Brief history of case, from PCN to discontinuation by DCB Legal

AyeDubbleYoo

First of all thanks to this forum, in particular the discontinuations thread, for making me confident that my case was following a pattern that would eventually end in a victory. 

My view was always that I would pay up if instructed by a reasonable and independent person, but luckily it never got that far anyway. 

A brief history:

• Late 2021 - I overstayed a FREE car park space by around 20 minutes
• I received a PCN from UK Parking Control, £100 with £60 for paying early (lol)

I was moving house during this time so I neglected some of the initial steps I could have taken.

• February 2022 - threatening letter from Debt Recovery Plus, claiming £170 now
• March 2022 - more letters from DRP

(At this point I wrote to offer a settlement of a few pounds for parking and admin costs. I thought this might come in handy in court, but I assume that no human reads these letters and the whole process is automated anyway.)

• October, November, December 2022 - threatening letters from Debt Collection Bailiffs Ltd, claim still at £170

• January, February 2023 - more from DCB, this time INTENDED LEGAL ACTION

• Notice of legal action from DCB Legal. Now the claim was for £270. I didn't note the exact date. I followed instructions on the forum to acknowledge service.
• April 2023 - Drafted a defence based on the templates from the forum

• July 2023 - Directions questionnaires, theirs with non-official paperwork trying to convince me to pay, if I remember right 

I was now getting calls, letters and emails from DCB offering to settle. But the offers were so high (and thanks to this forum) I didn't feel it was worth replying to them. 

• September 2023 - notice of allocation to my local court, hearing date and witness statement deadlines
• December 2023 - email notice of discontinuation from DCB Legal

I put off drafting my witness statement for a week or so, in the end I didn't have to do it. 

Thanks to everyone who has shared their case and people like @Umkomaas for curating the information and making it so useful. So angry at this disgusting industry for causing so much stress and wasting so much court admin time. 

Umkomaas

Well done yoo!  Now recorded in the disco thread. 👍

Coupon-mad

AyeDubbleYoo said:

First of all thanks to this forum, in particular the discontinuations thread, for making me confident that my case was following a pattern that would eventually end in a victory. 

My view was always that I would pay up if instructed by a reasonable and independent person, but luckily it never got that far anyway. 

A brief history:

• Late 2021 - I overstayed a FREE car park space by around 20 minutes
• I received a PCN from UK Parking Control, £100 with £60 for paying early (lol)

I was moving house during this time so I neglected some of the initial steps I could have taken.

• February 2022 - threatening letter from Debt Recovery Plus, claiming £170 now
• March 2022 - more letters from DRP

(At this point I wrote to offer a settlement of a few pounds for parking and admin costs. I thought this might come in handy in court, but I assume that no human reads these letters and the whole process is automated anyway.)

• October, November, December 2022 - threatening letters from Debt Collection Bailiffs Ltd, claim still at £170

• January, February 2023 - more from DCB, this time INTENDED LEGAL ACTION

• Notice of legal action from DCB Legal. Now the claim was for £270. I didn't note the exact date. I followed instructions on the forum to acknowledge service.
• April 2023 - Drafted a defence based on the templates from the forum

• July 2023 - Directions questionnaires, theirs with non-official paperwork trying to convince me to pay, if I remember right 

I was now getting calls, letters and emails from DCB offering to settle. But the offers were so high (and thanks to this forum) I didn't feel it was worth replying to them. 

• September 2023 - notice of allocation to my local court, hearing date and witness statement deadlines
• December 2023 - email notice of discontinuation from DCB Legal

I put off drafting my witness statement for a week or so, in the end I didn't have to do it. 

Thanks to everyone who has shared their case and people like @Umkomaas for curating the information and making it so useful. So angry at this disgusting industry for causing so much stress and wasting so much court admin time. 

Well done on your win!

That timeline is good evidence if how parking firms waste consumer time for years and try to wear people down into paying a scam at pre-action stage.

While it's on your mind:

Please find time to do this Justice Committee Inquiry within the next ten days:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80375249/#Comment_80375249

The Committee invites evidence on:

• What the current level of delay in the County Court is

• The ways in which the County Court engages with litigants in person, and how this could be improved

• The causes of action giving rise to claims in the County Court

• What future reforms to the County Court should be considered.

Please also state that private parking firms and their bulk litigators are the main cause of delays as far as small claims are concerned..

The MoJ must now be informed to urgently separate parking cases with a new pre-action protocol (requiring use of ADR instead of inflated debt demands and bulk litigators who want court). It should be a last resort.

Tell the Committee about your claim and show the Claim Form and about the delay so far and the lack of evidence from the Claimant, who made no real attempt to narrow the issues and resolve the dispute out of court.

This treatment of motorists should be illegal.

The 'debt claims pre-action protocol' is not fit for purpose for these cases.  Please strongly OBJECT to this and ask the Committee to insist on a proper ADR and 'private parking protocol' to resolve disputes and expose the worst scam PCNs out of court.

Please add your voice; just answer the questions in your own words but making the points above.

You might want to also say the court communications are in legalese and unsuited to average consumer defendants who have not made an active choice to face litigation, but are treated as cash-cow victims by the out of control parking industry.

"This inquiry is currently accepting evidence

The committee wants to hear your views. We welcome submissions from anyone with answers to the questions in the call for evidence.

You have until Wednesday 17 January 2024  to make a submission to the committee."