CST Law - Help Please!

Allotment_Lad

Hi Guys,

A newbie on here re the subject line. I have done a lot of reading this morning on this excellent forum re the above, but have not yet arrived at a conclusive plan of action.

Lat year I had a minor car issue, and pulled off the main road onto a pub car park mid-morning. After 20 minutes or so, re-started the car and drove off without realising it was a pay and display car park - I subsequently received a Notice to Owner from Smart Parking demanding £100 which I ignored, and then numerous letters from Debt Recovery Plus, which I also ignored presuming they would just eventually give up. This 'debt' demand was then passed onto Zenith Collections, and then onto Gladstones Solicitors in September - I heard nothing more since that date.

Just over the Christmas holidays, I opened a letter from CST Law which is headed Letter Before Claim and states they are instructed by Debt Recovery Plus (DRP) to commence legal action to recover the amount. One of the paragraphs in the cover letter references Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, which must relate to the enclosed template type forms which relate to answering whether you owe the debt, or owe part of it, and so on. Additionally, there is an Annex 2 Standard Financial Statement questionnaire. Now, as you have gathered, I'm no expert, but this seems to be a lot more serious than the other claims I have received.

From my earlier reading of the forum, I did see somewhere that CST Law are new players in this game.

Can anybody advise the next step for me to take?

If you require additional information by all means just shout and I'll provide anything I can.

Many thanks in advance!

Le_Kirk

You do not need to fill in the financial forms (or any of their forms come to that) and just read the NEWBIE sticky post # 2 about what to do if in receipt of a LBC - assuming it is a proper LBC giving you 30 days to respond or pay.

Umkomaas

I opened a letter from CST Law which is headed Letter Before Claim and states they are instructed by Debt Recovery Plus (DRP) to commence legal action to recover the amount.

DRP cannot take legal action to pursue through the court. The only entity able to do that would be Smart Parking.

Go through the motions of responding to the CST Letter Before Claim as advised in the NEWBIES FAQ sticky, post #2 and let's see if they issue a court claim, which will be very interesting if DRP are shown as the Claimant.

I suspect their LBC is nothing more than a frightener.

BrownTrout

Umkomaas wrote: »

DRP cannot take legal action to pursue through the court. The only entity able to do that would be Smart Parking.

Go through the motions of responding to the CST Letter Before Claim as advised in the NEWBIES FAQ sticky, post #2 and let's see if they issue a court claim, which will be very interesting if DRP are shown as the Claimant.

I suspect their LBC is nothing more than a frightener.

No these are genuine LBCs which are resulting in court claims issued by CST law. I have seen plenty of court claims from this lot now. The claim is for the parking firm issued by CST. Drp not involved in the claim

beamerguy

which is headed Letter Before Claim and states they are instructed by Debt Recovery Plus (DRP) to commence legal action to recover the amount.

Did they actually say that??? as said by Umkomaas, DRP cannot instruct anyone as the principal so called debt belongs to SMART.
DRP are just simpleton weasels sending out used toilet paper

If it did say that, one must assume that CST law are ignorant in the workings of the parking scam

So, bearing this ignorance in mind, has CST added a figure to which you know nothing about ???

BrownTrout

Yes CST add a "late payment charge" on their claim forms

beamerguy

BrownTrout wrote: »

Yes CST add a "late payment charge" on their claim forms

So they are ignorant then ??

BrownTrout

Will be interesting to see how their claims pan out

Hjscott

Hi. Im in exactly the same situation as the above.
Slightly overstayed in a free car park.
Same letter same details Added extra £15 on for time spent and resource facilitating the recovery.

Shall I send a letter back to them as I've seen on other forums?? Pay or ignore again??
So confused I've read so much and don't know what to do ��

Really appreciate any assistance I'll get.
Thanks

Umkomaas

So confused I've read so much and don't know what to do

Please open a new thread of your own rather than taking over another poster's thread for yourself.

Sabbasi

Hi 
I received letter CST LAW. Mention their client DRP  as the agent of Parking Eye ltd instructed to  recover debt. I previously ignored letter from DRP for parking tickets. 
Wonder do i need to worry about this. 
Any help and guidance. I live in London