2 parking tickets - 1 at Claim stage, 1 not

Tallgrass

Hi everyone, and thanks so much for all the invaluable advice on all these pages. I have trawled through the newbies threads and am still a bit unclear on if I can mount a decent defense.

Case 1: June 2017. I unwittingly overstayed a 4 hr parking limit in a private shopping site and having (probably stupidly) ignored all previous correspondence which came from ZZPS, QDR Solicitors and CEL who did send a Letter before Action, believing they would give up, I now have a County Court claim from CEL. I have followed the advice on here and undertaken an online AOS.

So now I need to send in a defence. They originally sent a photo of my vehicle coming in the gate and leaving the gate, but I seem to have lost this paperwork. There were signs everywhere too.

Case 2: Jan 2018. The gym I am a member of now has an operator enforcing their car park. The gym did not make it clear that I had to register my vehicle every time I visited. I thought I simply had to register my vehicle once, which I did. I made an online appeal immediately for this one with Premier Park and they reduced the charge to £10. I was just about to pay this online when it occurred to me that this information (ie that I paid a ticket recently in another private car park (pcnpayments.com website) (albeit because I'm scared of getting another County Court Claim) might be visible to CEL and so they will pursue me harder?

Can anyone help with this in point 2? Could CEL see I've paid Premier Park and if they could, would it make any difference to how CEL persue me through the claims court?

Even though I overstayed in Case 1 (June 17) I understand my defence is that their action has not followed the correct legal protocols so I was basically planning to use the templates here to send in a defence now.The particulars of the claim ARE on the CEL letter, but the claimant is not named only signed by CEL (Claimant's Legal Representative)

Does that look like I am doing all the right things?

Making me nervous as I really did unwittingly overstay in case 1cand really don't want a CCJ.

Should I not pay the reduced Case 2 charge of £10 either? I would pay that to avoid the hassle of another County court claim...

Any advice really gratefully appreciated.

The_Deep

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for alleged breaches of contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, and another company have already been named and shamed, as has Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each year). They nearly always lose, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P.

Hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned.

The problem has become so rampant that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. Watch the video of the Second Reading in the HofC recently.

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/2f0384f2-eba5-4fff-ab07-cf24b6a22918?in=12:49:41

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind most of these companies may well be put out of business by Christmas.

Coupon-mad

Nothing to be scared about with CEL claims, a child could copy an example in crayon and win!

See the NEWBIES thread, and read all the zillions of other CEL claim threads for months. All discontinued when well defended here, as long as you miss no court papers/deadlines.

Could CEL see I've paid Premier Park

No. NEVER.

If you can still pay a tenner, I would.

Tallgrass

Thanks both very much. Reassuring. I've paid the £10 for one so one is off my mind at least.

Coupon-mad

I now have a County Court claim from CEL. I have followed the advice on here and undertaken an online AOS.

Good, now beat the CEL one like everyone else does, by defending and following the court letters. Be ready for this daft letter later:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5811819

All cases are discontinued by CEL when well defended, they are not looking for hearings!