DCB Legal

ScrapCode

Hi guys, I'm in a bit of a situation and I would really value some advice.

I took my son on his first driving lesson a couple of months ago and we went to the same car park my mum took me. It was around 9 at night and the car park is in an out of the way retail park so it was completely deserted. We were there for around 45 mins.

A few weeks later I received the letter from CP Plus telling me I was due a parking charge. I followed (possibly flawed advice) and ignored the letter. Fast forward to now and I have received a letter from DCB Legal. They are advising I have 14 days to pay £170 or face court proceedings.

I found an old post on this forum regarding the same company, which then linked to the second post of the Newbie thread. I have tried to read that but I have to admit I'm a bit lost with it all. That seems to detail a process to follow from the start, but as I'm now so far through it I don't know what my next steps should be.

I was thinking to email them, there was talk the previous thread about claiming a 30 day break. It also said to question how they came to arrive such a high amount, but later on they original poster put up their standard response to this question. I'm not sure if I should either threaten or go ahead with a complaint to the land owner for the car park, or if that is also past this stage now.

If it helps I am in Scotland, and the car park is in Fife.

Sorry if I've missed something obvious with this, I'm happy to take whatever steps are necessary, I'm just a bit lost and stressed out with the whole matter.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.
S 

KeithP

Hello and welcome.

A letter giving you just 14 days to respond is nothing more than a debt collector's letter.

The fourth post of the NEWBIES thread explains exactly how to deal with debt collector's letters, but to summarise that post - ignore them.

As you are in Scotland, is would be worth your while reading the answer to this question in the opening post of the NEWBIES thread...

Umkomaas

The dated method of taking your offspring to the nearest car park to practice their early driving manoeuvres are just that - dated. Entering any private car park, especially after closing time, will more often than not result in a PCN - as you've found out. 

You're at the end of the debt collection stage now that DCB Legal (rather than DCB Limited) is involved and you can expect a formal Letter Of/Before Claim shortly. It's at that stage you could require them to place the case on hold for 30 days while you seek debt advice. 

But, once they serve the County Court Claim via the Northampton CNBC you'll be on your way to getting shot of this. Follow the court procedures alongside advice from this forum and you should find yourself on the way to a discontinuation. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6377263/dcb-legal-record-of-private-parking-court-claim-discontinuations/p1

GrumpyDil

Umkomaas said:

The dated method of taking your offspring to the nearest car park to practice their early driving manoeuvres are just that - dated. Entering any private car park, especially after closing time, will more often than not result in a PCN - as you've found out. 

You're at the end of the debt collection stage now that DCB Legal (rather than DCB Limited) is involved and you can expect a formal Letter Of/Before Claim shortly. It's at that stage you could require them to place the case on hold for 30 days while you seek debt advice. 

But, once they serve the County Court Claim via the Northampton CNBC you'll be on your way to getting shot of this. Follow the court procedures alongside advice from this forum and you should find yourself on the way to a discontinuation. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6377263/dcb-legal-record-of-private-parking-court-claim-discontinuations/p1

Isn't the advice different given that this is in Scotland? 

Umkomaas

GrumpyDil said:

Umkomaas said:

The dated method of taking your offspring to the nearest car park to practice their early driving manoeuvres are just that - dated. Entering any private car park, especially after closing time, will more often than not result in a PCN - as you've found out. 

You're at the end of the debt collection stage now that DCB Legal (rather than DCB Limited) is involved and you can expect a formal Letter Of/Before Claim shortly. It's at that stage you could require them to place the case on hold for 30 days while you seek debt advice. 

But, once they serve the County Court Claim via the Northampton CNBC you'll be on your way to getting shot of this. Follow the court procedures alongside advice from this forum and you should find yourself on the way to a discontinuation. 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6377263/dcb-legal-record-of-private-parking-court-claim-discontinuations/p1

Isn't the advice different given that this is in Scotland? 

Sorry. Yes, missed the geography on my skim read!  Ignore DCBL as they can't touch you north of the border!  But things are changing and keeper liability is likely to be in place in Scotland sometime in the future - maybe later this year or early next year, how the election will affect or delay its implementation remains to be seen. 

Come back if you have any threats that have references to the Sheriff Court or the Simple Procedures. 

But my advice below still holds good, just that fighting it in Scotland is a whole lot easier than in England or Wales ..... for the time being.

The dated method of taking your offspring to the nearest car park to practice their early driving manoeuvres are just that - dated. Entering any private car park, especially after closing time, will more often than not result in a PCN - as you've found out. 

Coupon-mad

You are in Scotland. Untouchable. 

Search the forum for Scotland private parking.

ScrapCode

Thank you all for your time and your responses. I will read the suggested threads and see what I can glean from them.

In the mean time however, I will not respond to the letter and see if they just go away, seeing as I am in Scotland.

To be honest, we have used the shops in that retail complex and have never even twigged that it was one of those car parks. If I had known that it was I wouldn't have gone there, knowing they are monitored by camera and therefore not free at night.

It's a shame that traditions like this have gone, but when my daughter starts driving I'll be sure to pick a better spot.

Thanks again, and hopefully I won't be in touch again! If I do need further advice is it best practice to reply to this thread again or start a new one?

KeithP

ScrapCode said:

  If I do need further advice is it best practice to reply to this thread again or start a new one?

Continue on this thread. Keep all discussion about a single incident in the one thread.