Horizon parking court claim

winner1111

Hello Everyone!

I am completely new here so please do forgive me if I'm not doing something correctly, I promise I will learn!

I'll get straight to the point.
The keeper of our previous vehicle received a 'Claim Form' from the County Court Business Centre in Northampton this month. It is from Horizon, in conjunction with Gladstones Solicitors.
Now, the 'breach' was recorded in a retail park in mid 2017 (I am being vague with dates on purpose). After reading a few of your other posts, we sent off the AoS but are now not sure what to do. It looks like we need to email/write letters to each of the retailers we can remember visiting 2 years ago, but we have no memory of what we bought/where we browsed etc. The parking limit is 4 hours and there is no information as to the overstay period since all previous PCN's and debt collector letters were ignored and thrown away.

Would you please be able to advise on or point us towards what to do next? It would be truly appreciated so we can build our defence in good time.

Many thanks in advance.
winner1111

waamo

You are way beyond the writing letters stage now. You need to construct a defence. It may, however, help if you send a SAR to Horizon.

What is the issue date on the form and did it come from Northampton?

The_Deep

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams so consider complaining to your MP.

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, and on 15th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these shysters. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up, and access to the DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers, but until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/8/contents/enacted

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these Private Parking Companies.

Le_Kirk

After reading a few of your other posts, we sent off the AoS but are now not sure what to do.

Do you mean you filled it in with a pen and posted it to the CCBC at Northampton or (hopefully) you completed it online using MCOL? Whichever way, you now need to go to the NEWBIE sticky and read post # 2 to find out about: -
1. Defences, and how to compile them and there are 17 pre-written examples from which to choose.
2. What happens during the post defence stage, i.e. DQ and witness statement.

winner1111

Thank you Waamo, what would I do with the information they potentially get back to me with? Is it correct that this costs £10 to carry out? If this is required then I will do it, I just don't know what I need it for. Please shed some light on this for me, thank you very much!

waamo

winner1111 wrote: »

Thank you Waamo, what would I do with the information they potentially get back to me with? Is it correct that this costs £10 to carry out? If this is required then I will do it, I just don't know what I need it for. Please shed some light on this for me, thank you very much!

It's free. The information may be useful in constructing a defence. If it is no use it hasn't cost anything.

Can you answer the earlier question I asked please?

winner1111

The_Deep wrote: »

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams so consider complaining to your MP.

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, and on 15th March 2019 a Bill was enacted to curb the excesses of these shysters. Codes of Practice are being drawn up, an independent appeals service will be set up, and access to the DVLA's date base more rigorously policed, persistent offenders denied access to the DVLA database and unable to operate.

Hopefully life will become impossible for the worst of these scammers, but until this is done you should still complain to your MP, citing the new legislation.

Just as the clampers were finally closed down, so hopefully will many of these Private Parking Companies.

Thank you The Deep, I have just done that.

winner1111

Le_Kirk wrote: »

Do you mean you filled it in with a pen and posted it to the CCBC at Northampton or (hopefully) you completed it online using MCOL? Whichever way, you now need to go to the NEWBIE sticky and read post # 2 to find out about: -
1. Defences, and how to compile them and there are 17 pre-written examples from which to choose.
2. What happens during the post defence stage, i.e. DQ and witness statement.

Much appreciated Le_Kirk

I completed the form with pen and posted it back.
Pardon my ignorance as I'm totally new on here but how do I navigate to the 'NEWBIE sticky' please?! I'm not even sure what that is? Thank you in advance.

winner1111

waamo wrote: »

You are way beyond the writing letters stage now. You need to construct a defence. It may, however, help if you send a SAR to Horizon.

What is the issue date on the form and did it come from Northampton?

The issue date is 08/08/2019 and yes, it's from Northampton.

KeithP

winner1111 wrote: »

The issue date is 08/08/2019 and yes, it's from Northampton.

I know you have said you filled in a form and posted it back to the CCBC, but I am going to suggest that you do the Acknowledgement of Service again - this time online following the guidance below. Posted forms have a habit of getting lost or misfiled - belt and braces stuff.


With a Claim Issue Date of 8th August, you have until Tuesday 27th August to do the Acknowledgement of Service, but there is nothing to be gained by delaying it. To do the AoS, follow the guidance offered in a Dropbox file linked from post #2 of [URL="https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread[/URL]. About ten minutes work - no thinking required.

Having done the AoS, you have until 4pm on Tuesday 10th September 2019 to file your Defence.

That's nearly four weeks away. Plenty of time to produce a Defence, but please don't leave it to the 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 "defence received". If not chase the CCBC until it is.
   
6. Do not be surprised to receive an early copy of the Claimant's Directions Questionnaire, they are just trying to keep you under pressure.
   
7. Wait for your DQ from the CCBC, or download one from the internet, and then re-read post #2 of [URL="https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4816822NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread[/URL] to find out exactly what to do with it.

pogofish

winner1111 wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance as I'm totally new on here but how do I navigate to the 'NEWBIE sticky' please?! I'm not even sure what that is? Thank you in advance.

This was all fully explained in the basic posting guide you clearly confirmed having read and understood as part of your signup - in fact it impressed on you the importance of reading stickies before posting in order to avoid going through the same basics over and over again.

It would also inform you to a level where you can be helped much more effectively because you would already have a basic understanding of the scam, process and where you are in it.

Please go back and read it now - the link is at the top of every page.