PCN residential address WS stage vs UKCPM/gladstones

taleb

B789 said:

We need to see the actual PoC on the original claim form. If the PoC fail to specify exactly what terms were allegedly breached then there is still al opportunity for the judge to throw the case out due to the claimants failure to adhere to the CPR and PDs.

I don't actually have that because the original claim went to the wrong address. 

B789

You can phone the CNBC and ask them to email you a copy of the PoC.

taleb

B789 said:

You can phone the CNBC and ask them to email you a copy of the PoC.

sorry had to send it as is, as my deadline to file a defence is 24 Sep, so had to send it today to make sure they get it within working hours and I receive the acknowledgement

B789

Your deadline could never be the 24th September as that is a weekend. If the deadline falls on a weekend or bank holiday, you have until 4pm on the next working day to file your defence. So, you still have 3 days. Why the rush?

KeithP

B789 said:

We need to see the actual PoC on the original claim form..

Do we??

At the setaside hearing the Judge said that the Witness Statement then provided by the Claimant will stand as revised POC.

Coupon-mad

taleb said:

B789 said:

That is not the latest defence template and there is no reference to the latest appeal judgment that should get this quashed at allocation stage.

Your "story" is to detailed and should be saved for WS. You are answering the allegations in the PoC which you already know are woefully inadequate and do not state what terms you allegedly breached. Don't do the claimants work for them.

The second post in the template defence thread is the correct defence template you should be using.

in my case the claimant (represented by gladstones) responded to my application to set a default CCJ aside with a witness statement, and asked the judge to use that as the PoC if he sets the judgement aside and reopens the claim. in their statement they do specifically say that I have broken the terms because I was parked without displaying a permit. so do you think the same defence applies here?

KeithP said:

B789 said:

We need to see the actual PoC on the original claim form..

Do we??

At the setaside hearing the Judge said that the Witness Statement then provided by the Claimant will stand as revised POC.

In that case, this is a case with detailed POC.  The OP should not have rushed; there was all weekend to finalise this.

The stuff about woeful POC should really have been removed.  Too late now, but in fact this defence is good:

taleb said:

here's my first attempt at the defence,

IN THE COUNTY COURT

Claim No.:  XXXXXXX

Between

XXXXXXXXXXXX

(Claimant) 

- and -  

XXXXXXXXXXX

 (Defendant)

_________________

DEFENCE

 

1.     The Defendant denies that the Claimant is entitled to relief in the sum claimed, or at all.  It is denied that any conduct by the driver was in breach of any term.  Further, it is denied that this Claimant (understood to have a bare licence as agents) has standing to sue or form contracts in their own name. Liability is denied, whether or not the Claimant is claiming 'keeper liability'.

The facts known to the Defendant:

2.     The facts in this defence come from the Defendant's own knowledge and honest belief. I will make reference to exhibits from the claimant’s witness statement, henceforth referred to as Claimant’s Exhibits.

It is admitted that the Defendant was the registered keeper of the vehicle at the time of the contravention, but liability is denied.

3.     The Defendant was a resident of the block of flats at XXXX, XXX where the car park is situated on the date of the contravention. The car parking area contains unallocated parking spaces demised to the residents and their guests via the leasehold.

4.     On the 19th of December 2018 the Claimant proceeded to issue a parking charge notice as the Defendant’s vehicle was allegedly in breach of the terms of parking at XXX which the Defendant strongly denies all liability to.

5.     Under the terms of the Defendant's tenancy agreement (See Exhibit 1), references are made to the usage of parking spaces in section “3.15” of the lease titled “Use of the property", under clause “3.15.14”, which the Defendant expressly notes that none of the conditions of the lease were breached.

6.     The claimant relies on the agreement with the freeholder (Claimant Exhibit GS-1) to assert the right to issue PCNs in relation to vehicles parked in breach of the terms and conditions. The said agreement states that: (i) permit holders (and visitors) only, (ii) no parking outside of a designated area.

