Hi, First time posting apologies if I don't get it quite right!
I've been following advice though FTLA from various posts and using various online examples. I've got this far but I seem to have run out of examples to help my case.
I'll lay out a time line with dates etc and what I've done so far.
24/09/2025 - Driver/Owner parks at Dorking Main Train Station, App not working, no ticket machines, is about to miss train decides to deal with it later and forgets to pay.
03/10/2025 - Penalty Notice (£100) received by me (Keeper) from APCOA. I do some research and decide I'm going to fight. I wait the max amount of days and appeal stating I'm not the owner and copy paste the relevant information as advised from various other cases, I also add in that the app wasn't working on the day and request proof the app was operational on the day (knowing full well they wouldn't give it to me). I do not disclose the driver/owner. There are also 2 potential drivers that could've been driving and I decided to play dumb on that information.
07/11/2025 - APCOA reply saying I've been unsuccessful on appeal and that was my one and only chance, completely gloss over anything about the app not working and send me some extra large photos of my number plate (in case I'm just idiot maybe?) I wait again the max amount of time and appeal to POPLA copy paste a similar example in response as before stating everything as before (I could probably get a copy of what I said but it's all on their website response/case).
17/12/2025 - POPLA send e-mail saying they have received my appeal.
24/12/2025 - POPLA send e-mail saying appeal is ready to be assessed.
05/01/2026 - I move house, no forwarding address and the vehicle is transferred to the owner.
19/02/2026 - POPLA send e-mail saying please log in to this account to view your outcome (I think sod that, its a trap and what if I'm some old man that doesn't know how to use a computer? They don't know who I am). I'm good mates with the postie and ask him to keep an eye out for post at my old address, surely they'll send a letter if it's important. Along with other examples these thing should time out and I'm getting close to that date now.
24/04/2026 - DEBT RECOVERY PLUS send me a nice letter proclaiming I now owe £170. I do not engage with Debt Recovery Plus directly.
11/05/2026 - I write on the envelope from Debt Recovery Plus 'NOT AT THIS ADDRESS' return to sender. I send an e-mail to POPLA and APCOA stating the following:
Penalty Notice ref: GT20149662
Date of alleged offence: 24 September 2025
To whom it may concern,
I am the previously registered keeper of the vehicle referred to within the penalty notice mentioned above. I am not the owner nor have I ever been and it cannot be assumed at any point that I am the owner. I was the registered keeper which, as clearly stated on the V5C, shows only who is responsible for the registering and taxing of the vehicle and does not prove ownership.
I have - on your instruction - received a threatening letter from Debt Recovery Plus. This letter is dated 24 April 2026.
As you should be aware, penalty notices can only be prosecuted within 6 months of the alleged offence, it is now past that and is statutorily barred.
Referring this matter to debt collectors AFTER this period is a blatant disregard to my data protection rights, as it should not have happened to begin with.
As a result, I demand that:
1: You provide a reason why you have passed my details on to Debt Recover Plus; And
2: You close your case; And
3: You recall these debt collectors; And
4: You confirm that you have removed my details and require the same from anyone you have shared my details with.
I also seek confirmation that you have self-reported this to the Information Commissioners Office about this blatant breach of my data protection rights.
For the benefit of any doubt, I will not interact with any debt collectors and I will not be paying anything. Any further letters from them will be seen as harassment.
Should this matter be referred to court, I will be defending it and claiming costs for unreasonable behaviour.
I expect a full and complete resolution from you on or before 30 June 2026.
Please do not send any further communication by letter to 15 Wenlock Edge, Stubs Hill, Dorking, RH4 2QF as I no longer resid at that residence.
If you require an updated address, please make this request in response to this e-mail stating clearly the legal requirements and reason to why I need to provide my address.
11/05/2026 - APCOA send an automated response but apart from that I hear nothing.
18/05/2026 - Another letter from Debt Recovery Plus (tipped off by someone). Bit more threatening this time, the usual times running out blah blah blah.
22/05/2026 - I adopt the same response as before. Return to sender 'NOT AT THIS ADDRESS' and fire another e-mail off to POPLA and APOCA exactly the same word for word with the dates changed. Same automated message as before from APCOA.
09/06/2026 - APCOA reply with the following:
Thank you for your email dated 11th May 2026 which has been passed to me to investigate and respond.
As the Penalty Notice GT20149662 was issued under Railway Byelaws, the registered keeper of the vehicle is liable. At the time APCOA applied to the DVLA for the registered keeper details, you were identified as the registered keeper of the vehicle and the Penalty Notice was issued to yourself.
When the Penalty Notice was issued, you had 28 days to either pay or appeal the Penalty Notice. An appeal was received on 29/10/2025 and at this time, the case was placed on hold whilst this was reviewed by the appeals team. An appeal response was issued to yourself on 07/11/2025 to advise the appeal had been rejected.
At the time the appeal was rejected, you had the opportunity to either appeal the Penalty Notice to POPLA, the Independent Appeals Service or to pay the Penalty Notice. We can confirm your appeal to POPLA was received on 05/12/2025 and again, the case was placed on hold whilst this was reviewed.
A POPLA response was issued to yourself on 20/02/2026 to advise the appeal had been rejected. At this point, the Penalty Notice was outstanding at the full amount of £100 for 28 days to allow you to pay the Penalty Notice. As no payment was received, the Penalty Notice then progressed to Debt Recovery Plus.
In response to your comments regarding the erasure of your data, we must advise you that we continue to regard our legitimate interest right to process the information as continuing to apply until after the contravention has been appropriately dealt with and concluded.
As the case is now outstanding with Debt Recovery Plus, all correspondence must be made with Debt Recovery Plus directly.
12/06/2026 - Another threatening letter from Debt Recovery Plus (dated 29/05/2026 - Took a while to get to me). I have until the 12th June to pay or it 'could' go to court. I've sat on this over the weekend weighing up my possibilities and concluded - I should ask for help.
So I'm reaching out, what would you advise - I'll upload anything required, answer any questions
I've contemplated the following:
1. Engage with Debt Recovery Plus to at least get letters sent to my new address - At least I can monitor the situation better.
2. Debt Recovery Plus also offer an appeal option (However this means engaging with DRP)
3. Apparently you can ask the Debt Recovery Company to refer this back to the Client (POPLA) - This just wastes time but I'm all for that.
4. Ignore an see what happens.
5. Pay (the least palatable option).
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