Please help - DCB Legal Letter of claim

Annownboi

Hi,

I’ve recently received a letter from DCB Legal requesting payment of an outstanding £170 for a parking charge from May 2022. I wanted some advice on how to proceed.

For context, the charge relates to my first day working at Home Bargains, which is located in a retail park. As part of the induction on that same day, we were asked to provide our car registration so it could be added to the system to prevent parking fines. Unfortunately, the manager at the time clearly didn’t process my details properly, and I later received a notice from Euro Car Parks.

When I raised this with the manager, she assured me not to worry, said she’d sort it, and advised me not to pay or appeal. In hindsight, I should’ve appealed directly — that’s my mistake.

Three years later, I’ve now had letters from DCBL and DCB Legal demanding payment. I was initially going to ignore it again, but after reading others’ experiences, I’m now reconsidering and wondering if it’s worth disputing.

The only evidence I have is my employment contract, which confirms my start date and includes the manager’s name, signature and date. I’ve tried to contact Home Bargains/TJ Morris to get any proof of my work attendance that day, but haven’t had any luck.

Part of me feels I should just pay it and be done with it, but I also feel it’s unfair since the error wasn’t mine.

Any guidance on what I should do next would be really appreciated.

Thank you!

Gr1pr

Study the second post in the newbies sticky thread,  then email the LoC response template to DCB Legal 

Then wait for the inevitable N1SDT court claim pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL to arrive in the post next month 

DE_612183

1. do not pay
2. complain to Home Bargains
3. read the newbies thread

Gr1pr

Home Bargains will be a tenant,  so complain to the retail park management company or landlord or landowner 

Annownboi

Thank you for the replies. 

I will go ahead and email the LoC template to them. Should I include the part about me starting my new job at Home Bargains or just leave it as it is ? 

In the meantime, I will also try and complain to the retail park management / landowner. 

ChirpyChicken

Send it /dont send it you will still get a claim 

Gr1pr

Add a note that Home Bargains stated that the newly employed driver could park on site and they would add the VRM details to the whitelist,  so you will be relying on promissory estoppel due to receiving permission to park and any authorisation was beyond your control,  so this will be the main part of any future defence 

Even if it fails to stop a court claim,  they usually discontinue before the hearing fee is due,  so I don’t think that you have anything to worry about 

Annownboi

Okay I will do that, thank you