Gladstone Solicitors request special direction - case to be dealt on paper alone

guess_hu

Hi again, so I submitted my defence and I have now received a letter from Gladstone solicitors stating:

Their clients intention is to proceed with the claim.

(They have sent me a copy of their clients completed directions questionnaire)

They intend to request a special direction that the case to be dealt with on papers alone and without the need for an oral hearing

The request is sought simply because the matter is in their Client's opinion relatively straightforward and the costs incurred by both parties for attending an oral hearing would be disproportionate.

You will note our client has elected not to mediate. Its decision is not meant to be in any way obstructive and is based purely on experience, as mediation has rarely proven beneficial in these types of cases. Notwithstanding this, our client would be happy to listen to any genuine payment proposal that I wish to put forward.

P.g 2 is a request for special direction pursuant to PD27 (2.4)

We Kindly request that the court send the Nq59 form (a redacted example of which is attached) to the defendant for their consideration and, upon the defendant consenting to the case being heard on the papers alone, the Judge makes the following direction;

"The marker will b e considered on paperwork without a hearing. The parties attendance is not required and the Judge will determine the matter based upon the documents and evidence supplied and any written representations received."


From here there are more pages which looks like a filled out Directions Questionnaire by Gladstone themselves on which they expect me to copy.

My question is, is this an attempt to try and claim against me with minimal costs to themselves? Should I proceed to court or what is the best direction for me to take now as I can't find much on situations like this.

Redx

read the BARGEPOLE advice that you missed in post #2 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread, as this question has been answered hundreds or thousands of times

KeithP

guess_hu, why have you started a second thread?

Please copy your question above on to your existing thread and allow this thread to wither and die.

Please do not start a new thread every time you think of a question.

Thanks.

The_Deep

GH, you need to get your ducks in a row here. This is a self-help forum, and if people think that you are not making an effort to find out stuff yourself, they will devote their times to other who will.

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

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, and others have already been named and shamed in the House of Commons as have Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each week, hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned. They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

The problem has become so widespread that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. It has even been suggested that some of these companies have links with organised crime.

Watch the video of the Second Reading and committee stage in the House of Commons recently. MPs have a very low opinion of this industry.

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

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-07-19/debates/2b90805c-bff8-4707-8bdc-b0bfae5a7ad5/Parking(CodeOfPractice)Bill(FirstSitting)

and complain in the most robust terms to your MP. With a fair wind they will be out of business by in the not too distant future..rh