PCN - help wanted please

duffyscouse

Hi
I recently picked up a PCN from an IPC approved body (VCS) - I dont dispute parking in the spot BUT the signs state I can park for 30 minutes FREE of charge. However the shop that is closest to the signs (and the one the seemingly enforces everything and has the ANPR cameras attached) states on IT's door I can park there as a customer for up to 1 hour.

I parked up and went to the cnbmcxn mbmcnljs

I appealed to VCS but they state "they are unable to accept my appeal, main reason(s) being : - parking for use of customers only (I was a customer ???). The patrol officer observed the driver park the vehicle and leave the site, when leaving the site they ceased to be a customer of the store/s on site and as such contrary to the advertised T&C's "

I went to the dgdsgds it nowhere states which order I have to visit the shops !

I have a recording taken yesterday whilst buying water that I challenge the times on the till receipt (now 3 hours out) and the shop owner supports this on the recording - I also asked him (and on the recording) - and he confirmed I can park for an hour and visit the shop(s) in ANY order - I actually asked could I visit the next door but one chemist first and then his shop and he assented.

VCS requested my claim - what do you guys suggest please ??

Redx

IGNORE unless you get court papers within 6 years

The_Deep

This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor 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 lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

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 they will be out of business by Christmas.

fisherjim

"Officer" what officer he is an incentivised Muppet working for scammers, you are affording these idiots too much credence.

Of course they rejected your appeal, they are only interested in money, if this ever got to court I would think the judge would laugh at them. In any case the leaving site scam is generally not pursued for reasons I am tired of quoting, but have a chuckle at this:

http://www.davidmarq.com/bama/VCS%20v%20Ibottson.pdf

duffyscouse

Got another invoice for £100 - sent more evidence and contested they knocked it all back - I told them I'd see them in court - what do you reckon are my chances ?

Coupon-mad

99% likely to win any defended court claim if you stick around and take advice throughout, like all posters here who do exactly that right up to the hearing.

In 2017 only 2 well defended cases assisted and coached fully on this forum, were lost.

So far this year, I have a note of two lost, to date (and one was because the wife insisted on admitting she was driving in a case that would have been won on 'no keeper liability' with a Judge who we knew had allowed one weeks before and understood the POFA).

In that time (18 months) we have assisted with waaaay more than 500 cases so the 99% win rate continues, even if a couple more were lost who didn't report the outcome. Losses are extremely rare here; you could not be in a better place than this forum.

And a claim is no biggie, no risk, no CCJ, as long as you don't ignore or miss court papers/directions.

duffyscouse

I have received a County Court letter and I have acknowledged (their letter dates 12/12/2018)

I have filed for dispute of total claim and I believe I have 28 days to submit my case - attached



IN THE COUNTY COURT

CLAIM No: Ehghfhd

BETWEEN:

blah blah blah (Claimant)

-and-

ME (Defendant)
________________________________________

DEFENCE
________________________________________

Background
1. The defendant. Blah blah blah in this Defence are true.

KeithP

What is the Issue Date on your Claim Form?

Is that your real name, three times, in your draft Defence? You would be wise to obliterate that. Similarly your Claim Number.

duffyscouse

Done that - Forgot to do on first edit - Issue Date is 12/12/18

KeithP

duffyscouse wrote: »

Issue Date is 12/12/18

With a Claim Issue Date of 12th December and having done the Acknowledgement of Service in a timely manner, you have until 4pm on Monday 14th January 2019 to file your Defence.

That's almost four weeks away. Loads of time to produce a perfect Defence, but don't leave it to the very last minute.


When you are happy with the content, your Defence should be filed via email as suggested here:

Print your Defence.
1. Sign it and date it.
   
2. Scan the signed document back in and save it as a pdf.
   
3. Send that pdf as an email attachment to CCBCAQ@Justice.gov.uk
   
4. Just put the claim number and the word Defence in the email title, and in the body of the email something like 'Please find my Defence attached'.
   
5. Log into MCOL after a few days to see if the Claim is marked "defended". If not chase the CCBC until it is.
   
6. Do not be surprised to receive a copy of the Claimant's Directions Questionnaire, they are just trying to put you under pressure.
   
7. Wait for your DQ from the CCBC, or download one from the internet, and then re-read post #2 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread to find out exactly what to do with it.

duffyscouse

Ok - so the defence as above isn't good enough ? - can I just scan a signed version and attach it to the case in MCOL ?
thanks for the help - I am sick of their incessant texts and letters, I want to go into the shop and go ape - obvs that's not an option - but would feel less stressful