02-11-2026, 02:48 PM
Hi @rhbmcse. I did have a quick look at the thread over on FTLA and as you have noted the POPLA appeal was unsuccessful, as predicted.
Not to worry. The POPLA decision is not binding on you. POPLA is often described as “independent”, but it is not independent in the way an ordinary person would understand that word.
It is not a court. It is not a statutory tribunal. It was not created by Parliament. It exists because the British Parking Association (BPA) needs its members to provide a second-stage appeal in order to retain access to DVLA keeper data.
POPLA is owned and operated by Trust Alliance Group Limited, a private limited company. It is not a public body. It is not a judicial authority. It is a commercial entity providing an alternative dispute resolution service under contract. In corporate terms, POPLA is simply a trading arm within a private company structure. It is funded through the private parking industry and exists to service that industry’s regulatory requirements. That is why it cannot properly be described as institutionally independent. It forms part of the same commercial ecosystem as the operators whose decisions it reviews.
When POPLA rejects an appeal, nothing legally binding has happened. No judge has ruled. No debt has been created. No liability has been established in law. The motorist remains fully entitled to defend the matter in court, where a genuinely independent judge will consider the case from the beginning.
So while POPLA may present itself as independent, it is in reality a privately owned ADR service operating within, and funded by, the private parking industry. Only a court can determine liability.
For now, you can safely ignore any and all debt recovery letters that will start to come your way. Debt collectors are powerless to actually do anything except to try and intimidate the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree into paying out of ignorance and fear. They are not a party to any contract allegedly breached by the driver. They are powerless. Ignore.
Eventually, you will likely receive a Letter of Claim (LoC). This will most likely be from a bulk litigation firm, probably DCB Legal. When you receive that LoC, then come back, show it to us and we will give you a suitable response.
Not to worry. The POPLA decision is not binding on you. POPLA is often described as “independent”, but it is not independent in the way an ordinary person would understand that word.
It is not a court. It is not a statutory tribunal. It was not created by Parliament. It exists because the British Parking Association (BPA) needs its members to provide a second-stage appeal in order to retain access to DVLA keeper data.
POPLA is owned and operated by Trust Alliance Group Limited, a private limited company. It is not a public body. It is not a judicial authority. It is a commercial entity providing an alternative dispute resolution service under contract. In corporate terms, POPLA is simply a trading arm within a private company structure. It is funded through the private parking industry and exists to service that industry’s regulatory requirements. That is why it cannot properly be described as institutionally independent. It forms part of the same commercial ecosystem as the operators whose decisions it reviews.
When POPLA rejects an appeal, nothing legally binding has happened. No judge has ruled. No debt has been created. No liability has been established in law. The motorist remains fully entitled to defend the matter in court, where a genuinely independent judge will consider the case from the beginning.
So while POPLA may present itself as independent, it is in reality a privately owned ADR service operating within, and funded by, the private parking industry. Only a court can determine liability.
For now, you can safely ignore any and all debt recovery letters that will start to come your way. Debt collectors are powerless to actually do anything except to try and intimidate the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree into paying out of ignorance and fear. They are not a party to any contract allegedly breached by the driver. They are powerless. Ignore.
Eventually, you will likely receive a Letter of Claim (LoC). This will most likely be from a bulk litigation firm, probably DCB Legal. When you receive that LoC, then come back, show it to us and we will give you a suitable response.
Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience. - Mark Twain
