Advice re DCBL letters please

Oceans2021

Thank you!

Once I receive replies, or a court claim, will I still have the option to pay the £160? I don’t think I’d have the time or ability to manage the stress of preparing for, and going to court! 

D_P_Dance

Why would you pay the unlawfully added  £60?  

Oceans2021

D_P_Dance said:

Why would you pay the unlawfully added  £60?  

Unlawfully added £100… I definitely don’t want to but feel like I don’t have the time and anxiety levels for this. 

Roz

patient_dream

Oceans2021 said:

D_P_Dance said:

Why would you pay the unlawfully added  £60?  

Unlawfully added £100… I definitely don’t want to but feel like I don’t have the time and anxiety levels for this. 

Roz

The parking ticket for £100 is legal but a scam

Now Roz .. you are involved and are you really going to give in to scammers who target Nurses, OAP's, disabled etc.

All the members on here would trash DCBL in a court because all their claims are rubbish.
Even DCBL are beginning to understand it

SO .... listen to those on here or  bow down to a scam, your money, your call

One last thing to consider. one MP in the House of Commons said that parking companies could be involved in drugs.

Oceans2021

You’re right, thanks for bringing me back to reality! I’m certainly willing to put up a good fight, but hate the stress of situations like this!   

Coupon-mad

No one goes to court now.  These hearings are by phone and many cases are discontinued, so victims win without any hearing on this forum, very often  You can do this!

Oceans2021

Thanks for the support, it’s very much needed and appreciated! 

The things I’m most concerned about going forward are:
- The fact that I recall appealing the PCN at the time but can’t remember what I said and obviously concerned I spoke as the driver (the SAR will reveal this I imagine)
- The fact that I don’t think I displayed a permit/ticket
- The fact that DCB Legal have sent me photos of my car on the day of the PCN being issued and I can’t find much to criticise. In one of the photos, you can see the parking restrictions plaque in the background. They have also sent a photo of the plaque taken on the day but the words are illegible due to the camera quality so they’ve sent a computerised version. Can this be where I have a defence?
Also, I imagine the overarching defence is the fact that I have been charged unlawful fees?

Any guidance would be really great. Thanks so much!! 

Roz

Umkomaas

Telling us the name of the parking firm might help us to give you an indication as to how likely this will get as far as a court hearing. Some PPCs use the process as debt collection leverage and melt away when their rather empty threat fails to prise the money they crave; others will go the full distance. 

Oceans2021

Umkomaas said:

Telling us the name of the parking firm might help us to give you an indication as to how likely this will get as far as a court hearing. Some PPCs use the process as debt collection leverage and melt away when their rather empty threat fails to prise the money they crave; others will go the full distance. 

Hi! The parking firm is UK Parking Control Ltd (UKPC). Praying this is one of those melters! 

Umkomaas

Oceans2021 said:

Umkomaas said:

Telling us the name of the parking firm might help us to give you an indication as to how likely this will get as far as a court hearing. Some PPCs use the process as debt collection leverage and melt away when their rather empty threat fails to prise the money they crave; others will go the full distance. 

Hi! The parking firm is UK Parking Control Ltd (UKPC). Praying this is one of those melters! 

UKPC have been rather reluctant litigants over the years, seemingly only pursuing multiple tickets to court - generally >£600 worth. Their preferred solicitors have been SCS Law. 

The use of DCB Legal is a more recent phenomenon and I'm not sure we have seen any UKPC cases progress as far as court yet. But as there is around a 3-4 month processing period (sometimes more) between the issue of the Letter Before Claim and an actual court hearing, perhaps this is to be expected. 

I'm sure that DCBL will have been swamping PPCs with 'offers' to pursue back catalogue cases of non-payments during this covid-related period of famine for PPC world, primarily in a debt collection capacity, but with the added threat of the use of their legal arm to crank the rack to 'encourage' more to comply. One that UKPC seem to have decided to 'give it a go'.

While it remains to be seen if these UKPC cases will proceed as far as court hearings, it is important that you follow all the essential steps, and to time, as required by the process. 

As an aside, court cases we've seen on the forum for other PPCs represented by DCBL have been poorly presented (lots of generic templates cobbled together) and have not been particularly successful. Plenty for you to feel confident enough of seeing this through successfully.