DCBL threatening court if I do not reply within 14 days

handcraftedddspecimen

Background

• I received three PCNs for alleged overstays at  a Big Johns car park, operated by Park and Control (UK) Ltd.

• Overstayed a few hours on 3 separate occasions (within a 3ish week span)  eating food after going through their drive through.
  

• Received the V5C of the car in 30/12/2023. 
  

• The two remaining PCNs DCBL are chasing were originally 'sent' on the 15th and 19th of January 2024.

• Only actually received one PCN of the three, which I successfully challenged because was apparently in the time window

Chronology of Events

• 2024: The PCNs were issued. On all three occasions:

  • I purchased food from the restaurant.

  • I was delayed by a long drive-thru queue, told to wait in a bay, and then consumed my food in the car.

  • A restaurant staff member verbally told me I could remain while waiting for and eating the food.

• Early March 2024: DRP (Debt Recovery Plus) began contacting me regarding 3 PCNs. I only received one PCN and thought why have they added two extra?

  • DRP Worker 1 was verbally aggressive calling me stupid for not receiving the original PCN and cut off the call when I tried to explain my situation.

  • DRP Worker 2 acknowledged my situation and verbally agreed to a payment plan, which I accepted in good faith (only accepted because they said it would go to court if I didn't pay)

  • Later, DRP Worker 3 claimed no record existed of prior contact, which was false. I had witnesses and audio recordings and trust pilot reviews at that date proving I had tried to resolve the matter previously.

• March 2024: I submitted a formal complaint to Park and Control via their website and email, describing DRP’s handling and requesting to settle at the original PCN rate.

  • I never received any reply.

• One of the three PCNs was successfully appealed and cancelled (this was the only PCN I received) and somehow managed to cancel within the period. based on staff permission and delays in food service.

  • The other two PCNs occurred under identical conditions, but I had not yet received or been able to challenge them at the time since 

• March 2025: After a full year of no contact, I received a letter from DCBL dated 26/03/2025, which was delivered on 01/04/2025 — already cutting into the 14-day response window.

• April 2025: I called DCBL. They told me I could no longer appeal and that the case had nothing to do with them beyond collecting payment.

  • They refused to acknowledge the previous dispute and insisted I pay the inflated amount of £340 (the 2 remaining inflated PCNs)

  • I asked if they could send me the PCN letters which they sent via email.
    Upon looking at the PCN images, one of them actually kinda supports my claim. There is a car directly in front of me and a car behind me in the photo. This literally supports my claim that I was waiting in queue, because I am waiting in my car directly at the entrace around 6/7 cars behind the first drive through window. To put it into perspective, there were probably 10/15 cars ahead in total all ordering and Big Johns was busy at that time. 

  • I have sent emails to Park and Control directly as well as DRP and DCBL with all proof of call recordings, logs, signed statement by individuals who witnessed me calling them last year, links to trustpilot reviews, etc, but DCBL are refusing to acknowledge any of this and are threatening court.

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⚖️ Grounds for Dispute

• One of the three PCNs was already cancelled on appeal, validating that the circumstances — verbal permission to remain and delays caused by the restaurant — made enforcement inappropriate.

• The remaining two PCNs were issued under the same conditions, and should have been equally eligible for cancellation or at least review.

• DRP engaged in:

  • Harassment and rude conduct,

  • Failure to honour a verbal payment plan,

  • False denial of contact, despite my evidence,

• Park and Control ignored my formal complaint entirely.

• DCBL is now attempting to enforce the full inflated amount without acknowledging any of the procedural flaws.

What I’m Seeking Help With

• Advice on how to challenge the remaining PCNs given one was already cancelled under the same facts.

• Whether I should escalate to the Financial Ombudsman, BPA, or Trading Standards.

• Preparing for a potential court defence if it reaches that stage.

handcraftedddspecimen

Putting another case I had agaisnt DCBL into perspective.

1. 2022 – Parking Charge Issued

   • I was unaware of or unable to address the charge promptly wholly due to personal circumstances. I had lost the car due to missing a finance payment and lost the car the same month of receiving the ticket. At that same time I was having severe marital issues being away from home and not physically seeing the ticket.

2. 2023 

   • Still not at home nor being physically inside when visiting. Not knowing about mail,

   • The parking charge remains unresolved and is eventually passed on to a debt collector.

3. Early 2024

   • In April and May 2024, DCBL sent 1 letter regarding the inflated PCN, my family member (acting as an authorized representative) repeatedly contacts the debt collector to explain the personal circumstances and dispute aspects of the charge.

