Old PCN - help please

Joe_Bear

Hi,
I wonder if someone could offer me some advice please?
We received a PCN from October 2012, for parking in a Co-Op carpark longer than the specified time limit.
Due to advice that was around at the time, we ignored all the letters from Civil Enforcement Ltd and subsequently Debt Enforcement and Action Ltd.
we have now received a letter from the County Court Money Claims Centre about registering a claim against us, and requesting payment of £215!
We have done all our research into these shoddy companies, and know the score with them.
But, we have not followed the advised process, and this is where I need a bit of help.
Most of the advice says to take a 'soft' approach from when you received the PCN. Are we too late to start contacting the Co-Op etc. we also never contacted the parking company and got a POPLA number, is it too late to request this?
We have to return the Court form pretty soon. we are disputing the charge and will fill in the form accordingly.

Thank you very much in advance, for any advice.

Fruitcake

There is a section in the NEWBIES thread about what to do if you have received court papers. This is the best place to start. You can also download a guide from the Parking Prankster which is very useful.


Make sure you don't miss any deadlines.

Coupon-mad

Yep, hope you read post #5 of the Newbies thread, all links (you may need to revisit this at various stages):

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=64350600&postcount=5

And put 'DEAL CEL' into the 'search this forum' heading above the sticky threads on page one of this sub-forum, and you should find the threads about this including someone who posted their defence up only yesterday. I will not link the case from yesterday, although I could find it by searching - I deliberately always suggest newbies do their own searches so they can then search for other terms, successfully, later (and then they are forum savvy and can use any forum in future in the way it works best). You will not pay a penny as long as you defend and if there is a hearing, turn up. Keep a record of YOUR costs from now on, receipts for postage, everything you can claim if you have to waste your time going to a hearing (CEL almost certainly won't show).