DCBLegal (Claim Form) - Met Parking Services Ltd (Stansted) - HELP Please, transferred so far away

Discordia2025

Just jumping in to offer some insight as to why the claim may have been transferred to St Helens County Court.

There’s a pattern of claims being wrongly allocated to St Helens County Court, even when defendants correctly request their local court on the Directions Questionnaire (N180). This appears to happen most often in cases managed by DCB Legal. 

Both parties must complete and serve the DQ to the court and each other. Many respondents do not serve a copy of the DQ to the claimant/Legal representative.

DCB Legal has the opportunity to request their preferred local court. 

If the defendant doesn’t serve their DQ to DCB Legal in time, they may contact the court claiming it hasn’t been received.

The CNBC sometimes allocates the case to St Helens by default, which happens to be close to DCB Legal’s office.

This contradicts CPR 26.2A(2), which clearly says that defended small claims must be transferred to the defendant’s local hearing centre.

Even if the hearing is by telephone, this misallocation is procedurally wrong and could easily deter or disadvantage defendants, especially if they don’t realise they can challenge it.

WHAT TO DO: 

Send a copy of the DQ to DCB Legal (info@dcblegal.co.uk) Even if the timeframe has passed it shows you are acting in good faith in the judges eyes. It’s important to ask for a receipt email to prove it has been recieved. 

Next call or email St Helens County Court (civil.sthelens.countycourt@justice.gov.uk) quoting CPR 26.2A(2), and request reallocation. 

Also sending a compliant to CNBC which you have already done. 

Discordia2025

Here is a template to send to St Helens County Court. 

To: civil.sthelens.countycourt@justice.gov.uk

Subject: Request for Transfer to Local Hearing Centre Case No: (Insert Claim Number)

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Claim No. (Insert claim number)

Parties: (Claimant) v (Defendant)

I am writing in relation to the above matter, which has recently been transferred to St Helens County Court for hearing.

I wish to respectfully request that the case be re-transferred to my local County Court, as per Civil Procedure Rule 26.2A(2), which states:

“A claim which is to be allocated to the small claims track will be transferred to the defendant’s home court if the defendant is an individual.”

I am an individual litigant, and I clearly indicated on my Directions Questionnaire (Form N180) that my preferred hearing centre is [Insert Your Local Court].

The current transfer to St Helens County Court appears to be an error and has caused considerable concern, particularly as it is far from my residence.

While I understand the hearing is currently listed to proceed by telephone, the misallocation still creates a sense of procedural unfairness, and I believe it is important that the court ensures cases are administered in accordance with the CPR.

I kindly request that the matter be transferred to [Your Local Court] and would be grateful for your confirmation.

Yours faithfully,

*Full name

*Address

*Email address

*Phone number

raislander

Discordia2025 said:

Just jumping in to offer some insight as to why the claim may have been transferred to St Helens County Court.

There’s a pattern of claims being wrongly allocated to St Helens County Court, even when defendants correctly request their local court on the Directions Questionnaire (N180). This appears to happen most often in cases managed by DCB Legal. 

Both parties must complete and serve the DQ to the court and each other. Many respondents do not serve a copy of the DQ to the claimant/Legal representative.

DCB Legal has the opportunity to request their preferred local court. 

If the defendant doesn’t serve their DQ to DCB Legal in time, they may contact the court claiming it hasn’t been received.

The CNBC sometimes allocates the case to St Helens by default, which happens to be close to DCB Legal’s office.

This contradicts CPR 26.2A(2), which clearly says that defended small claims must be transferred to the defendant’s local hearing centre.

Even if the hearing is by telephone, this misallocation is procedurally wrong and could easily deter or disadvantage defendants, especially if they don’t realise they can challenge it.

WHAT TO DO: 

Send a copy of the DQ to DCB Legal (info@dcblegal.co.uk) Even if the timeframe has passed it shows you are acting in good faith in the judges eyes. It’s important to ask for a receipt email to prove it has been recieved. 

Next call or email St Helens County Court (civil.sthelens.countycourt@justice.gov.uk) quoting CPR 26.2A(2), and request reallocation. 

Also sending a compliant to CNBC which you have already done. 

