Author Topic: Euro Parking Services - Unpaid Parking Charges Notice - Passed to Empira  (Read 2573 times)

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Recently received a letter from Empira dated 4th of February 2025, informing me that Euro parking Services had written to us in relation to an outstanding parking charge notice on the 7th of April 2024 (letter attached).

It says that it was in relation to parking at Park United Reformed Church. Being this was over a year ago, I had to look up where this was to familiarise myself with the place. It is basically a small parking area within the grounds of our local park but it seems to have been allocated a parking to the church directly opposite. There is a lot of signage up now but I doubt such signage was up at the time. My partner who lived locally all her life said she believes the area used to be free to park users and that she almost certainly parked there to attend the playground with our kids close by within the park. Neither of us were aware that the area is or had been assigned to the church.

I'd really appreciate guidance as we did not receive a ticket on the car at the time nor did we receive any letters before this one. I went to check and saw that they have a camera at the top of a long pole directly facing the parking entrance.

Below is an aerial view and entrance on Google maps (Aug dated 2021 is the most recent one Google seems to have) Parking signage has been put up sometime between then and now as it isn't displayed in the picture except for discreet signage just to the left of the entrance.

Aerial View:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Reading/@51.4499928,-0.9386383,78m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x48742078d93d3db7:0x2ae19f7fcefa7994!8m2!3d51.4551201!4d-0.9787475!16zL20vMGJfeXo?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Entrance:
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4498687,-0.9383198,3a,75y,330.28h,67.92t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sfd4ydX0-MtIbeylFqxMEtQ!2e0!5s20210801T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D22.08376250047891%26panoid%3Dfd4ydX0-MtIbeylFqxMEtQ%26yaw%3D330.2848107103339!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMwNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

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« Last Edit: March 09, 2025, 03:34:38 pm by DontStandForNonsense »

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You can safely ignore Empira. They are nothing but a powerless debt collector and cannot do anything except to try and scare the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree into paying out of ignorance and fear.

What you cannot ignore is the fact that you most likely did not update the address on the vehicle V5C after your last change of address. Updating your drivers licence does not update any other DVLA data and you can check online if your V5C address is correct and change it if necessary. However, the issue is that EPS now hold two possible addresses for you and they cannot have a second bite at the cherry to obtain your current address.

If the V5C address is incorrect, then you need to send a Data Rectification Notice (DRN) to the DPO of EPS and instruct them to update their records with your current address for service and to erase the old address. The highlighted words are there for a reason and must be used.

If you don't so this, EPS can simply issue a court claim to the old address and you would know nothing about it until a default CCJ appears on your credit file. So, get that done as a priority.

As you have never received the original Notice to Keeper (NtK), you can send a formal complaint to EPS and request a copy of the original NtK and require them to evidence the actual date they sent the NtK.

Apart from that, there is little else you can do at this stage. Ignore all debt recovery letters. If/when you receive a Letter of Claim (LoC) come back and we can advise on how to proceed.
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain

You can safely ignore Empira. They are nothing but a powerless debt collector and cannot do anything except to try and scare the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree into paying out of ignorance and fear.

What you cannot ignore is the fact that you most likely did not update the address on the vehicle V5C after your last change of address. Updating your drivers licence does not update any other DVLA data and you can check online if your V5C address is correct and change it if necessary. However, the issue is that EPS now hold two possible addresses for you and they cannot have a second bite at the cherry to obtain your current address.

If the V5C address is incorrect, then you need to send a Data Rectification Notice (DRN) to the DPO of EPS and instruct them to update their records with your current address for service and to erase the old address. The highlighted words are there for a reason and must be used.

If you don't so this, EPS can simply issue a court claim to the old address and you would know nothing about it until a default CCJ appears on your credit file. So, get that done as a priority.

As you have never received the original Notice to Keeper (NtK), you can send a formal complaint to EPS and request a copy of the original NtK and require them to evidence the actual date they sent the NtK.

Apart from that, there is little else you can do at this stage. Ignore all debt recovery letters. If/when you receive a Letter of Claim (LoC) come back and we can advise on how to proceed.

As always you are exactly right. We moved out of our old address and my partner did not update V5c with DVLA. I suppose she didn't feel as pressed to do it since her sister took over the tenancy and knew that any post would safely be kept for us - we only moved down the road and they see each other frequently. I'd been on at her to change it but being organised is not one of her strengths and knowing which box and file the logbook was placed in was and is proving to be a terrible task. My sister in law swears no other letter on this matter arrived for us. If my partner can't find the V5c today, I'll make her order a replacement unless there is a way to update our address directly with DVLA without it.

DPO and EPS?

Data Protection Officer
Euro Parking Services

Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain

https://change-address-v5c.service.gov.uk

We really need to find the logbook for a ref number their form needs.

Should be hold off till the DVLA have changed our address before sending a Data Rectification Notice (DRN) to the DPO of EPS?

And can we send them the complaint for not receiving the NTK right away or should the DRN have been actioned first?

We're still looking for the logbook because I bet the process to change the address without it will be slow and with costs. If we don't find it by 3pm today, we'll contact DVLA for next steps unless you think there's a faster way.

If you have lost your logbook, there is an option to get a replacement, but they will charge a fee for this I believe.

If you have lost your logbook, there is an option to get a replacement, but they will charge a fee for this I believe.

Yep and I think it takes a while because of the added security checks needed for us moving address. I suppose we could just get the log book sent to our old address and then change address.

Do you have access to the old address?

Yes,

My partners sister in law lives there currently.

From DVLA:

Apply online for a replacement V5C
You must be the registered keeper on the V5C to apply online.

You’ll usually receive your V5C certificate by post within 5 working days.

Contact DVLA if you have not received your V5C and it’s been 2 weeks since you applied.

If you have not received your V5C after 6 weeks and you have not notified DVLA, you’ll have to pay £25 to get a replacement.

Can I get Euro Parking Services to update our address with them before correcting the logbook address?
« Last Edit: March 10, 2025, 12:07:00 pm by DontStandForNonsense »

https://change-address-v5c.service.gov.uk

Can I proceed to:

 "As you have never received the original Notice to Keeper (NtK), you can send a formal complaint to EPS and request a copy of the original NtK and require them to evidence the actual date they sent the NtK."

Since I can still collect the post from our previous address so as not to hold things up while waiting on a replacement log book.


Can I get Euro Parking Services to update our address with them before correcting the logbook address?

Update with whom? The whole point of the DRN is get EPS to update THEIR records, not the DVLA records. That' your job. Just get the DRN sent and be done with it.
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience” - Mark Twain


Can I get Euro Parking Services to update our address with them before correcting the logbook address?

Update with whom? The whole point of the DRN is get EPS to update THEIR records, not the DVLA records. That' your job. Just get the DRN sent and be done with it.

I was a bit confused but after re-reading your original response I think I'm back on track.

Before I write to EPS.

Will highlighting that they have the wrong number not trigger them to:
1. Raise it with DVLA and get me into trouble with them for not having updated DVLA after moving house?
2. Reject my formal complaint on the basis of me no longer living at the address they will claim to have used? (even though I do still have access to my post and nothing was received)

Just a thought, will it not be less risky holding fire on the DRN while raising the complaint, because I do have total access to post there AND in theory, you can have more than one home with different things registered at each address?

I think you're overthinking this - they're not going to report you to the DVLA.

Ok but do you think it would undermine my complaint for not having received their notice to keeper?

It might encourage them to stand more firmly behind an argument that I never received it because I no longer lived there (which would put it as my fault for not updating my address)