Car Park Services - Letter from small claims court - Northern Ireland

Mspx

I’ve now received a letter from the small claims court as Car Park Services are taking me to court for £991 of car parking fees and their court fees. 

Having a full panic attack, it’s costing me £91 to dispute it too. 

There wasn’t a proper notice before claim, they sent a letter on the 12th September saying I’d to pay by 19th September. I ignored it and now I’ve received this letter. 

I have zero clue what to do now, do I dispute it and how because I’ve no evidence as these were from 2018/2019 and I’ve no clue what to do. I’m going to end up with a CCJ and ruin my chances of getting a mortgage now 

Coupon-mad

it’s costing me £91 to dispute it too. 

Really? Are you sure?  You are the Defendant not the Claimant.  Not sure defending should ever cost anything.  It costs zero to defend a case in E&W.

Were you also the driver, or not?

You can certainly avoid a CCJ.  Ask your Consumer Council to advise you what to do. We have never seen a NI claim and don't know how it differs.

This is a possible defence:

"It was either me or my ex partner driving possibly his mother."

Took the above from your thread.  You need them merged. Only a 33% chance the keeper was driving a d highly likely it was not you on every occasion.  And you don't have keeper liability in NI and it can't be assumed you were the driver even once, let alone for several PCNs.

Do you have legal cover on your House insurance? Use that urgently!

Umkomaas

Can we see a redacted (of your personal information) copy of the small claims court letter please?

Coupon-mad

Could you show the claim form (redacted of all ID, VRM and claim number refs and any 'password' of course covered.

But first - check your house insurance.

Mspx

Please see the letter I received 

Grizebeck

First claim I've see in NI for a long time but not surprised they have done it for this amount.  I saw some from apcoa back in 2016. These were beaten on the basis of a defence of not being the driver.
You don't pay the fee. Its for the claimant 
Personally if it was me I'd be defending it on the basis of not being the driver and thus not liable.

Mspx

I don’t have legal cover on any of my policies and I’ve just checked and the fee is if I want to counter claim, just panicked when I read it. 

Grizebeck

Mspx said:

I don’t have legal cover on any of my policies 

You honestly don't need legal cover. You acknowledge the claim and put together a defence. Do NOT use the template on here. You need a defence which is specific to the claim.
https://www.mylawyer.co.uk/the-defendant-disputes-all-or-part-of-my-claim-a-A76076D76668/

I know exactly how I'd defend this with no issue.(as mentioned above)

B789

It does not say that you were the driver. It just claims that you are the registered keeper. In NI, the keeper cannot be liable. They have to provide proof that you were the driver. Have you, at any stage, communicated with them and admitted, directly or indirectly that you were the driver?

Coupon-mad

You aren't counterclaiming. You're defending on the main basis that it was highly unlikely you were driving on any occasion (explain why) and that there is no lawful presumption in law, that the keeper was the driver.  And that you dispute that the signage was clear or that any breach arose due to any conduct of the unknown driver.

What does the accompanying paperwork say about how to defend. Can you do it online?

Umkomaas

That is just an application not an actual court claim. The formal court claim form surely must come before defending. This might just be an 'arm twister'?