'Car sale led bailiffs to my dad's door'

A woman being pursued for more than £4,000 in fines and penalty charges run up by another driver said the sale of her car had turned into "an absolute nightmare".

Zoe, 35, from Aldridge, West Midlands, part-exchanged her Hyundai IX35 in Derby last April and said, as she did not have the logbook with her, the garage agreed to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of the sale for a £25 charge.

Zoe, who did not want to give her full name, said she "didn't really think much of it" and continued her busy life as a working mum, until about three weeks later letters started arriving.

"I started receiving parking fines, parking charges, police, from councils, all different type of things that were over a few months period," she said.

"They were coming daily."

To begin with, the letters arrived at her father's home in Sutton Coldfield, where she used to live and the car was registered.

More than 100 letters have now arrived, she said, about offences in areas including Manchester, Northampton and Leeds.

"They're all over the place. There are places I've never actually visited," she said.

"I tried to respond to as many as I possibly could," she said. "But obviously with a busy life I didn't manage to respond to all of them."

Zoe contacted the DVLA and discovered it had not been notified.

The dealership, Derbyshire Performance, told the BBC, as Zoe and her partner did not provide a log book, it sent the DVLA a V62 form with a cheque.

"We now believe this got lost in the post and never processed by the DVLA," it said.

"The gentleman who brought the vehicle [on 9 May], insured the vehicle in the office and took the vehicle away along with the new V62 form provided, which is the legal requirement if a logbook is not present."

The firm said after Zoe made contact in late October, it replied with the confirmation of the part exchange.

"We haven't since heard from Zoe so we assumed everything was rectified on her end. If she needs any help or for us to contact any of the companies regarding any of the fines we will happily assist," a spokesperson added.

In October, driving charges brought by West Yorkshire Police, which included alleged speeding on a motorway and in 40mph zones, were withdrawn after going to a magistrates' court.

But letters about parking fines and penalty charges have continued, including threats of legal action.

She has received a DVLA letter acknowledging she was no longer the owner, but said the enforcement companies demanded further proof.

Zoe eventually got a 11-page document from the DVLA, detailing the car's history.

"I've sent proof to all companies but they're not accepting it or leaving me alone. It's causing me a huge amount of stress," she said.

She said debt recovery companies were also "not listening".

Bailiffs from two of the firms went to her father's home seeking payment for hundreds of pounds, she said, but thankfully he was not in.

Zoe added she told one bailiff she no longer lived at the address, but that he did not accept that.

She has lodged an appeal with one debt recovery firm after a demand for £615.

Meanwhile, she said DCBL was pursuing a County Court Judgement (CCJ) against her on behalf of Euro Car Parks.

"They call almost every other day, even though I've explained the situation multiple times," Zoe said of the enforcement firm.

She hopes to move home soon and is particularly worried about getting a CCJ, which could stay on her credit file for six years.

Zoe said she had not paid any of the fines because, as well as not having done anything wrong, it would cost thousands of pounds to pay them all.

"I think what's most frustrating is they're just looking for someone to pay the money and they don't really care where it's coming from," she said.

The CDER Group told the BBC because it received "a high volume of fraudulent claims" about vehicle ownership to evade penalty charges it followed strict rules to obtain sufficient evidence.

It said Zoe had been asked on several occasions to provide documentation including proof of sale and a letter from the DVLA confirming the date she stopped being the car's owner.

The spokeswoman added Zoe was also advised to dispute directly with Transport for London, Manchester City Council and Blackpool Council or via the Traffic Enforcement Centre.

She said Zoe "did not follow this process and therefore enforcement action continued".

"In the circumstances, I have advised our clients that I believe this to be a credible claim" and asked them to consider the documentation provided," she added.

"This has been accepted and I am pleased to confirm that all three warrants have now been withdrawn and no further action will be taken."

The BBC has also contacted two other enforcement companies for a response.

The DVLA said it was sending Zoe a letter which she could present to companies "if she receives any further fines regarding her previous vehicle".

It advised that it was the vehicle keeper's responsibility to tell the DVLA when they buy or sell a vehicle, with the quickest way being its free online service.

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