Witness statement help

JJBRGGERS

Hi, apologies in advance if this is answered already in the thread I am struggling to find it.

 Here is some background to the case: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6554093/dcb-legal-ccj-defence-settlement-what-next/p1

Here is a list of my acknowledgement to the claim. Unfortunately I did not discover this forum until it was too late. I have went through the mediation process and offered £300. DCB Legal have now sent over their witness statement with reasons as to why the amount should be in full. I can send over a copy of the witness statement they have submitted, but it basically explains I have breached contact and have not communicated with them before DCB Legal took over the case. 

I need to submit a witness statement and I do not know if my case will be strong enough to win in court. DCB Legal are still offering a £750 offer to settle before court, should i accept this offer rather than risk losing in court and using a days annual leave from work?   

JJBRGGERS

This was the draft of my witness statement, is there anything I should add or remove? 

Background

1. I am the registered keeper of the vehicle in question and had a valid permit to park in the ‘Neptune House’ car park during the dates relevant to this claim.
2. The penalty charges were issued during a period when my previous permit had lapsed, and my new permit had not yet arrived due to a miscommunication between my landlord and the parking permit issuer.
3. The permit was allegedly sent to my home address, but I never received it. Attached is evidence of my communications with both my landlord and the permit issuer regarding this issue.
4. My permits cover all dates from June 2022 to the present, including the period when the fines were issued. Copies of both permits are attached as evidence.

Parking Attendant’s Knowledge and VCS Awareness

1. I had informed a parking attendant of my situation, and they advised me to continue parking in ‘Neptune House’ car park. They were aware of my ongoing issue in retrieving my lost permit.
2. Vehicle Control Services (VCS) were also aware of the problem, as evidenced by attached email correspondence acknowledging my situation.

Failure to Receive PCN Notices and Inability to Contest the Charge

1. I did not receive any letters detailing my PCN number. On the VCS website, a PCN number is required to either pay or contest the fine.
2. Without a PCN number, I was unable to challenge the fine through the designated process.
3. The first formal notification I received regarding the fine was from DCB Legal, attempting to recover the alleged debt.
4. The parking site’s website appears deliberately difficult to navigate, preventing users from contesting charges without prior receipt of a PCN number.

Conclusion

1. Given that I had a valid parking permit covering the dates in question, was advised by a parking attendant to continue parking, and was unable to contest the fine due to a lack of a PCN number, I assert that these charges are unfair and should be dismissed.
2. I respectfully request that the Court dismiss the Claim against me.

Statement of Truth

I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true.

Fruitcake

Please ask a board guide to merge this with your original thread. Please do not start a new thread each time you have a new question.

Le_Kirk

Unless PENALTY was printed on your PCN it is a parking charge notice NOT a penalty charge notice! You need the most up-to-date Statement of Truth, just look at recent witness statements by: -

@Harry77, @imulsion, @Defendant911