·       The defendant, being a resident, was a permit holder, a fact never contested by the claimant, and asserted by the defendant in their original appeal against the PCN.

·       As the claimant’s own photos show (Claimant Exhibit GS-4), the vehicle is parked within a designated area.

·       Hence, it is asserted that the Defendant, at all material times, parked in accordance with the terms and conditions. Accordingly, the Defendant denies having breached any contractual terms whether express, implied, or by conduct.

 

7.     The Claimant will concede that no financial loss has arisen and that in order to impose an inflated parking charge, as well as proving a term was breached, there must be:

        (i).   a strong 'legitimate interest' extending beyond mere compensation for loss, and

       (ii).   'adequate notice' of the 'penalty clause' charge which, in the case of a car park, requires prominent signs and lines.

 

8.     The Defendant denies (i) or (ii) have been met. The charge imposed, in all the circumstances is a penalty, not saved by ParkingEye Ltd v Beavis [2015] UKSC67 ('the Beavis case'), which is fully distinguished.

 

Exaggerated Claim and 'market failure' currently being addressed by UK Government

9.     The alleged 'core debt' from any parking charge cannot exceed £100 (the industry cap).  It is denied that any 'Debt Fees' or damages were actually paid or incurred by this Claimant, who is put to strict proof of:

        (i).   the alleged breach, which is not pleaded in the POC and requires further and better particulars, and

       (ii).   a breakdown of how they arrived at the enhanced sum in the POC, including how interest was calculated, which looks to be improperly applied on the entire inflated sum, as if that was all overdue on the day of the alleged event.

 

10.  The Defendant avers that this claim is unfair and inflated and it is denied that any sum is due, whether in debt or damages. This Claimant routinely pursues an unconscionable fixed sum added per PCN, despite knowing that the will of Parliament is to ban it.

 

11.  This case is a classic example where adding exaggerated fees funds the 'numbers game' of bulk litigation of weak and/or archive parking cases.  MoJ statistics of bulk litigators reveal that there are several hundred thousand parking claims per annum, with some 90% causing default CCJs totalling hundreds of millions of pounds.  No checks and balances are likely to have been made to ensure facts, merit or a proper cause of action (given away by the woefully inadequate POC).

 

 

12.  The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities ('the DLUHC') published a statutory Parking Code of Practice in February 2022, here: LINK

The Ministerial Foreword is damning: "Private firms issue roughly 22,000 parking tickets every day, often adopting a labyrinthine system of misleading and confusing signage, opaque appeals services, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees designed to extort money from motorists." 

13.  Despite legal challenges delaying the Code - marked as temporarily withdrawn - it is thankfully 'live' after a draft Impact Assessment (IA) was published on 30th July 2023. The Government's analysis exposes what they say are industry-gleaned facts about supposed 'fees'. The analysis is found here:  LINK 

14.  Paragraphs 4.31 and 5.19 state that the parking industry has shown the DLUHC that the true minor cost of what the former calls debt recovery or 'enforcement' ( = pre-action) stage totals a mere £8.42 per case (not per PCN).

 

15.  With that in mind, it is clear that the extant claim has been enhanced by an extreme sum, believed to be routinely retained by the litigating legal team, not the Claimant.  In this Claim it is additional to the intended 'legal representatives fees' cap set within small claims track rules.  This conduct has been examined and found - including in a detailed judgment by Her Honour Judge Jackson, now a specialist Civil High Court Judge on the Leeds/Bradford circuit - to constitute 'double recovery'. The Defendant takes that position.

 

16.  The draft IA shows that the intimidating letter-chains actually cost 'eight times less' than the seemingly 'price-fixed' +£70 per PCN. This causes consumer harm in the form of almost half a million wrongly-enhanced CCJs each year, that District Judges are powerless to prevent.  This false fee was enabled by the self-serving Codes of Practice of the rival parking Trade Bodies who suddenly aligned in 2021 re allowing +£70, each led by a Board of the very parking operators and debt firms who stood to gain from it. 

