Author Topic: Fine recovery with BW Legal  (Read 1523 times)

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Fine recovery with BW Legal
« on: »
Hi, I was hoping for some advice for my friend please.

She parked the day in a car park owned by smart parking and paid the full day parking fee then went about her day.

On leaving the car park she realised she had paid parking for the car park one street over which is owned by the same company.

Once she arrived home she promptly paid the all day parking value for the correct car park then sent an email to smartparking with a copy of both invoices for the paid parking and an apology/explanation to what happened in the hopes of avoiding a fine.

Later down the line a fine was received which was appealed and rejected through popla, I believe on the basis that the car had left the car park without payment being received.

Fine was ignored and then referred to ZZPS, CGTT and recently an email saying it is now with BW Legal.

My question is what would be the advice on how to handle this for the best outcome?

Apart from reaching out to smart parking when the incident happened my friend called ZZPS asking if there was anyone she could speak to regards discussing the incident but of course said there was no option of discussion and nothing to do except to pay.

In response my friend advised that she has noted they are not willing to help her resolve and will be reaching out for legal advice.

On speaking with a solicitor from just answer she was advised that if taken to court that the judge may look on her favourably due to trying to resolve with the parking company straight away and ultimately paying for parking twice.

My friend then sent an email to ZZPS attaching the original email she sent back in 2023 to smartparking when the incident happened asking that they review the case and that if going to court my friend would be looked on favourably given the circumstance’s.

She then called ZZPS to confirm they received her email and received major attitude from the person on the line with them fineally saying once again no option but to pay or will go to court. My friend advised that’s not a problem and all she was doing is calling to inform them to look out for an email and if it goes to court she will await the court date.

3 weeks after the email they have finally responded to it saying they are no longer dealing with the case and has been referred to BW Legal.

I had been trawling the internet with the hope of finding a solution for my friend and of course there are many conflicting responses on this type of thing.

Everyone here seems so knowledgable and just wish I had managed to find you guys sooner.

Any advice received for passing on would be much appreciated.

Last notice from CGTT advised the total was £170 which was a £100 fine then £70 on top for recovery.

I dread to think what the cost would be if lost at court.

Especially if a CCJ is received as my friend has a near perfect credit score with no missed payments and has always paid parking fines if received.


In my mind it is pure greed and using bullying tactics/loopholes to get more money considering they have already been paid twice for parking.

Even if you can’t advise, thank you for reading if you got this far!

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Re: Fine recovery with BW Legal
« Reply #1 on: »
A “CCJ” only happens when people lose in court and don’t pay. Parking companies bandy the term around to frighten people. CCJs only happens through incompetence or genuine inability to pay.

Suggest you read the ‘sticky’ post and post here redacted documentation.

https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/read-this-first-private-parking-charges-forum-guide/
« Last Edit: March 14, 2025, 08:53:32 pm by jfollows »

Re: Fine recovery with BW Legal
« Reply #2 on: »
That is certainly great to hear regards the CCJ thank you.

I actually did read the sticky note but obviously didn’t do a very good job of it🤦‍♀️

My apologies. I will look at uploading redacted letters and emails. I didn’t add as I was thinking everything that could have been done wrong was done and all that was left was to advise on to pay or just let it play out at court 🙈 will get this updated soon and thank you for your time.

Re: Fine recovery with BW Legal
« Reply #3 on: »
What a waste of time communicating with a useless and powerless debt collector. ZZPS and GCTT are the same company. Never, ever, EVER waste time and effort communicating with a bottom-dwelling debt collector. The only power they have is to persuade the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree to pay up out of ignorance and fear. Ignore them.

Is the letter from BW Legal just another debt recovery threat or is it a Letter of Claim (LoC). A useless debt recovery letter gives you 14 days to pay before you are supposedly hung, drawn and quartered, whereas a real LoC must give you 30 days to pay.
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain

Re: Fine recovery with BW Legal
« Reply #4 on: »
I have now uploaded images to the below link.

https://imgur.com/a/aEmbFCW

Images are email sent to parking company when mistake was noticed and the payments.

Also attached 3 notices from ZZPS/CGTT.

Lastly an email to ZZPS and a response from them saying has been passed to BW Legal.

Apologies for the bad resolution on the last image. I couldn’t get this to come out better.

Please note BW Legal have not yet been in touch.

PCN not uploaded as this has been lost.
« Last Edit: March 17, 2025, 02:45:42 am by Clueless »

Re: Fine recovery with BW Legal
« Reply #5 on: »
Why didn't you say this was in Scotland? Are you also a Scottish resident?

There is no Keeper liability in Scotland, for now. Only fools and their money pay a parking charge in Scotland!

No company registered in England is going to sue you in the Scottish courts. You have been played for a mug. Just stop digging holes for yourself and revealing how low you are hanging off the gullible tree.

Jeez, even if this were not in Scotland and it actually went to court in England, you would win. But it is in Scotland and these jokers will not sue you in a Scottish court for a piddling couple of hundred pounds because it would cost them much more than that and they cannot recover any costs in the Scottish courts for such a low sum.

Ignore everything you receive from now on. Stop blabbing to any of them about how sorry you are and that you've paid double when you didn't have to pay a penny in the first place.

Never, ever, ever communicate with useless debt collector anywhere in the UK. They are powerless to actually do anything except to try and scare the low hanging fruit on the gullible tree into paying out of ignorance and fear.

Also for future reference, never admit liability as the driver, especially in Scotland where PoFA does not apply. You only ever refer to the driver in the third person. No "I did this or that". Only "the driver did this or that". These unregulated private parking companies have no idea who the driver is unless you blab it to them, inadvertently of otherwise.

As soon as you let them know that you think you have received a "fine", they know they have a mug, ripe for the picking. These private parking companies cannot "fine" anyone. They are not an authority of any sort. All you received was a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) which is nothing but a speculative invoice for an alleged breach of contract by the driver.

Ignore everything from now on. If BW Legal or any other bulk litigation company is so incompetent as to try and issue you a court claim in the English county court system for either a breach of contract in Scotland or to a Scottish resident, they would be slapped down so hard. It just sin't going to happen. Stop panicking about it. Get on with your life and know that in future, if you ever get another PCN in Scotland, that you can simply ignore everything you receive from the parking company and especially any useless and powerless debt collector, at least until they enact the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, there is no Keeper liability north of the border.

Personally, I would send a letter to each company that has contacted you simply telling them to refer to the answer given in Arkell v Pressdram (1971).
« Last Edit: March 17, 2025, 05:09:34 am by b789 »
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain