Letter of claim from dcblegal for a PCN

inkghost

Hi there,
I've read through the frequently asked questions but I'm still somewhat confused In what I should do next I have just received a A letter of claim after previously ignoring all letters I was issued with a £50 fine which has since been increased to £100 and then £160 for not displaying a valid permit whilst parked outside My flat . My partner was heavily pregnant and did not use the car for several days at a time so the car was covered in leaves from nearby trees and the parking officer issed us a ticket for not displaying a valid permit. We appealed to them but this was rejected  
I have not seen any photo evidence and I don't want to give these people any money. What are my next steps?

nosferatu1001

FAQ? Do you mean the newbies thread?
You certainly havent been given a fine
Did you get any notices? It sounds as if you did, so why didnt someone log on to view the photos?
So was the windscreen covered in leaves? 
Which Parking Compa ny? NOT DCBL, they are nto the parking company. 

Coupon-mad

Parking firms don't have parking 'officers' or wardens and this is not a fine.

inkghost

Sorry I've wrote this in a hurry and probably hasn't made much sense. 
The letter of claim I received was from DCBLegal acting on behalf of Observices parking consultancy limited stating I have 30 days to pay up.
The offence was in Nov 2018. We didn't log in to see any pictures, I just appealed thinking they would cancel it and when they didn't stuck my head in the sand and ignored it. I presume the windscreen had leaves on it but it certainly wasn't completely covered and the permit would of been visible had he just brushed them aside  

Coupon-mad

It makes sense and is the same as all the other DCBL and Observices threads at the moment.

Your next steps are to read post #2 of the NEWBIES thread (see my signature - no asking for a link to the sticky thread which always drives us mad...) and search the forum for Observices and read the other 2020 threads from people where we've already given advice and people ahev already sent a SAR to Observices and maybe even have defended a court claim.

We win them, this is easy for us but takes some reading for you!

nosferatu1001

Was the drivers identity revealed? Yes or no. 

D_P_Dance

It is not a fine, it is an invoice from an ex-clamper to compensate them for the alleged harm they suffered when you did what you did. We call it a scam. Pay them not a penny unless a judge so orders it.

Nine times out of ten these tickets are scams, so consider complaining to your MP., it can cause the scammer extra costs, and in some cases, cancellation. 

Parliament is well aware of the MO of these private parking companies, many of whom are former clampers, 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 later this year,

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

inkghost

On our appeal to Obervices we referenced it was 'my' parking pemit for 'my car' so I presume they will take that as admission to being the driver ?

nosferatu1001

Well, not really
A car can be driven by anyone insured and with permission of the owner. 

inkghost

So no then, we've never admitted to being the driver. 

Coupon-mad

OK, come back when you've got your SAR and read all the other Observices threads you search for, plus the NEWBIES thread at the top of the forum, post #2 all about pre-and post-court stage and how to win (and about how to word a SAR and where to email it to). 

We know what we are doing and so will you.