 

17.  It is denied that the purported damages/fee sought was incurred or is recoverable. Attention is drawn to paras 98, 100, 193, 198 of Beavis.  Also ParkingEye Ltd v Somerfield Stores Ltd ChD [2011] EWHC 4023(QB) where the parking charge was £75, discounted to £37.50 for prompt payment.  Whilst £75 was reasonable, HHJ Hegarty (decision ratified by the CoA) held in paras 419-428 that 'admin costs' inflating a parking charge to £135 was not a true reflection of the cost of template letters and 'would appear to be penal'.

 

18.  This Claimant has not incurred costs. A parking charge model already includes what the Supreme Court called an 'automated letter-chain' and it is a model that generates a healthy profit.  In Beavis, there were 4 pre-action letters/reminders and the £85 'PCN' was held to more than cover the minor costs of the operation.  The DLUHC's IA confirms that the parking charge more than covers the minor costs of the letters (NB: the debt collectors do not charge anything in failed collection cases).

 

19.  Whilst the new Code is not retrospective, all non-monetary clauses went unchallenged by the parking industry. The 2022 DLUHC Code will replace the self-serving BPA & IPC Codes, which are not regulation and carry limited weight.  In a clear steer for the Courts and for the avoidance of doubt: the DLUHC say they are addressing 'market failure'.

 

20.  In addition, pursuant to Schedule 4 paragraph 4(5) of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 ('the POFA') the sum claimed exceeds the maximum potentially recoverable from a registered keeper.  Further, the Claimant is put to strict proof of POFA compliance.

 

21.  The Defendant avers that there was no agreement to pay a parking charge or added 'damages' which were not even incurred, let alone quantified in bold, prominent text. This Claimant failed to erect well-placed, large and readable signs on a par with the yellow & black warnings seen in Beavis, and unlike the signage requirements set out in the DLUHC Code which reflects the already statutory requirement for 'prominence' (Consumer Rights Act 2015 - the 'CRA').

Claimant Exhibit GS-4, page 29, gives a better indication of the illegibility of the parking signs as seen from a driver’s perspective (unlike the closeup image seen on page 24). Also note that the only charge that's legible in the signage is £100 (Claimant Exhibit GS-2). The extra were not even included in the original PCN (see Claimant Exhibit GS-5)

 

CRA breaches

22.  Section 71 CRA creates a statutory duty upon Courts to consider the test of fairness whether a party raises it or not. Claiming costs on an indemnity basis is unfair, per the Unfair Contract Terms Guidance (CMA37, para 5.14.3): LINK 

23.  The CRA introduced new requirements for 'prominence' of both terms and 'consumer notices'.  In a parking context, this includes a test of fairness and clarity of 'signs & lines' and all communications intended to be read by consumers. Signage must be prominent (lit in hours of darkness/dusk) and all terms must be unambiguous and contractual obligations clear.

24.  The Defendant avers that the CRA has been breached due to unfair/unclear terms and notices, pursuant to s62 and paying regard to examples 6, 10, 14 & 18 of Schedule 2 and the duties of fair/open dealing and good faith (NB: this does not necessarily mean there has to be a finding of bad faith).  

ParkingEye v Beavis is distinguished

25.  Unlike in Beavis, the penalty rule remains engaged, not least due to the unconscionable added 'Fee'.  The CRA covers disproportionate sums, which are not exempt from being assessed for fairness because a 'fee' is not the core price term and neither was it prominently proclaimed on the signs.  

 

26.  The Supreme Court held that deterrence is likely to be penal if there is a lack of a 'legitimate interest' in performance extending beyond the prospect of compensation flowing directly from alleged breach.  The intention cannot be to punish a driver, nor to present them with hidden terms or cumbersome obligations ('concealed pitfalls or traps').  In the present case, the Claimant has failed those tests, with small signs, hidden terms and minuscule small print that is incapable of binding a driver.  Court of Appeal authorities about a lack of ‘adequate notice’ of a parking charge include:

(i)             Spurling v Bradshaw [1956] 1 WLR 461 (Lord Denning's ‘red hand rule’) and

(ii)            Thornton v Shoe Lane Parking Ltd [1970] EWCA Civ2, both leading authorities that a clause cannot be incorporated after a contract has been concluded; and

(iii)           Vine v London Borough of Waltham Forest: CA 5 Apr 2000, where Ms Vine won because it was held that she had not seen the terms by which she would later be bound, due to "the absence of any notice on the wall opposite the parking space''. 

