Free Traffic Legal Advice

A photograph, they are on a fishing exercise.
You refer to a template from Reddit, was this for the initial appeal to Times?

Only certain records are required to be kept for so long, not every piece of information an organisation ever processes.

If they* just record a VRM and don't bother taking any other details it's unlikely to fall within the scope of information they're required to keep for a specified period.

*the hotel might not even store the VRM data themselves in the first instance, they may just receive it verbally and add it straight onto the parking operator's systems.

But the hotel would be required to keep information which led to the creation of the invoice which the customer (or, in this instance, their employer) paid - in this instance that invoice should reveal the cost of the room and the associated parking fee thus demonstrating that the parking was paid for.

Only certain records are required to be kept for so long, not every piece of information an organisation ever processes.

If they* just record a VRM and don't bother taking any other details it's unlikely to fall within the scope of information they're required to keep for a specified period.

*the hotel might not even store the VRM data themselves in the first instance, they may just receive it verbally and add it straight onto the parking operator's systems.

Do I plead guilty to speeding on the online form, and not guilty to the failure to respond charge? Is that where you’re saying to ‘see if they’ll take that plea’?

Not if you want to avoid the risk of getting nine points.

The police have no evidence that you were driving so the speeding charge cannot succeed (unless you plead guilty to it). The risk (albeit a small one as it doesn’t often happen) is that you will be convicted of speeding (courtesy of your guilty plea) and then be convicted of the “Fail to Provide” (FtP) charge as you have no realistic defence to it.

Assuming your SJPN mentions both the “Fail to Provide” charge and speeding, respond to the Single Justice Procedure Notice (SJPN) by pleading not guilty to both offences. In the "reasons for pleading not guilty" section say you are willing to plead guilty to the speeding offence on the condition that the "failure to provide driver's details" charge is dropped.

Before the pandemic it was necessary to attend court to negotiate this "deal". When the pandemic hit, courts were obviously keen to avoid as many personal attendances as possible and arrangements were made for this deal to be accepted without a court attendance. Many courts have continued with this process but some have reverted to requiring a  personal appearance. If you make your intentions clear in response to the SJPN you may be saved a trip.

Will contact the parking ticket provider and request more information. Yeah those messages are the morning of the 15th after I got back from the hotel. I checked more messages and it looks like I left the hotel around midnight (could be just after midnight). Regardless, parking was paid for the night by my company. So it’d be strange, but even if it applied a new charge for a minute after midnight, that should have been covered by my company when paying.

Will ignore the debt collection company as advised.