Letter of Claim from BW Legal: Defence advice

Vancar

Hello community, 

I have recently received an LOC from the wonderful BW Legal on behalf of their lovely clients GXS Services LTD. I have been researching through many threads on here what happens next and how best to deal with it. I emailed Peter Kyle's office (local MP) and no surprise they have had many complaints about both companies and although trying have never had a reply back. I also emailed Shoreham Port Authority with a formal complaint, requested an SAR from GXS LTD without reply yet (no surprises there) so now have to start to build my defence in readiment for court action.

Needless to say that this is a total outrage and the charges are so disproportionate to the so called crime! I know I am stating the obvious. So, before I do put a lot of time into building my defence can I please have some advice on if this is worth defending at all. Keith P and Coupon Mad to name a few have some excellent advice but as many feel that their case maybe different I would like to know what the experts think. 

So my crime: Parked, went onto beach with kids, tried to pay using app and due to mobile network reception had difficulties in processing parking...basically I gave up eventually. I ran back up to signage and read, clearly due to not wanting to leave my children on their own for too long clearly scan read and misinterpreted them although since reading again you can understand how I did that. After all the blurb and nonsense ...Breach of any T&C's the driver is liable...blah blah blah, I misinterpreted the..'Parking charges are to be paid within 28 days....and thought great, I'll do it when I get home! Panic over, get back to kids...avoid drowning. Obviously an hour or so later PCN on windscreen. I was so incensed by the ridiculous cost of fine that I think my children learnt some new vocabulary. Needless to say I now know I did the stupid thing of totally ignoring letters...to this point when I thought I better either pay or understand whether this is worth fighting. 

Over to you, I am 100% willing to go to CC, I want to fight these scoundrels but no point in doing so if I don't have a leg to stand on. Looking forward to hearing some thoughts.

Thanks
Vancar 

Coupon-mad

Why not read the other Shoreham Port case today, which is ahead of you? No need for a defence yet.

As for the LBC, this stage is covered by the NEWBIES FAQS thread second post.

You know I'm fairly local?  I know Shoreham Port and am constantly surprised and saddened that people seek out a car park there, when the streets above the A259 are all free parking.  You never need to use a car park in most parts of Sussex (including Brighton).  The street is where to park, to avoid the local pariahs of OPS, UKCPM and GXS.

I'm the lady on the beach in this show from December:
https://www.channel5.com/show/parking-the-big-con

Vancar

Hello and thank you, so great to have advice and support here. 

I have just read the other Shoreham Port case and will keep a track of it. It does seem there are a lot of is prepared to take this all the way, you mention in some of your other posts that very few actually make it to CC, is it just not worth it for both parties in the end? I assume so and am pretty sure they are trying the heavy handed stuff to scare people into submission. 

I hear what you are saying about parking at Shoreham Basin, annoyingly I usually park in a free road or in my residential zone but my friends convinced me to join them there....still not sure why. I will definitely check out the C5 documentary you were in, thanks for sending through. 

I have read the Newbies Thread and am ready to act further when needed, I take it this becomes about hoping the judge understands that the disproportionate and additional charges help with the case being won by the defendant? 

I'll keep you updated with how things progress, many thanks again.