Parking Scams UK

If you get an unfair parking ticket in a private car park, don't automatically pay it. These supposed 'fines' handed out are merely invoices, often unenforceable

This research of links has been compiled over 2021 - Dec 2022. Research on who is behind the UK's many parking scams, with more to be added.

This is a working document, about who the companies are, who the people behind them are, where the companies are based etc . Plus what are the laws and legislations in place for it (tip: not many or none at all).

Let's start with the law/legislations in UK law. There's only ONE. It's here:

Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents

and it's - prospective - which means it's not enacted in law and can't be used in court.

but there's a - levy - in place for regulations to be made, see -

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/crossheading/levy

- but no regulations are in place for this either.

So here's the regulations -

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/crossheading/supplementary-and-final-provisions

- but these aren't in place yet, in fact were taken out of law and not enacted upon.

But... Who is lobbying for these acts to be enacted ? more on this to come (hint: it's the parking firms).

Companies of Interest:

APCOA PARKING SERVICES (UK) LIMITED

Important note : KIM CHALLIS - the main director - see this >

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/NI071262/officers

She did welfare-to-work dwp stuff with G4S at Olympic Games which failed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41123840#:~:text=If%20the%20Olympics%20was%20an,had%20been%20overcharged%20for%20years.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jul/12/london-2012-g4s-security-crisis

The UK gov has more info here, also very very useful :

https://modern-slavery-statement-registry.service.gov.uk/statement-summary/EgcLuQX1/2021

https://modern-slavery-statement-registry.service.gov.uk/statement-summary/EgcLuQX1/2021/group

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MAIN Address :

PARK & CONTROL UK LIMITED

50 Bedford Street, Belfast, Antrim, BT2 7FW

Company number: NI071262

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/NI071262/officers

Registered as a “small company”, has 3 directors.

Other address listed as :

APCOA PARKING SERVICES (UK) LIMITED

Wellington House, 4-10 Cowley Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 2XW

Company number: 02492280

Solvency :

04 Dec 2019

Solvency Statement dated 03/12/19

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/02492280/filing-history

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Press :

https://www.hillingdontimes.co.uk/news/13367047.uxbridge-firm-employs-national-figure-as-its-md/

FT : Olympic fallout by Kim and G4S : https://www.ft.com/content/284d5c94-0939-11e2-a5e3-00144feabdc0

https://www.parking-net.com/parking-news/apcoa/kim-challis

Bio of Kim : https://www.theofficialboard.com/biography/kim-challis-0ge7g

Linkedin : https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kim-challis-0b760050

It’s Hedge funder is : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centerbridge_Partners

Director david is a director and quite a character, he was arrested and charged and put in prison : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Carruthers

Graham Tidball - director : https://uk.linkedin.com/in/graham-tidball-67972922

Another G4S ex

Advertising feature : https://www.apcoa.co.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/Parking_Review_-_APCOA_feature_spread.pdf

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Letter of PRE ACTION claim needed :

https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/pd_pre-action_conduct

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/letter/letter-before-small-claims-court-claim-aSFAC8Q6Jqan

https://www.rocketlawyer.com/gb/en/documents/letter-before-action

https://bennettwilliamssolicitors.com/our-services/debt-recovery/letter-before-action/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/legal-system/small-claims/making-a-small-claim/

Other links:

https://lexlaw.co.uk/letter-before-claim-specialist-solicitors/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/legal-system/small-claims/Problems-with-goods---letter-before-court-action/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/parking-tickets/appealing-parking-tickets/stop-being-chased-for-a-parking-ticket/

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Debt Recovery Plus directors are lobbying for this bill to go through :

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/crossheading/code-of-practice

It’s not enacted in law.

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Debt Recovery PLUS info and background:

Latest Accounts filed at CH, see following :

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/10223254/filing-history

Look at director : STUART CLURE and LISA CLURE

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/n2_bQi7GxQb9Ahk5DYih-9MeuOg/appointments

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06774150/filing-history

Money Savings Expert forum :

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6313148/select-committee-oral-evidence-today-re-the-parking-code-of-practice-act/p3

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6313355/drp-is-this-the-pre-legal-paperwork/p2

https://dunmoore.co.uk/

https://ico.org.uk/ESDWebPages/Entry/Z2712022

https://thetracegroup.co.uk/blog/

https://thetracegroup.co.uk/yorkshire-procurement-organisation/

https://www.bwlegal.co.uk/customers/

https://www.ipcconference.co.uk/

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6280159/debt-recovery-plus-and-trace-advertise-no-win-no-fee-to-parking-firms#latest

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6275792/drp-debt-recovery-plus-group-thread-to-ensure-drp-are-ignored/p2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6244217/debt-recovery-plus-their-new-letter-is-a-bit-of-a-hoot/p5

https://www.gladstonessolicitors.co.uk/login

https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/bogus-law-firms-identity-theft/

https://junctionuxbridge.co.uk/contact/

https://www.ypo.co.uk/frameworks-home/900182#resources

https://www.apcoa.co.uk/contact/

https://www.apcoa.co.uk/about-apcoa/organisation/management/

https://cds.bromley.gov.uk/documents/s50057873/ENV%20PDS%20300118%20Parking%20Services%20Contractor%20Performance%20Review%20APCOA.pdf

https://modern-slavery-statement-registry.service.gov.uk/statement-summary/EgcLuQX1/2021

Fake Ombudsman companies this links to :

https://www.ombudsman-services.org/

so why is this fake ( it's a rouge trader )? it's connected to POPLA (perhaps it runs it... hmm).

This is the "company" https://www.trustalliancegroup.org/

It states on the homepage -

About our companies

Our individual companies support different sectors with products and services that meet the differing needs of businesses and consumers.

We're approved by organisations such as Ofgem, Ofcom and the British Parking Association.

It cites Ofgem and Ofcom by saying they are "approved" by them. hmmm. Also by the BPA (wink).

They are : https://www.energyombudsman.org/ and https://www.commsombudsman.org/ and https://www.flexibleresolutionservices.co.uk/ and also https://inetco.org/

The websites all have the same design, and say the same things... it's the same. But there's a massive lack of any mention of - law and legislations, so if they are a Ombudsman, then why aren't they following the law and consumer rights (which there's no mention of ) ?

There is an alliance of Ombudsman : https://www.ombudsmanassociation.org/find-ombudsman

Which has this information of support to consumers :

Consumer complaints

Please note: there are currently no ombudsman schemes for many areas of consumer goods and services. For advice and information about consumer goods and services you should contact:

In the UK:

Citizens Advice Consumer Service Tel. 0345 404 0506

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

In Ireland:

Citizens Information Board Tel. 0761 07 4000

www.citizensinformationboard.ie

The world of POPLA :

contact them -

https://www.popla.co.uk/contact

about them -

https://www.popla.co.uk/

The dissolved company - it was struck off : 25th July 2023

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC492116

The directors of the dissolved company -

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC492116/officers

A person of interest of POPLA - (based in Bristol)

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/__UQCIQcsAK3B9PmK7uq7U_6yvE/appointments

The company accounts -