VCS - Court Claim. Is it worth including a Counter Claim?

KeithP

'To whom it may concern' is a salutation used when you have no idea who you are writing to. For example, you might use those words if you are fixing a notice on a lamppost.
As a formal business letter/email, you should be using Dear Sirs.

Also change Regards to Yours faithfully.

I make no comment on whether sending that letter/email is the right thing to do or not.

D_P_Dance

You do realise I hope that if you pay them the money may go to people smugglers, modern slavers, and grug suppliers.  Please do us all  a favour and fight thiis scam.  

satchy_b

D_P_Dance said:

You do realise I hope that if you pay them the money may go to people smugglers, modern slavers, and grug suppliers.  Please do us all  a favour and fight thiis scam.  

I've already tried to fight it and received a Reserved Judgement which has gone in their favour. So either I settle now or wait for the next hearing when the Judge will likely make me pay anyway, except I'll have wasted half a day's holiday. Scam or not, the Judge on my case doesn't seem to think so.

Umkomaas

I've already tried to fight it and received a Reserved Judgement which has gone in their favour. 

Is that confirmed, or an assumption?

Le_Kirk

satchy_b said:

D_P_Dance said:

You do realise I hope that if you pay them the money may go to people smugglers, modern slavers, and grug suppliers.  Please do us all  a favour and fight thiis scam.  

I've already tried to fight it and received a Reserved Judgement which has gone in their favour. So either I settle now or wait for the next hearing when the Judge will likely make me pay anyway, except I'll have wasted half a day's holiday. Scam or not, the Judge on my case doesn't seem to think so.

Umkomaas said:

I've already tried to fight it and received a Reserved Judgement which has gone in their favour. 

Is that confirmed, or an assumption?

Surely if it is a "reserved judgment" it hasn't been given but has been reserved, i.e. the judge has not made up their mind, at least not publicly!

D_P_Dance

Now is the time to convice this judge that he/she  is mistaken.  As I have said, if the verdict goes against you you can ask otherss to review it.  Many CC Judges are not well versed in this area of law.  

Coupon-mad

I don’t think we should be discussing reserved judgments.  They are confidential until handed down.

satchy_b

Like Coupon-mad says, we shouldn't really be discussing it. All I'll say is that his view point is very clear and I've been advised that it's very unlikely that I will be able to change his mind (without him reviewing all the evidence again, which he isn't going to do...I'm not convinced he did in the first place otherwise he'd have seen other cases that have gone to the court of appeal and found in the defendant's favour).

D_P_Dance said:

Now is the time to convice this judge that he/she  is mistaken.  As I have said, if the verdict goes against you you can ask others to review it.  Many CC Judges are not well versed in this area of law.  

How does one go about getting "others to review it"? I looked up complaining about Judges and that can only be done on grounds of: 

• The use of racist, sexist or offensive language
• Delayed judgment (usually considered to be in excess of three months)
• Misusing judicial status for personal gain or advantage
• Inappropriate use of social media
• Falling asleep in court

They will not investigate: 

• A judge’s decision or order
• Bias in a judge’s decision-making
• A judge making an error of law or procedure, as well as a whole host of other areas...https://www.complaints.judicialconduct.gov.uk/what_can_i_complaint_about/

If I'm not happy about a verdict or a Judge's lack of knowledge I have to appeal, which appears to be very costly. @D_P_Dance do you know how much it costs to appeal? If you have experience of another way of highlighting to someone that a Judge has made the wrong decision I'm all ears but I can't find anything online. 

D_P_Dance

 @D_P_Dance do you know how much it costs to appeal? 

No, why not google it. 

If you think ehat a judge has acted improperly you do not appeal, you complain.   

satchy_b

D_P_Dance said:

 @D_P_Dance do you know how much it costs to appeal? 

No, why not google it. 

If you think ehat a judge has acted improperly you do not appeal, you complain.   

OK so it's not something you've done before then. According to this https://www.gov.uk/guidance/appeal-to-the-court-of-appeal-civil-division it's at least £528 (unless I'm looking in the wrong place). Which is considerably more than any figure I'd pay to settle out of court.

And as explained, a (potentially) wrong judgement can only be appealed - it's not something that someone can complain about. Other than arguably lacking knowledge in this area the Judge hasn't acted improperly, by the Court's definition.