County Court Business Centre - Parking Awareness Services

Equito

Hi All,
I received the letter from County Court Business Center as a defendant and the claimant is Parking Awareness Services.

Situation was similar to plenty of other ones on this forum. I found parking on my one day trip to Blackpool, paid for it and a few months later I received a letter saying my car was not in lines (Passat CC) and I have to pay some ridicules money for it. In my opinion it was fraud and scam so I ignored it. 

But court now sounds really serious, so I guess it's gonna be useful to ask what to do?

In the letter I received:
- General Directions Order with note  "This order has been made without a hearing unders the Court's case management powers contained in the Civil Procedure rules Part 3 etc"
- Notice of Proposed Allocation to the Small Claims Track
- Directions questionnaire (Small Claims Track)

In the past I gave them my defence statement, but it was nothing like your Newbies Guide, I just told them that I don't feel I did something wrong, and I feel that "Debtlogic" and "bw legal" who contacted me before are scam and fraud companies. 

My question is what to do now? I don't really want to get in to mediation as I don't feel guilty. Asking to pay £260 pounds for parking I have paid for? No way.

Le_Kirk

Did you at any time read the NEWBIE sticky?  This contains the process from receipt of PCN, through appealing and finally court action.  It explains what you must do and when.  Did the ORDER tell you by when you must submit your witness statement (WS) and evidence?  Post here your FULL defence statement.  If it is only what you have put in your OP, you have a real job to try and rescue the situation with your WS.

Equito

I found your forum yesterday, from some google reviews about the court. Never before got situation like this and i never thought it will end up in court.

I will try to log in to get my defence statement, and i will post over here.

I understand that probably i lost my chance, but it is so painful to pay money to scammers.

Equito

Notice of Proposed Allocation to the Small Claims Track

3. You must by 25 September 2020 complete Small Claims Directions Questionnaire  (Form N180) and file it with the Office court and serve copies on all other parties*.

How can i know how to serve other parties?

KeithP

Equito said:

Notice of Proposed Allocation to the Small Claims Track

3. You must by 25 September 2020 complete Small Claims Directions Questionnaire  (Form N180) and file it with the Office court and serve copies on all other parties*.

How can i know how to serve other parties?

The 'other party' is the Claimant. The Claimant's address for serving documents is stated on your County Court Claim Form.

Guidance on how to answer every question on your Directions Questionnaire is given in Bargepole's 'what happens when' post linked from the second post of the NEWBIES thread.

Coupon-mad

You can rescue this if you now just read the NEWBIES thread 2nd post and do the next stages properly.

Also, this is vital:

Please now make a real difference - A TASK FOR SEPTEMBER.

The Government is (this month only) consulting about a new statutory code of practice (CoP) and framework to rein in the rogue parking firms.  Read and comment on the draft CoP proposal and the enforcement framework consultation, and get everyone you know to do the same.

You will need to register to comment on the CoP and enter an occupation even if you are retired or a homemaker, but otherwise it is easy to navigate, and comment upon each section/subsection individually. You can save comments to edit later and or submit comments once you are happy with them.

https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/projects/2020-00193#/section

You do not need to register to comment on the enforcement framework which can be found here. It has a link on page 5 to make comments.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/913272/Code_Enforcement_Framework_consultation.pdf

At the very least, we say the parking charge level should be £50/£25 or higher level £70/£35, as per Council PCNs in E&W.  

And we say the added fake 'debt recovery' costs are just double counting the cost of letters, and MUST GO because that is unfair and illegal.

Please be heard.  You can bet the hundreds of PPCs will be commenting.

No apologies for repeating this vital 'call for action' to consumers, on every thread this month!

D_P_Dance

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.