of the vehicle with
registration number [INSERT REG] in relation to the
above-referenced Parking Charge Notice (PCN), which I have only
recently become aware of following a letter from a debt recovery
agency (Trace) sent to my current address.
>
> Upon investigation, I discovered that the original Notice to
Keeper (NtK) was sent to a former address where I no longer
reside. This address remains on the vehicle’s V5C due to an
administrative oversight, although my relatives still reside
there. The NtK was only recently retrieved and had been
overlooked.
>
> Having reviewed the NtK, I note that it was not issued within
the statutory timeframe required under Schedule 4 of the
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PoFA). As such, you have failed
to meet the conditions necessary to hold the Registered Keeper
liable for the alleged charge. Specifically, the NtK was not
delivered within the period prescribed by Paragraph 9(5) of
Schedule 4, which requires delivery within 14 days of the
alleged contravention where no Notice to Driver was issued.
>
> Accordingly, I reject any attempt to hold me liable as Keeper.
You are not entitled to pursue me under PoFA, and I will not be
naming the driver. I therefore require that you cancel this PCN
immediately and confirm in writing that no further action will
be taken.
>
> This letter also serves as a formal complaint regarding your
failure to comply with PoFA and your inappropriate escalation to
a debt recovery agency without first ensuring proper service of
the NtK. I expect this complaint to be handled in accordance
with your published complaints procedure.
>
> Separately, I will be submitting a Data Rectification Notice
under Article 16 of the UK GDPR to update my address for service
and require that you erase the former address from your records
under Article 17(1)(d), as it is no longer accurate or necessary
for processing.
>
> Please confirm receipt of this complaint and your intended
actions within 14 days.
>
> Yours faithfully,
>
> [Your Full Name]
> [Current Address]
> [Email Address – optional]
> [Date]
--- End Quote ---
Also send a Data Rectification Notice (DRN) to the NCP DPO at
dataprotection@ncp.co.uk and again, CC in yourself. A DRN must
instruct the company to update their records with your current
address for service and to erase your old address. The
highlighted words are there for a reason so use them.
#Post#: 77695--------------------------------------------------
Re: Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: DWMB2
Date: June 23, 2025, 6:41 am
---------------------------------------------------------
A small aside to the above, I note that you mention you have
deliberately left the car registered at your old address because
it makes it easier for your relatives who still use the car.
Whilst this is your choice, it may be worth reconsidering.
There is no requirement for the vehicle to be registered at an
address you are living at, but the address on the V5C should be
one at which you are able to promptly and reliably
receive/respond to mail. Given that you only found out in June
about a letter sent to you in April, it would seem this might
not be the case. If this letter had been an notice from the
police regarding speeding (for example), rather than a private
parking charge, you'd probably now be facing prosecution for
failing to name the driver.
#Post#: 77703--------------------------------------------------
Re: Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: bigred247
Date: June 23, 2025, 7:14 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[member=26]b789[/member]
Thank you very much your feedback and the template. This is
greatly appreciated. I'll go ahead and action per your
instructions.
#Post#: 77768--------------------------------------------------
Re: Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: The Slithy Tove
Date: June 23, 2025, 11:44 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: b789 link ---
> ...the Notice to Keeper (NtK) was not delivered within the
relevant period to be able to rely on PoFA 2012 to hold the
Keeper liable.
>
--- End Quote ---
The land isn't Relevant Land as per POFA anyway, as Airport
Byelaws apply, so it cannot be applied regardless of when the
NtK was delivered.
Further, NCP don't claim anywhere that they are using POFA, so I
don't think the "complaint" letter is worded appropriately. That
letter seems to claim they are using POFA to hold the keeper
liable, but it doesn't. All they are saying is pay up (on the
driver's behalf) or tell us who the driver was. If they later
try to say the keeper is actually liable, only then do you have
something to complain about.
#Post#: 77829--------------------------------------------------
Re: Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: b789
Date: June 24, 2025, 2:38 am
---------------------------------------------------------
True. I didn't even look at the location. My bad. Still, here's
a slightly adjusted letter you can send, if you've not already
sent the other one. Won't make much difference though.
--- Quote ---
> Subject: Formal Complaint and Challenge to Keeper Liability –
PCN [Insert Reference Number]
>
> Dear Sir/Madam,
>
> I write as the Registered Keeper of the vehicle with
registration number [INSERT REG] in relation to the
above-referenced Parking Charge Notice (PCN), which I only
recently became aware of following a letter from Trace Debt
Recovery sent to my current address.
>
> Upon investigation, I discovered that the original Notice was
sent to a former address where I no longer reside. That address
remains on the vehicle’s V5C due to an administrative oversight,
although my relatives still live there. The notice was only
recently retrieved and had been previously overlooked.
>
> Regardless, I note that the location in question — Gatwick
Airport — is not classified as “relevant land” under Schedule 4
of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. As such, you are unable
to rely on PoFA to hold me liable as the Registered Keeper. I
will not be naming the driver, and you have no lawful basis to
pursue me for this charge.
>
> This letter also constitutes a formal complaint regarding your
inappropriate escalation of this matter to a debt recovery
agency without first ensuring proper service of the original
notice or verifying the legal basis for pursuing the Keeper. I
expect this complaint to be handled in accordance with your
published complaints procedure.
>
> Separately, I will be submitting a Data Rectification Notice
under Article 16 of the UK GDPR to update my address for service
and require that you erase the former address from your records
under Article 17(1)(d), as it is no longer accurate or necessary
for processing.
>
> Please confirm cancellation of this PCN and provide a written
response to this complaint within 14 days.
>
> Yours faithfully,
>
> [Your Full Name]
> [Current Address]
> [Email Address – optional]
> [Date]
--- End Quote ---
#Post#: 87218--------------------------------------------------
Re: Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: bigred247
Date: August 26, 2025, 5:22 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[member=26]b789[/member]
Sorry. I switched off and didn't read your last message but i
had already sent the template off by then.
#Post#: 87219--------------------------------------------------
Re: Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: bigred247
Date: August 26, 2025, 5:23 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I haven't received any replies to the 2 x emails i sent to NCP,
but have receieved an a "letter before claim" letter from
Moorside Legal. I'll post it here very shortly.
#Post#: 87223--------------------------------------------------
Re: Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: bigred247
Date: August 26, 2025, 5:28 am
---------------------------------------------------------
'Letter before claim' received from Moorside Legal
Any advice on how i should deal with this?
HTML https://i.imgur.com/eTXFnln.jpeg
HTML https://i.imgur.com/yqsgH54.jpeg
#Post#: 87240--------------------------------------------------
Re: Debt Recovery Letter from TRACE (NCP Gatwick)
DIR By: bigred247
Date: August 26, 2025, 6:27 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[member=26]b789[/member]
I've just seen you comment in the message below for a similar
case. Am i safe to use this same email template and send it to
help@moorsidelegal.co.uk and CC myself?
HTML https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/letter-before-claim-moorside-legal-7650/msg85407/#msg85407
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