CCJ from CE Ltd to a courier whilst delivering

Prithvi

First and foremost i would like to thank everyone in here for their input.
This blog is very very helpful. I wish i had come across it earlier, like 3 years earlier when i was working as a courier. Saying that i have just managed to appeal with Smart Parking as well with help of the information available here. Information collated and provided by Coupon Mad, Red X and many more have been really instrumental in relieving stress from our daily life.

However, i have hit a glitch in my first case. All fault to my part for not researching enough and accepting the information (old) available on youtube. This happened when i was working as a courier. I was delivering items to residents and business in the area. Due to the design of the infrastructure, i was not able park on the street as it has traffic lights, single yellow lines & bus lanes. So i used the space which is managed by CEL. I had used this space to park and deliver before as well and never received a PCN. However on this occasion i had large deliveries of 3 different addresses in the same area. 1 was a resident, second was a business and the 3rd was a care home resident (Old lady). All the of the items needed signature on delivery. No option of leaving with a neighbour or safe place. I did not take notice at the time however a week later i received a PCN from CEL. It stated that i had been parked for approximately 17 minutes without paying. I spoke to my manager at the time for which he wrote a letter of confirmation stating i worked for the company and was delivering to the addresses in the area. He even noted the addresses along with the times of delivery (only postcode excluding names and full details). As with everyone CEL declined my appeal.

I researched about the firm online and found out of their ways. I took on the initial recommendation of rejecting their threats(very stupid of me)...also neglected the form from CCBC in Northampton(Another stupidity). Now i have been served with a default CCJ which i found out about 2 weeks before.
I have been going/searching through threads whereby a courier has had a similar incident to understand his defence but found nothing as to set this default judgement aside. Hoping that CEL would understand i have called them as well but have had no response.

I have the n244 form ready but dont know where to send it, arguments to prepare, dont know if i even have a chance to defend infront of the judge...

Any suggestion in this case would be helpful...

The_Deep

Read what an MP said recently about Smart Parking in the House of commons.

Pete Wishart (SNP, Perth):

"I am sick and tired of receiving emails from people complaining about the behaviour of parking companies, telling me that they will never again visit Perth city centre because of the negative experience they had when they had the misfortune to end up in a car park operated by one of these companies. I have received more complaints about one car park in the city of Perth than about any other issue. That car park is operated by the lone ranger of the parking cowboys: the hated and appalling Smart Parking—I see that many other Members are unfortunate enough to have Smart Parking operating in their constituencies. It has reached the stage where one member of my staff now spends a good part of each day just helping my constituents and visitors to my constituency to navigate the appeals process.
…
The BPA does not have the ability to regulate these companies and has shown no sign whatsoever that it is trying to get on top of some of the sharper practices. The BPA gives a veneer of legitimacy to some of the more outlandish rogue operators by including them in their membership, allowing them to continue to operate. The Bill will oblige operators such as Smart Parking to amend their practices."

and complain to your own MP

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. Is has been suggested by an MP that some of these companies may have connections to organised crime.

Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, (especially 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 become so widespread that MPs agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers. It has cleared Parliament and hopefully, this will become law shortly.

KeithP

Ignoring the Claim Form was not a good idea.

That alone means you have an almost impossible task to get a set aside.

You would be wise to consider paying what the court asks.

You haven't given dates, but perhaps you can pay it without having a Judgment remaining on your credit record for six years.

Prithvi

Hi KeithP,

I reached that decision too and hence i called but got no response and started searching for solutions again...have called them 3 times already..as for the dates i received a PCN in Oct 2017 and i found out i had a CCJ from oct 2018 just few weeks back..!!! Hopefully there is something...!!!

Thank you for responding nonetheless!!

Coupon-mad

i found out i had a CCJ from oct 2018 just few weeks back..!!! Hopefully there is something

Well yes - the set aside section of the NEWBIES thread second post.

Prithvi

Thank you very much Coupon-mad... ill have a read through it again tonight to see if there is anything i may have missed... the amount of information is overwhelming!!! however i think its good have a clean credit history!!!