Small Claims Hearing HELP!!

deedot27

Hello

I'm hoping that this community will be able to help me as I prepare for my small claims hearing on a parking charge notice. Sadly I didn't know about the help available early enough and have been using a company to help with my correspondence throughout the process so far. They seem to have done an alright job but reading through all the threads here I think I can probably get better help through this forum.

Background information about the charge;
My car broke down and I had it towed to the road closest to my mechanics. The car was dropped on a one way side road. No pavement, road markings or signage on the side of the road it was parked on. (Going back to the site I saw that there is signage on the left side of the road although somewhat obscured and could easily be interpreted as only in relation to left side of the road and not the right side where my car was parked and not obstructing access into this road.) After some days my mechanic said I had received a ticket. I can be an anxious person and so I paid the ticket and subsequently had the car scrapped as it could not be repaired. I continued to get letters re: parking charge and so i messaged the company to say I had paid the charge and should not be getting harassed by their letters. Only to find out I had received a second fine the next day which I had been unaware of as to my knowledge the car had been scrapped by the mechanic. This is the fine I have been fighting.

As mentioned above I have been using a company which has done passably well directing me on what to do etc. From reading the forums they have been following the advised steps in the forum.

I am now at the stage of going to small claims court on 11th January and I am worried that my defence was not written as robustly as many of the ones I came across trolling through this forum. I am also reading things about witness statements, McKenzie friend, Bundles etc and getting incredible confused and worked up about the whole process.

Please someone help.

i would post the defence here but can't seem to figure that out either

Any help and support would be so much appreciated

Thank you in advance

beamerguy

I am puzzled, you say that company "seem to have done an alright job" How has it now got to the court stage ??

The_Deep

and could easily be interpreted as only in relation to left side of the road and not the right side where my car was parked

As is normal with Council Tickets.

Small claims Courts are nothing to get anxious about, not a bit like that hissy fit drama queen Rob Rinder's programme.

Why were you unaware of the second invoice, (it is not a fine)? Did you not read the invoices properly?





.;?s

Coupon-mad

Sadly I didn't know about the help available early enough and have been using a company to help with my correspondence throughout the process so far. They seem to have done an alright job

Oh please don't...

Did you look them up on TrustPilot?

deedot27

@beamerguy I suppose I say they have done an alright job because so far their directions have been in line with the suggestions I've been reading in the forum e.g. going for an oral hearing and not accepting Gladstone's suggestion of out of court. The defence they've written also looks alright using some of the defence stated in ones I've read on this forum, it just doesn't read as robustly in my opinion.

Honestly I wish I had found this place much early but what's done is done. They have been corresponding with me well which I suppose is a positive but now knowing I could have done it all myself is annoying. But gotta just move forwards now.

@coupon-mad They were suggested to me by a friend.

@The Deep. Exactly. I've been caught out by that council one before where I only saw the signs for across the road which was pay to park. I paid to park but parked on the residents permit side unaware that the two sides of the road have different expectations. Man was I furious when I got the ticket. Which again I paid. But I'm sick of this now and really do not want to pay this one.
You are right. I did not read the 'invoice' numbers correctly. Just saw a letter and assumed it was referring to the one already paid. I thought they were attempting to charge me twice. It was after emailing them that they clarified that the invoice numbers were different.

Coupon-mad

@coupon-mad They were suggested to me by a friend.

You didn't answer my question. Some friend...why would anyone do that?

deedot27

Coupon-mad wrote: »

You didn't answer my question. Some friend...why would anyone do that?

It was a family friend who I told about the ticket and said she knows of someone who works for a company that can help you with tickets. She was just trying to help. She gave me their details and I contacted them via their website and the rest is history.

Does that answer the question or Did you want me to tell you the company website....???

Thanks

Coupon-mad

she knows of someone who works for a company that can help you with tickets.

No such company exists that would be worth even looking at, let alone handing your data to.

Did you yet check them on TrustPilot and see what you are caught up in?

No we do not want the advertising of the company website thanks, can't be letting newbies think it's a valid option.

deedot27

Coupon-mad wrote: »

No such company exists that would be worth even looking at, let alone handing your data to.

Did you yet check them on TrustPilot and see what you are caught up in?

No we do not want the advertising of the company website thanks, can't be letting newbies think it's a valid option.

I imagined you wouldn't want their address so as not to confuse others

I did not check them out on trust pilot (sadly). I did a quick check now and they have one very god review which I am not stupid I know could easily be them. They have no other reviews there at all.

Is there any advice on how to move forwards now. The mistake has been made and I am now at small claims stage. I see that there is good winning rate using the advice on these forums and it would be great to also be one of those successful stories.

Thanks

Coupon-mad

They have no other reviews there at all.

Eh? We are talking about the same firm? Yes they do. Unless you are talking about their *new and recycled* 'trading as' company.

You've already put in a defence they wrote, so can you show it here or will they prevent you from sharing their IP?

beamerguy

deedot27 wrote: »

It was a family friend who I told about the ticket and said she knows of someone who works for a company that can help you with tickets. She was just trying to help. She gave me their details and I contacted them via their website and the rest is history.

Does that answer the question or Did you want me to tell you the company website....???

Thanks

Guess the friend was wrong then, shame you were left in the lurch like this. This forum often picks up the pieces like yours

Best put this in the past and now tell us what and why your defence will be