Thanks for the input and just to clarify - don't know other cases but in my case: 

* A copy of my DQ180 was served to the claimant email address as well as the the CNBC



It was served in time and the CNBC has admitted they did it wrong, but unfortunately in their own words, "is out of their hands now" - so they don't care anymore. 

I've written as well to St Helens court - to that particular email you've shared -  precisely informing them that a complaint with the CNBC has been raised and that the court allocation is in correct and not in guidance of CPR 26.2A(2), to which I have not received reply at all. 

I've tried calling them several times and nobody has picked up the phone either. 

Discordia2025

Thanks for sharing this, it really shows how broken the system is, even when people do everything by the book.

It’s frustrating (and worrying) that CNBC admitted the misallocation but then just said it’s out of their hands, and that St Helens hasn’t even replied to you, hopefully they will soon!

When CPR 26.2A(2) is clear, and the DQ was properly served to both the court and DCB Legal, there’s no valid reason this should’ve happened.

Even if the hearing’s by phone, the court choice still matters for fairness and perception. I’d definitely include this in your witness statement to show procedural disadvantage and unnecessary stress.

Did DCB Legal acknowledge receipt of the DQ? 

raislander

Discordia2025 said:

Here is a template to send to St Helens County Court. 

To: civil.sthelens.countycourt@justice.gov.uk

Subject: Request for Transfer to Local Hearing Centre Case No: (Insert Claim Number)

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Claim No. (Insert claim number)

Parties: (Claimant) v (Defendant)

I am writing in relation to the above matter, which has recently been transferred to St Helens County Court for hearing.

I wish to respectfully request that the case be re-transferred to my local County Court, as per Civil Procedure Rule 26.2A(2), which states:

“A claim which is to be allocated to the small claims track will be transferred to the defendant’s home court if the defendant is an individual.”

I am an individual litigant, and I clearly indicated on my Directions Questionnaire (Form N180) that my preferred hearing centre is [Insert Your Local Court].

The current transfer to St Helens County Court appears to be an error and has caused considerable concern, particularly as it is far from my residence.

While I understand the hearing is currently listed to proceed by telephone, the misallocation still creates a sense of procedural unfairness, and I believe it is important that the court ensures cases are administered in accordance with the CPR.

I kindly request that the matter be transferred to [Your Local Court] and would be grateful for your confirmation.

Yours faithfully,

*Full name

*Address

*Email address

*Phone number

I found St helens Court reply, earlier this week, unfortunately I've been travelling and have not been able to be too much on top of my emails. 

That said, the reply is basically to again inform me that the hearing will be by telephone and that no party will attend the court. Still that the allocation of this telephone hearing is close to the Claimants seems odd, and I've politely requested again, and using the template you provided the transfer of the hearing to my local court. As it should have been following the principles of the CPR. 

Let's see if this actually changes something. In any case I'm already working on my WS, just in case they don't action any changes. 

raislander

Well nothing so far I've heard back from St Helens Court in regards to my latest email, so I guess they are not going to do anything about it. I suppose this can also be included in my WS to raise awareness to the judge of the situation individual defendants are being put with this "errors" of allocation and the stress it brings with it.

That said, I've actually been contacted by DCB to offer a settlement at a 100£ (LOL, ain't gonna happen), I suppose this is following the standard plan as the time for WS is approaching and so does the time to pay the court fee as well. 

I need to prepare my WS before the end of May, how close to the deadline should I deliver them? Thank you!

Coupon-mad

They'll likely discontinue before that.

But WS & evidence bundles are best emailed, not delivered by post.

raislander

Sorry meant to say emailed (not delivered). In any case do I need to provide them before the deadline or right on the day of the deadline is ok?

Just to know how far in advance I need to get them ready as I have a bit of a busy schedule on my end for the next weeks.

Coupon-mad

People tend to work on their WS the week before their deadline, then the discontinuance arrives anyway!

We meed to see the NoD when it arrives please so Umkomaas can count your success.

raislander

Well, well, well.......VICTORY!!!!! At last, finally my nightmare with these.....(I'm lost for words at this point).....it's over! 

I want to thank you all the support given here for 2 years, and specially to Coupon-mad, Unkomas and Le_Kirk who gave me really good advice and drive me to this win. 

"Another one bite the dust!!" 

Thank you guys you are amazing.