A mum-of-two has been hit with an £850 fine and threatened to be taken to county court by an "aggressive" parking firm.
Faye Verburg told the ECHO she was set to be debt-free by next year - but now will not be able to access any credit for the next five years after the ordeal with Vehicle Control Services.
Ms Verburg, 34, accumulated five consecutive fines for parking outside the JD Gym in Innovation Park as she believed the parking to be free.
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She told the ECHO she didn't know there were parking restrictions when she joined the gym - and only realised five days later when JD put a sign in their front window.
But by this time, Ms Verburg had accumulated five fines from the private parking firm that operated the car park in front of the gym.
However, despite the fines coming in July 2021, the mum-of-two claims she was not contacted by Vehicle Control Services in regard to recovery requests for 90 days.
She also said the requests were originally sent to her previous address.
Ms Verburg said the ordeal has been an "absolute nightmare" as she's had to sacrifice her financial status to ensure the matter doesn't go for judgement in county court.
She also said Vehicle Control Services have been "rude and demanding" since she first contacted them to resolve the issue - and claims the company have sent debt collectors to her house and her ex-partner's.
Ms Verburg, currently living in Tuebrook, told the ECHO : "I'm in a financial situation where they've had to consolidate my credit card and loans which I had under control.
"I was going to be debt free in a year but now with these parking fines I've had to spread repayments over 60 months to avoid CCJs.
"I've had to put myself back in a financial situation where I can't get any credit facilities at the age of 34.
"I'm a good person - I don't get into these kinds of situations. I pay my debts."
Ms Verburg said she got a final demand in December which was put on hold because of the Christmas period.
She was told she could either pay £500 at once or enter into the repayment plan that would see her repay the money over the next five years.
She also claims the contact she's had with Vehicle Control Services has been "aggressive."
She said: "They've been really aggressive, really demanding.
"They've denied they've sent anyone out but people have knocked twice at my ex's and when he said I wasn't there anyone I had someone knock on mine.
"My boys told me there was a man at the door but I don't know who else it would be as no one knows where I live.
"I work, I've always paid everything on time - I've been that good citizen.
"I think it was sly as I parked there in July but wasn't told until the end of October.
"They said they're in their rights to do that and can send it out within a period of six months.
"If it was the council I'd have got something within 48 hours and it could have just been dealt with.
"But they've left it to the point where they've seen if they can accumulate as much money as possible."
Ms Verburg contacted the ECHO to make more people aware of how common being fined by private parking firms is.
She said: "It's such a common thing and it's happening across the nation.
"You don't think you'll go to your local gym and be hit with a £850 fine.
"It's just the aggressiveness they've gone about it.
"I've lost sleep thinking about if I put myself in the financial situation where I can't access credit or do I risk going to court?
"I shouldn't have to do that to just avoid CCJs in a situation that could have been avoided in the first place."
A representative for Vehicle Control Services Ltd told the ECHO : "Parking at Liverpool Innovation Business Park is restricted and controlled for the exclusive use of the Business Park tenants, their staff and authorised visitors, whose vehicles are permitted to park on site via an electronic permit system.
"The JD Sports Gym which is present within the overall site development has provision for gym members to park in the Liverpool Innovation Retail Park, which is shared with a number of retailers and where parking provisions allow for up to 3 hours parking for customers visiting the stores.
"JD Sports is aware of the requirement that gym members have no rights to park in the Business Park and this has been communicated and advertised to gym members both in the gym and through communications given around site.
"When the contravention occurred we went through a stringent verification process to identify that the vehicle was not registered with one of the authorised tenant users, before requesting the Registered Keeper details from the DVLA.
"The notices were issued to the registered address for the legal keeper of the vehicle.
"It is a legal requirement that vehicle keepers maintain their current address on record with the DVLA at all times.
"The address we were given was the address that the DVLA held on file for Miss Verburg and if that was the incorrect address then this was a direct result of her failing to notify the DVLA.
Since the notices were unchallenged they progressed to debt recovery, which is where the matter now sits.
"A considerable discount has been offered to Miss Verburg to conclude the matter, but we are satisfied that the notices were issued correctly and Miss Verburg is responsible for the charges incurred."
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