ELMS Legal AOS stage - 8 of 10 signs in car park missing

Le_Kirk

Serigala said:

So as is typical left completing the defence to the last date. (Submitted my AOS 19/7/25)
Issue Date 9/7/25 Today 6/8/25 is 28 days. I think I have 28 or 30 or 33. 

So using my Government Gateway I can't find the case online.
I submit the Claim Number and password but it is telling me there is an error. 

Mistaking 0 for O or 1 for I or l (lower case) for L sometimes does it. The calculation for working out your defence submission date is on the reverse of the N1SDT form

Serigala

Coupon-mad said:

Yes...we know the email addresses. We already provide them in the Template Defence thread.

You won't be using a form. Until last month we always emailed defences aa an attached (signed & dated) PDF, so this is normal stuff found on the forum.

The issue you have is you can't just send some words in an email: you must create a word doc, add the claim details headers and the Statement of Truth, signature and date at the bottom. All those headers and footers are required if emailing it (as a PDF). I bet they didn't explain that.

To see examples of the headers and Statement of Truth, look at defences from the first 6 months of this year, or from 2024. Posted thousands of times here in the past decade.

Wouldn't it be easier to ensure that I didn't miss anything if I submit their form with additional pages for the defence? That is what the helpline did tell me I could do.

Thanks again.

Coupon-mad

But that'll be a handwritten defence won't it?

Serigala

I emailed the intent to defend this claim and have just received 2 different letters through the post.

A notice of proposed allocation to the Small Claims Track.
(Dated 9th September - arrived last week - this requires a response by 26th September).

A letter from ELMS Legal with their Directions Questionnaire. (arrived 23rd September). I assume this is their version of the form I must complete by 26th.

Is this all as expected?
Keep going?

Thanks

Coupon-mad

Yes - see the first 8 steps in the Template Defence thread. It's all covered.

Serigala

Many Thanks
Emailed the completed N180 to the DQ.CNBC@justice.gov.uk (from the Template thread) and debtassist@elmslegal.co.uk (ELMS legal address given on their N180 form). 

Coupon-mad

Elms Legal will step away at some point as they only file claims (i.e. they only do the early admin). That doesn't mean the case ends; the parking firm take it over for WS and hearings.

Serigala

Got this response from ELMS...

NG34 7TQ

This email is automatically generated; please do not reply to this message.

Hello,

Thank you for your email.

I can confirm this has been received by the Debt Assist Team and we will endeavour to process your email within 4 working days.

Please be advised that we do not accept service of any court documents via email and please serve any court documents to the following postal address:

 

ELMS Legal Ltd

31 Handley Street

Sleaford

Lincolnshire

Is the Directions Questionnaire a court document? Do they have the right to refuse to accept my copy of the form by email, bearing in mind their email is on the form they sent me.
Should I bother sending a printed copy of the form to the address?   

Thanks

Coupon-mad

No don't bother! They can go swivel.