   • • At the time, the car park itself was subject to building works, where the payment machine was directly next to scaffolding and I couldn't see it. I asked a staff member of one of the shops if I was allowed to park because I couldn't see the machine to which they said yes its fine. The payment was literally £1, it wouldn't have been an issue if I could find the machine.

   • Despite providing a contact number and detailing the situation, the debt collector later denies that any communication was received or acknowledged.

4. Late 2024 – Escalation to Legal Action

   • DCBL transfers to DCB legal, who issue a formal demand and threaten court proceedings.

   • Concerned about receiving a County Court Judgment (CCJ) and already under severe emotional strain, I paid the escalated sum to further legal consequences. i genuinely only paid under duress.

5. Early 2025 – Subject Access Request (SAR)

   • A SAR is submitted to both the debt collector and its legal team, requesting all data and proof of communications.

   • The response is minimal and does not fully address the timeline of letters, phone calls, or emails. However, it does confirm that a phone number was provided prior to legal escalation—contradicting earlier claims that no contact was made. 

6. Present 

   • I;ve found inconsistencies between the debt collector’s statements and the legal team’s account, particularly regarding whether any pre-escalation contact attempts were ignored.

   • Additional clarifications are sought, but DCBL has tried to reset the one-month SAR response period when I asked for communication logs between myself and them claiming it was a new request (even though I already requested it in the original SAR)

   • I've also seen from the SAR that the original PCN (which would've been provided in April 2024 had DCBL actually replied) that it was a double dip. The PCN shows me entering the area twice but never leaving. After contacting Secure parking solutions they said I tried to circumnavigate their ANPR camera to avoid parking charges.... They have closed the case and will charge me £20 if I email again regarding more info on the SAR. Despite literally providing the most minimal SAR.
     

   • DCB legal have only sent the exact same response as DCBL, a copy of the original PCN, and a few email exchanges I had. Nothing to show I contacted them. Even though I have phone call log proofs.

Coupon-mad

Just wait for the court claims. Easy to defend.

Don't ever agree payment plans; my goodness you don't PAY these scams nor phone these firms.

handcraftedddspecimen

Coupon-mad said:

Just wait for the court claims. Easy to defend.

Don't ever agree payment plans; my goodness you don't PAY these scams nor phone these firms.

Thanks. Do you have any advice in particular and do you think all my evidence is sufficient? I don't want them to say I "he paid before because he knows its a common thing he does" etc. Do you also think there's anything I can do about the previous one I paid. They've genuinely tired me out but I want to fight against them till I'm refunded

Coupon-mad

You can't get a refund. You were scammed. Don't do that again. You want a court claim to defend because that's when you win.

Read the 4th post (your stage) then the 2nd post (court stage) of the NEWBIES thread. There is no CCJ risk with what we do.

Show us this reply please (of course redact name, address, email address & refs). This isn't the one you paid, is it?

it was a double dip. The PCN shows me entering the area twice but never leaving. After contacting Secure parking solutions they said I tried to circumnavigate their ANPR camera to avoid parking charges...

handcraftedddspecimen

Coupon-mad said:

You can't get a refund. You were scammed. Don't do that again. You want a court claim to defend because that's when you win.

Read the 4th post (your stage) then the 2nd post (court stage) of the NEWBIES thread. There is no CCJ risk with what we do.

Show us this reply please (of course redact name, address, email address & refs). This isn't the one you paid, is it?

it was a double dip. The PCN shows me entering the area twice but never leaving. After contacting Secure parking solutions they said I tried to circumnavigate their ANPR camera to avoid parking charges...

So the double dip one I paid because I didn't know what to do when I got the DCB legal letter and then a nottignham court letter. I tried to contact DCB legal because I couldn't understand what to do with the court looking letter. They kept ignoring me and kept saying you'll get a CCJ if you don't pay. So I ended up paying.

The first post (original post) I have not paid. This is the Big johns one. Thanks for all your help.

Gr1pr

I doubt that it was a letter from Nottingham court,  especially if you are not near Nottingham 

More likely to have been a court claim pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL,  the centralised business centre for the claims,  one civil service office that serves England and Wales for civil court claims , not a court

Ignore the debt collectors letters 

Do not ignore a 30 day notice Letter of Claim,  or an N1SDT Court claim pack from Northampton either 

Coupon-mad

I wish you'd come here with that EASY TO DEFEND claim form. Too late now.