 

27.  Fairness and clarity of terms and notices are paramount in the DLUHC Code and these clauses are supported by the BPA & IPC. In Parking Review, solicitor Will Hurley, CEO of the IPC, observed: "Any regulation or instruction either has clarity or it doesn’t. If it’s clear to one person but not another, there is no clarity. The same is true for fairness. Something that is fair, by definition, has to be all-inclusive of all parties involved – it’s either fair or it isn’t." 

Lack of ADR

28.  The Claimant failed to offer a genuinely independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The DLUHC Code shows that genuine disputes such as this should see PCNs cancelled, had a fair ADR existed.  The rival Trade Bodies' time-limited and opaque 'appeals' services fail to properly consider facts or rules of law and reject most disputes: e.g. the IAS upheld appeals in a woeful 4% of decided cases (2020 Annual Report).  This consumer blame culture and reliance upon their own 'appeals service' (described by MPs as a kangaroo court and about to be replaced by the Government) should lead Judges to know that a fair appeal was never on offer.

 

Conclusion

29.  There is now evidence to support the view - long held by many District Judges - that these are knowingly exaggerated claims that are causing consumer harm.  The July 2023 DLUHC IA analysis shows that the usual letter-chain costs eight times less than the sum claimed for it.  The claim is entirely without merit and the POC embarrassing.  The Defendant believes that it is in the public interest that claims like this should be struck out. 

30.  In the matter of costs, the Defendant seeks:

a)    standard witness costs for attendance at Court, pursuant to CPR 27.14, and

b)    a finding of unreasonable conduct by this Claimant, and further costs, including those incurred to set aside the default judgement, pursuant to CPR 46.5. 

 

31.  Attention is drawn to the (often-seen) distinct possibility of an unreasonably late Notice of Discontinuance. Whilst CPR r.38.6 states that the Claimant is liable for the Defendant's costs after discontinuance (r.38.6(1)) this does not 'normally' apply to claims allocated to the small claims track (r.38.6(3)). However, the White Book states (annotation 38.6.1): "Note that the normal rule as to costs does not apply if a claimant in a case allocated to the small claims track serves a notice of discontinuance although it might be contended that costs should be awarded if a party has behaved unreasonably (r.27.14(2)(dg))."   

Statement of Truth

Coupon-mad

@taleb come back when you get a hearing date because you must then do a WS and exhibits.  And I don't think your defence above covers the issue you will find wording for, when you search the forum for:

Gladstones deplorable 10.25% interest

taleb

thanks @B789 @KeithP @Coupon-mad
I wasn't sure whether I could wait until the Monday, and didn't want to submit on the Sunday to get the acknowledgement. The good thing, the CCBC picked it straight away and sent it on to Croydon
I'll keep you updated on the progress

KeithP

taleb said:

I wasn't sure whether I could wait until the Monday, and didn't want to submit on the Sunday to get the acknowledgement. The good thing, the CCBC picked it straight away and sent it on to Croydon.

Wow! That was lucky.
Why did you send it to the CNBC in Northampton?
The Croydon Court is the one to deal with. Forget all about the CNBC.

taleb

just a quick update
so I received the court order yesterday, the one setting the judgment aside
to my surprise, the judge had reconsidered his decision after the hearing and decided that the claimant didn't serve the papers correctly, so as well as setting the judgment aside, he awarded me the costs for my set aside application. the claimant's solicitors have already paid me back 
hopefully, that's the first step in getting this whole thing quashed, thanks guys for your help