BW Legal Parking Fine Debt Collection – Can I Ignore Them?

Were you contacted over a BW Legal parking fine debt collection? And are you asking, ‘can I ignore them’? You’re not the only person to get mail from them about an unpaid parking charge. But are they legit and are bw legal parking fines enforceable?

Check out my post which explains who they are and why they could be chasing you for payment!

Do you have to pay BW Legal?

You might not have to pay BW Legal.

If you genuinely can’t afford your debt repayments then looking into whether you could have your written off might be just what you need. 

If you want to find out whether you qualify for having debt written off or payments lowered then fill out the short form below.

Who is BW Legal?

BW Legal is a firm of solicitors based in Leeds. The firm is regulated by both the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Credit Services Association (CSA). The law firm is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) too.

They are also accredited by the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC).

Hence, many private companies use BW Legal to chase people over unpaid penalty charge notices!

They claim to be there to support you so you can be ‘debt free’!

Does BW Legal have the same powers as bailiffs?

No. They don’t have the same powers as bailiffs (court-appointed enforcement officers). They are a debt collection company and registered law firm.

 Debt collectors have no more power than an original creditor. But commencing county court proceedings is one of their options over unpaid parking fines.

Take a look at how one motorist won a case in court against BW Legal and got the fine overturned.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Can you lower your repayments?

If you’re struggling to pay back your debt, then you might qualify for a debt solution.

Some solutions lower your monthly payments while others write off a portion of your debt. 

To find out whether they could work in your situation, hit the button below.

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What can BW Legal do about an unpaid private parking fine?

BW Legal must follow the CSA Code of Practice. I’ve listed what debt collectors can lawfully do and what they can’t lawfully do below when they chase unpaid parking charge notices.

Debt collectors can legally do the following when they contact you:

• They can contact you by phone, letter or in person
• A debt collector can talk to you about an alleged debt politely
• They can ask that you pay them directly

Debt collectors can’t do the following when they contact you:

• A debt collector cannot threaten/harass you
• They can’t force their way into your home, seize your possessions or clamp your vehicle
• Debt collectors may not discuss things with your family, friends, employer or employer
• They can’t say they’re court-appointed enforcement agents
• Debt collectors can use documents that seem court-issued
• They can’t visit you at work

How should you deal with a BW Legal unpaid private parking tickets?

You shouldn’t ignore any correspondence from debt collectors about a parking charge even though getting debt letters is stressful. Instead, ask them to prove you owe the money.

Make sure you send BW Legal the request by registered post.

Also, a Parking Charge Notice is not enforceable straight away. A parking charge on private land is not a fine. It’s an invoice raised because you breached the T&Cs!

Does BW Legal add fees to the debt?

BW Legal used to add exorbitant costs and fees to an original unpaid parking charge. But a court ruled they were ‘abusing the process’. So now additional fees are a no-no unless there’s a genuine reason.

Do you have to pay for a private land parking ticket?

No. You don’t have to pay a parking charge on private land straight away. You should challenge the fine if you feel it’s unfair or the fee charged seems exorbitant.

Will BW Legal take you to court?

BW Legal may instruct their client to start court proceedings. Moreover, the law firm offers the client legal support. That said, you must receive a Letter Before Action (LBA) first.

You could pay the fine within a deadline or face court proceedings. Now, the LBA may just be an empty threat to prompt you to pay. But there’s never any guarantee you won’t have to face court proceedings!

What happens when you ignore BW Legal?

As mentioned, BW Legal may advise their client to take you to court. When you ignore a Letter Before Action, things get complicated, messy and harder to resolve.

For instance, you could face:

• Court proceedings and a judge orders you to pay. You’d have a County Court Judgement (CCJ) registered on your credit file. It’ll harm your credit rating making it hard or impossible to get credit, a loan or a mortgage
• Court-appointed enforcement officers paying you a visit at home

Should you appeal a BW Legal parking fine?

It could be too late to file an appeal. In short, there is a set time to file an appeal against a parking charge notice.

So unless the time limit hasn’t expired, you may not be able to file an appeal. You could try to talk to the car park operator, but you may have to deal with the debt collector!

Should you pay BW Legal?

BW Legal can ask you to pay them directly. But you should only fork out any money when they’ve proved the parking fine is yours.

Mistakes happen whether because of a clerical error or because ANPR gets it wrong and records the wrong number plate! Many unpaid private parking charges fall into this category!

How do you contact BW Legal?

I’ve listed their contact details below:

Lastly, BW Legal parking fine debt collection, can I ignore them?

No. It’s not wise to ignore BW Legal parking fine debt collection. Moreover, there’s no guarantee private companies won’t take you to court.

Instead, ask BW Legal to prove you owe the money. They must provide authenticated proof.  Don’t just take their word for it!

Don’t admit, sign or fork any money over to BW Legal until you get written proof! But if BW Legal proves the debt, you’re better off paying it to resolve things.

“It will only get worse” 😩

It’s cliché to say, but with debt it’s true; the longer you leave it, the worse the problem gets. 

There are straightforward and effective ways to deal with debt, but you have to know your options. 

Fill out the short form to find out about the debt solutions that could reduce your monthly payments or even write off some of your debt.

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