Letter before claim advice on next steps

Member88

Hello, I've received a letter before claim for my husband and I'm trying to sort through it using the advice on this forum. I'd welcome expert overview on our case to make sure I'm on the right track. 
A brief summary:
I'm the registered keeper of the car PCN was issued against but either hubby or son were driving, can't remember who now. 
I responded stating I wasn't driver, they said I need to name driver to transfer liability and hubby said give his name and we intended on appealing it (realise that we shouldn't have done that now!)
Appealed online but gave no email so that we could get paper letter response as important things tend to get lost amongst the junk in email.
Never got response from appeal and received multiple outstanding debt letters. Didn't respond to any of those.
Now received Letter before Claim. Following advice on here I have put in SAR with parking company and have also emailed their solicitors stating i'm seeking debt advice and to put the case on hold (their debt letter stated I had to respond within 30 days of date on letter but this date was 3 weeks before I received the letter giving me only about 8 days to respond to them).
The solicitors have issued a general acknowledgment of my email but the parking company have not responded. How can I be sure the email has even got to them? The company is UK Car Park management, email I found was dpo@uk-carparkmanagement.co.uk

Do I just wait?

Thank you

Member88

Have now found a different email 
dpo@uk-cpm.com
info@uk-cpm.com
So have sent there. Have flagged that I originally sent a week ago so will they honour that date?

Coupon-mad

Parking firms are not 'honourable' in our experience, so no, they won't.  You are doing the right things as long as all responses are being done in your husband's name as he's the named driver and potential defendant.

What happened when you kicked up a stink with the landowner?

is this an unfair PCN at the place you live? Get angry at the managing agent/housing association or other landowner/retailer and tell them to call their dogs off immediately.

Member88

Hello, unfortunately I don't know who the landowner is. Husband drove into a side road off a main busy road with shops to pick up a pizza. The side road had no signs on the entrance to indicate it is a private parking area. There were double yellow lines at the entrance but no lines further down so our car was stopped for no more than 5 minutes next to the pizza shop where there were no road markings. It was dark so signs weren't visible but when we visited after getting the PCN, there are signs on the wall a little further down from where we parked. They only state no parking but not exactly where. The pizza shop couldn't advise who the road belongs to either.

Trainerman

They only state no parking but not exactly where.                           

Are you sure that is all they say?? What was the PCN for?

Member88

PCN stated "Parking on the Roadway". I will try to post a picture of the sign

Member88

Sorry the image is a bit blurry my phone camera wasn't great when I took it

Member88

Also to add, the car wasn't actually parked. Engine was still running and someone was sitting in the passenger seat. Another car came into the road and blocked ours in front for a couple of minutes. All in all, the car was there for 6 minutes according to their CCTV images

Coupon-mad

Ok.  Read about twenty court claim threads so you are familiar with what to take seriously and how easy these are to defend.

Member88

How soon after the 30 days are up that we'll get a court summons? For the solicitors the 30 days will be one day before we get back from holiday at start of August and for the parking company it'll be 30 days from today now. I'm worried I might miss something while we are away.

Coupon-mad

You will never get a court summons. It's not a criminal court.  You mean a claim. Won't be straight away. Late August, or even later.

Relax and enjoy your holiday!