Claim form received for UK PCL parking fine. What do I do please?

Lread1

Hello, I have tried to read and understand the newbies post etc but to be honest, I am so overwhelmed at the minute with it all, I would like to explain my situation and really appreciate some urgent help.

I have today 11/11/22 received a claim letter.
claimant: UK parking control 
address for documents and payments is: DCB Legal.

This claim relates to 2 parking charges, in November 2019 in my previous address.

Where I lived was a block of flats on a private road,we are allocated 1 parking space per flat. 

On these 2 occasions I got a ticket for parking on the verge on the road (May I add it didn’t cause any issues for drivers in the location I was parked and other cars  were parked there too, who did not get a ticket) Reason for me being parked on the verge were,1st time: someone was in my space and the visitors spaces were full and the next place to park is a 2/3 minute drive from my flat and then a 5 minute walk or so back. I also at this time had a 9 month old baby so it was far for me to go. So I parked on the verge, until my partner was back so I could move the car. In 20 mins of being there I got a ticket. 2nd time: my partner was in the space because as mention if there is no visitor spaces left then the only other option is to go to a few streets back of the road in which my partner van got broken into twice and all his tools for work were stolen. So a loss of thousands for us, so we agreed that he parked in the space. To also add to this, this street where it is the only option left to park, I had the window of my car smashed in and another time a firework was put out on my car. So you can understand why we would not park there. So without any other choice, I parked on the verge and got another ticket.

so all the standard practice from these parking companies, I’ve had endless threading letters, from about 8 or more different companies. I have at least 25 letters, they found me at my new place and now we have a claim form.

To also add, someone we knew who lived in the same street but different flat, got taken to court  and she won her case. However, she was parked outside a bay, where mine was on a verge next to the sign (stupid I know but I had no other choices)
I have tried to understand her thread too and believe something in our rental contracts about no mention of where we can and can’t park.
uK PCN ( think that’s what they were previously called) were voted out by the residents back in 2015-16, but then UK parking control limited came in a couple of years later. 

We as residents didn’t authorise this and I know my landlord wouldn’t either. So how does this stand when we technically are the residents on that land in question that they are patrolling? 

The original charge was £60, it’s now £504.92, which is £404.92 claim, £50 court fee and £50  legal fee.

They have photos of my car on the verge next to the sign. That’s clear but based on my points above, do I have any case to fight this or not? 
can anyone advise what I should do now please?

I am nervous about the whole situation, none of it is a fair case and I just have no idea what to do next.

thank you 

Lread1

Issue date of claim form is 10th Nov 22

KeithP

Lread1 said:

Issue date of claim form is 10th Nov 22

With a Claim Issue Date of 10th November, you have until Tuesday 29th November to file an Acknowledgment of Service. Do not file an Acknowledgment of Service before 15th November, but otherwise there is nothing to be gained by delaying it. 

To file an Acknowledgment of Service, follow the guidance in the Dropbox file linked from the second post in the NEWBIES thread.

Having filed an Acknowledgment of Service in a timely manner, you have until 4pm on Tuesday 13th December 2022 to file your Defence.

That's well over four weeks away. Plenty of time to produce a Defence, but please don't leave it to the last minute.

To create a Defence, and then file a Defence by email, look again at the second post on the NEWBIES thread - immediately following where you found the Acknowledgment of Service guidance.

Don't miss the deadline for filing an Acknowledgment of Service, nor that for filing a Defence.

Do not try and file a Defence via the MoneyClaimOnline website. Once an Acknowledgment of Service has been filed, the MCOL website should be treated as 'read only'.

Lread1

KeithP said:

Lread1 said:

Issue date of claim form is 10th Nov 22

With a Claim Issue Date of 10th November, you have until Tuesday 29th November to file an Acknowledgment of Service. Do not file an Acknowledgment of Service before 15th November, but otherwise there is nothing to be gained by delaying it. 

To file an Acknowledgment of Service, follow the guidance in the Dropbox file linked from the second post in the NEWBIES thread.

Having filed an Acknowledgment of Service in a timely manner, you have until 4pm on Tuesday 13th December 2022 to file your Defence.

That's well over four weeks away. Plenty of time to produce a Defence, but please don't leave it to the last minute.

To create a Defence, and then file a Defence by email, look again at the second post on the NEWBIES thread - immediately following where you found the Acknowledgment of Service guidance.

Don't miss the deadline for filing an Acknowledgment of Service, nor that for filing a Defence.

Do not try and file a Defence via the MoneyClaimOnline website. Once an Acknowledgment of Service has been filed, the MCOL website should be treated as 'read only'.

Thank you for your response. Really appreciate. Can you confirm this is the right link you are referring too? 

As it says about the MCOL website? 

Sorry I am so new to all of this.

Also 

KeithP

Yes, you have found the NEWBIES thread and there is only one Dropbox link in the second post on that thread.

But as I said, don't rush it. Filing an Acknowledgment of Service before next Tuesday will reduce the time available to you for filing a Defence.

Lread1

KeithP said:

Yes, you have found the NEWBIES thread and there is only one Dropbox link in the second post on that thread.

But as I said, don't rush it. Filing an Acknowledgment of Service before next Tuesday will reduce the time available to you for filing a Defence.

Thank you, will be back after completing the AoS next week for the next step help!
thank god for you! 

open-eyed

Hello guys,

I am in a similar situation as I also received a Claim Form dated 01/11/2022 from the same company but my defence would be a bit different. I have been reading the relevant posts and found them very helpful, especially Coupon-mad, KeithP, Le_Kirk, and Umkomaas are doing a great job. I have few questions,

1) Shall I start a new thread for my case or should I update my case in this thread because of the similarity?

2) How much information I could share here except my identity, is there any possibility this can go against my defence if the claimant/judge finds it out?

3)  I don't exactly remember all the information from a year ago as my father passed away on that day. Can I ask the claimant for the pictures and other information before sending my defence?

4) I found the long template for defence but MCOL online allowed only 122 lines! How can reduce the size from the template? Or should I send by post/email?

5) I can see everyone here using the same template except paragraphs 3 and 4, would the judge find it as copy/paste and give a ruling against it?

 Appreciate your replies. Thanks.

Umkomaas

open-eyed - please start a new thread of your own. The original poster seems to feel they have to now open a duplicate thread following your posting here. It will lead to total chaos and complete confusion if new cases (despite similarities) are opened randomly on other people's threads.

Please ask all the questions above on that. 

open-eyed

@Umkomass, thanks for your reply, goint to open a new thread for my case. Apologies for making some chaos here. I cannot delete/edit my post though!

Lread1

KeithP said:

Yes, you have found the NEWBIES thread and there is only one Dropbox link in the second post on that thread.

But as I said, don't rush it. Filing an Acknowledgment of Service before next Tuesday will reduce the time available to you for filing a Defence.

Good evening, 
I have now filed my AOS and followed the guidelines from the drop box link.

so now in-terms of the defence, as I filed AOS (it says on the website, if done after 4pm it will be filed tomorrow) how long do I have to provide a defence please? 

Before I came to the forum and got my claim form, I requested a SAR from DCB and they sent me a picture of my car which is parked next to the sign. So that is clear evidence. But based on my first post and details provided, do I have any leg to stand on with this case providing the photo evidence they have?

also, in terms of defence - I saw the post/ template regarding debt companies adding on payments. Is this the 1st template to use? Or have a missed a 1st defence template to use ?

many thanks.

Fruitcake

There is only one template defence sticky Announcement thread. It ends "- edited March 2022"