Who sends a POPLA appeal by snail mail????? Why didn't you just use the web and upload the appeal as a PDF file?????
I'm shaking my head in frustration!
If you cannot use the POPLA code provided, even though it is still valid, this is what you now do, and it does not involve any snail mail!!!!
You send the following to info@popla.co.uk and you CC yourself. You also include the following attachments as PDF files:
A PDF copy of the original POPLA appeal you sent by post and this damning admission by APCOA following a formal complaint for another fake Penalty Notice:
[attach=1]
Subject: Formal Notice – Fraudulent Penalty Notice and POPLA’s Risk of Complicity (POPLA Code: [insert code])
Dear POPLA,
I write regarding POPLA Verification Code [insert code] concerning Penalty Notice Reference [insert reference].
A full and complete appeal was submitted by post within the permitted 28-day time limit. I subsequently received a letter from POPLA enclosing an appeal form and offering the alternative of appealing online. However, when attempting to use the online portal, the verification code was rejected despite the 28-day period not having expired.
Regardless, I do not intend to re-submit or reformat the appeal already validly served by post. I require immediate confirmation that my original postal appeal is being processed without prejudice. I have attached a copy of the postal appeal.
Formal Notice Regarding the Fraudulent Nature of the Penalty Notice
I formally place POPLA on notice that the so-called “Penalty Notice” issued by APCOA is a fraudulent legal instrument. It is neither a valid Parking Charge Notice under civil law nor a valid Penalty Notice under statutory law. APCOA has now damningly admitted in writing, in relation to a different case, that:
• The Penalty Notice is deliberately styled to mimic statutory enforcement under Railway Byelaws.
• However, APCOA pursues these charges as private civil debts, not through the magistrates' courts.
• APCOA further admits that monies collected from these so-called "Penalty Notices" are retained privately and not paid into the public purse, contrary to the lawful handling of true statutory penalties.
• APCOA simultaneously claims that these notices create a civil contract between the motorist and APCOA, despite branding the notices as statutory penalties.
• APCOA has therefore admitted that these notices are based on a hybrid and fraudulent legal characterisation, designed to mislead recipients.
This behaviour constitutes fraud by false representation (section 2, Fraud Act 2006) and unlawful demands with menaces (section 21, Theft Act 1968).
Attached Evidence
I enclose two documents for POPLA’s immediate attention:
• A copy of the original postal appeal submitted within the 28-day period.
• A redacted copy of a recent formal complaint and APCOA’s written response, which contains express admissions by APCOA that:
• Their so-called “Penalty Notices” are issued under the guise of railway byelaw enforcement.
• They do not refer the alleged offence to a magistrates’ court for prosecution, as required for genuine statutory enforcement.
• They instead pursue recipients privately for payment under supposed civil contract terms.
• All revenue is retained privately, with no payments remitted to the public purse.
This evidence demonstrates that APCOA’s practices are not lawful, that the so-called fake “Penalty Notices” are fraudulent demands, and that POPLA is now on clear notice of this criminality.
Required Action by POPLA
• Confirm immediately that the postal appeal is accepted and under review without prejudice.
• Cancel the fraudulent charge without delay.
• Cease any further processing of my personal data relating to this matter, in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.
Should POPLA proceed to assess, validate, or otherwise engage with this unlawful, fake Penalty Notice despite now being fully aware of APCOA’s fraudulent practices, it risks direct complicity and will be reported to the DVLA, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), and the police.
I require a full written response within 7 days.
Yours faithfully,
[Name]
[Postal Address]
Attachments:
POPLA_Postal_Appeal_[reference].pdf
APCOA_Formal_Complaint_and_Response_Redacted.pdf
[attachment deleted by admin]
Send the following formal complaint to APCOA:
Subject: Formal Complaint – Fake Penalty Notice GTO0323254A – Criminal Misrepresentation and Extortion
To: APCOA Parking (UK) Ltd
Date: [Insert today's date]
Dear Sir/Madam,
Re: Penalty Notice GTO0323254A – GOVIA THAMESLINK, DORKING STATION (ANPR)
Vehicle Registration: [Insert VRM]
DRP Reference: 14626748
This is a formal complaint regarding your recent conduct and that of your appointed agent, Debt Recovery Plus (DRP), concerning the above matter.
On 12th February 2025, I submitted a detailed appeal as the registered keeper, clearly demonstrating that the document you issued—purporting to be a “Penalty Notice” under Railway Byelaw 14(4)(i)—is a fake penalty. That is to say, it mimics the appearance of a statutory fine but is instead being enforced via unlawful civil channels for your commercial gain, not by way of prosecution under statutory process by a competent authority.
This is not a genuine penalty issued or enforceable under the relevant provisions of the Transport Act 2000 or Railways Act 2005, which require the matter to be laid before a Magistrates’ Court by a prosecuting authority. You are a private company with no such prosecutorial powers, and yet you continue to present these documents as statutory penalties, thereby knowingly misrepresenting your authority and misleading the recipient.
Your subsequent referral of the matter to Debt Recovery Plus, a powerless private debt collector, confirms your intention to extract payment outside of any lawful framework, relying on intimidation, coercion, and misrepresentation.
Let me make this clear:
• This is a criminal act.
• It constitutes fraud by false representation, contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.
• It also meets the criteria for fraud by abuse of position, and fraud by failing to disclose information (sections 3 and 4).
• You are falsely representing that the recipient is liable for a statutory penalty, when in fact no such liability can arise without due process through the criminal courts.
Your use of DRP as an agent only worsens your position. I regard both APCOA and DRP as active participants in this fraudulent scheme, and both will be named and reported to the police for criminal investigation. This is nothing less than extortion under the guise of enforcement, and it will not go unchallenged.
For the avoidance of doubt, I will not engage with DRP under any circumstances. They are a legally irrelevant third party, incapable of enforcing a statutory penalty. Their threats will be retained as evidence for the police complaint.
Should APCOA fail to respond to this formal complaint and confirm cancellation of this fake penalty within 14 days, I will escalate the matter to:
• The British Parking Association, for breach of its Code of Practice and your misuse of debt recovery services in the context of byelaw matters; and
• The DVLA, with a request that your access to registered keeper data be suspended or permanently revoked, due to your abuse of that data in pursuit of unlawful demands.
This is your final opportunity to bring this matter to an end before further regulatory and criminal complaints are lodged. I expect immediate written confirmation of cancellation.
Yours faithfully,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email Address]
[Optional: Contact Number]