CST Law for Smart Parking

mogora

Hi all, 
I had a car parking fine from Smart Parking last year. I have had a few letters from DRP Ltd, almost all of them were identical, I ignored them all. 
This week I got a letter from CST Law. 
What course of action if any, should I take now?
Many thanks in advance.

Umkomaas

Ignore it. Read the following thread. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6166004/cst-letters-forum-group-thread/p1

Coupon-mad

mogora said:

Hi all, 
I had a car parking fine from Smart Parking last year. I have had a few letters from DRP Ltd, almost all of them were identical, I ignored them all. 
This week I got a letter from CST Law. 
What course of action if any, should I take now?
Many thanks in advance.

Why didn't you just appeal the Smart Parking PCN last year, which can be blown over with one email?

These are the easiest ones to win as Smart can't hold registered keepers liable.

For more than a decade, the advice on forums has been NOT to ignore private PCNs.  This one would have been seen off in days.

Now you will have to try landowner or retailer complaint. Again, it was the first thing to do last year.  Never too late, though.

Try that now. Get angry about the harassment.

mogora

Coupon-mad said:

mogora said:

Hi all, 
I had a car parking fine from Smart Parking last year. I have had a few letters from DRP Ltd, almost all of them were identical, I ignored them all. 
This week I got a letter from CST Law. 
What course of action if any, should I take now?
Many thanks in advance.

Why didn't you just appeal the Smart Parking PCN last year, which can be blown over with one email?

These are the easiest ones to win as Smart can't hold registered keepers liable.

For more than a decade, the advice on forums has been NOT to ignore private PCNs.  This one would have been seen off in days.

Now you will have to try landowner or retailer complaint. Again, it was the first thing to do last year.  Never too late, though.

Try that now. Get angry about the harassment.

The initial PCN letter from Smart Parking came after the 14 days, so it was out of time. 

I have tried with the retailer at the time, Iceland, who said they could not help. 

Thank you for your reply. 

Umkomaas said    Ignore it. Read the following thread. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6166004/cst-letters-forum-group-thread/p1



Not sure which way to proceed now

Coupon-mad

The initial PCN letter from Smart Parking came after the 14 days, so it was out of time. 

Yep, and even if it had arrived sooner, we always beat Smart Parking with one email appeal.  Not sure why you didn't.  It would have been so easy to appeal & end it right then.

Of course you must ignore it - now - but could have killed it and avoided all these threatograms.

Nothing will happen.

mogora

Hello,
This was passed to CST Law in 2023, I sent them a letter explaining the situation as I got the Claim before the court letter. 
Then i heard nothing from them for 1 year, and thought it was all over. 
But after 1 year it seems to be passed onto DCB Legal, who are going through the same process CST Law took. 
Now I have a Letter of Claim from them. 
Do I ignore it, as I have been through this before?
If they take it to court, can I just show the Judge what I sent to CST Law last year?
Or do i contact them?
Or shall I complete the claim form?

Thanks for any replies

Coupon-mad

shall I complete the claim form?

You haven't got one, have you? You said it's just a LBC.

Either way, read the SECOND post of the NEWBIES thread (we will not link it; see my signature for how to hop there in a nanosecond).

Read the SECOND POST OF IT ONLY.

If it's just a LBC, respond as per the response template advice in the newbies sticky thread post 2 (and pleeeease don't post it, or DCB Legal's template reply, here). Just search the forum for a phrase from DCB's reply (when you get it) and read other threads to save us repeating ourselves.

No help is needed from us until you get the claim form (which the NEWBIES thread also covers).

mogora

The letter from DCB Legal tells me to complete the form online and also talks about the financial details info.
Is that a Letter of Claim or Letter Before Claim ?

Do I still have time to send them the template email from the newbies sticky thread post 2?
Thank you

Coupon-mad

mogora said:

The letter from DCB Legal tells me to complete the form online and also talks about the financial details info.
Is that a Letter of Claim or Letter Before Claim?

You can see the heading on the letter.

mogora

It says 'Letter of Claim'

Do I still have time to send them the template email from the newbies sticky thread post 2?

Le_Kirk

Letter of Claim, Letter Before Claim, Letter Before Action, Letter Before County Court Claim are all the same.