Wright Hassall LLP – PCN Appeal Guide

Have you received a letter of demand from Wright Hassall for payment of a Parking Charge Notice?

Wright Hassall act for a large number of private parking companies such as New Generation Parking management, Indigo and CPS. In fact, over the years, the majority of car park companies have at some stage used them. For example:

• civil enforcement limited
• zzps ltd
• Premier Parking
• Elite Management
• Vinci
• CP Plus
• Excel Parking Services

Excel Parking Services used to use Wright Hassall for debt collection before moving to TNC and more lately BW Legal.

The letter you have received might look something like this:

Wright Hassall have been given instructions by Zenith Collections who act on behalf of ELITE MANAGEMENT (MIDLANDS) LTD to recovery the above debt which was incurred by failure to pay a PCN. Wright Hassall require payment from you within fourteen days.

Failure to make payment of 208.00 may result in Wright Hassall recommending to our client ELITE MANAGEMENT (MIDLANDS) LTD that we commence legal action against you. This could result in a County Court Judgement being obtained against you.

Please call Wright Hassall on 01926 758101 to make a payment over the phone.

We hope to resolve this matter quickly and therefore Wright Hassall look forward to hearing from you.

Your sincerely,

Tim Hawker
Head of Debt Recovery Operations
Wright Hassall LLP

In the past, Wrigtht Hassal were simply a debt collection company that sent out intimidating, but nevertheless harmless, letters. They never followed through on their threats with court action. In fact, it was safe to assume that the passing of a file to the debt collectors as a sign that the parking company had pretty well given up on recovering the parking fine. The passing of the file to a debt collector such as Wright Hassall was a last ditch attempt to try and get something, anything, from the motorist. If Wright Hassall was able to scare the motorist into paying up, then the parking company was happy to take what’s left after the debt collector’s cut.

Note that whichever that Wright Hassall are acting in, there is no chance they will send bailiffs. In order for Bailiffs to be involved, you need to have had a court case, lost the case, and then refused to pay. A letter from WH is a long distance from Bailiffs being involved.

If you receive a letter from Wright Hassall headed ‘Formal Letter Of Claim’ or ‘Letter before Action’ it is suggested that you send a robust reply denying the debt (unless of course you have previously admitted it).

However, if the letter you have received is not a  ‘Formal Letter Of Claim’ or ‘Letter before Action’ then there is no point  contacting them.  Once you get to this stage, your ability to appeal to the car park has gone.  The only think you might be able to do (if you haven’t done it already, is appeal to the car park owner (for example, if it is a retail car park).

To confuse matters even further, Wright Hassall have recently been appointed to handle POPLA claims.  So you may receive demands from WH under any of the following hats:

• Debt Collector
• Solicitor
• POPLA

Can Wright Hassall threaten me with a CCJ?

They can’t “issue” you with a CCJ. But they can threaten to take you to court. To get a CJJ the matter has to:
a) Go to court
b) You lose in court and get an order to pay an amount
c) You refuse to pay the amount within 30 days.
d) Only above a), b) and c) can you end up with a CCJ.