DCBLegal - £1020 letter of claim! HELP

Sarahpuggy

I am reading the newbies thread alongside but wanted some specific advice please. Hope someone can help – feeling a bit stressed!

I recently got a letter from DCBL bailiffs to say I had 6 unpaid tickets, 3 from 2020 and 3 from 2021 and it totals £1020!!

I have not ever received anything before this letter so it was a huge surprise.

The car park in question is opposite where I worked at the time, and I parked there 2-3 days a week for over 5 years. I would pay via the ringo app. I have worked out I must have paid around £3500 to this car park over those years, maybe more.

I can only think that for whatever reason on those days the payment on the app has not gone through or something. Occasionally the app would come up with a repeated error, but I would usually just keep trying for an hour or so and it would go through.

I can only see back a few months on the app, so I have screen shot the most recent few months.

Unfortunately the bank account I would have used back then is now closed – my husband and I condensed into one joint one in Jan 2023. I will have payments to them from them until June 2025 though to show consistent payments. I left the job early June this year.

How likely are DCBL to take this to court with them saying its such a big amount? I will try to follow everything in the thread about what to do.

I sent a letter to DCBL bailiffs saying all of this above and now I have a letter from DCBLegal to say pay within 30 days or going to court etc.

I am also now worried there may be more of these as I’ve been parking there for so long!

 

Thank you so much for any help or advice.

Nellymoser

You better check the address on your DVLA V5C is correct as that's a lot of pcn correspondence you've not received.
If incorrect action is needed to update it.

Gr1pr

Name the private parking company 

Those pcn letters definitely went somewhere,  probably to an old address due to not updating the DVLA 

Email the LoC template response to DCB Legal,  found in the second post in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum 

DCBL wont and cannot take this to court,  but DCB Legal can and will issue a court claim against you using MCOL and are likely to take it all the way through to a hearing because there are 6 outstanding pcns at £100 a pop   ( or more  )

Sarahpuggy

Thanks - DVLA is correct and always has been. It's very weird!
It's DCB legal I have the letter of claim from. 

When you say name the private parking company - do you mean the name of the car park? I believe its smart parking that run the site. 

I am feeling very sick about this, I am not one to get anything like this. I can't really afford to pay this either

Car1980

You can still obtain statements from a closed account, so request them.

I really think the "meetings of minds", or objective manifestation of assent aspect of contract law applies to these cases. If you park hundreds of times and have paid £3500, in the 1% of cases where the payment hasn't gone through, or whatever, the "penalty" payments are unjustifiable. The contract becomes more of a Sword of Damacles rather than a objectively fair agreement both parties have willingly entered into.

"The contract is judged by what a reasonable person would understand from the actions and words of the parties involved, rather than their unexpressed, subjective intentions."

Gr1pr

So the private parking company is likely to be Smart Parking,  with DCB Legal acting on their behalf 

Name the actual location of this private car park 

Sarahpuggy

It's Currer St, Bradford BD1 4DY

Coupon-mad

You'll never pay this. The sum is inflated and clearly you can demonstrate you are a paying patron  Do read the second post of the NEWBIES thread now.

No phoning the scammers. You can easily defend the claim form when it comes. We do this all the time.

Your V5C wasn't updated at the time though was it? Hence the letters went to your old address. Have you sorted that address now?

Now read this message and please prepare to join us to do the Public Consultation once we've discussed it in August. It's vital the Government hears from Defendants threatened by court:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81552148/#Comment_81552148

Please bookmark the main thread linked in that link. Come back in August to take part.

We need to drown out the 'alternative facts' from the parking industry and their relatives posing as ordinary motorist consumers. They always get their mates to respond so we need a stronger voice and better evidence.

Sarahpuggy

Coupon-mad said:

You'll never pay this. The sum is inflated and clearly you can demonstrate you are a paying patron  Do read the second post of the NEWBIES thread now.

No phoning the scammers. You can easily defend the claim form when it comes. We do this all the time.

Your V5C wasn't updated at the time though was it? Hence the letters went to your old address. Have you sorted that address now?

Now read this message and please prepare to join us to do the Public Consultation once we've discussed it in August. It's vital the Government hears from Defendants threatened by court:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81552148/#Comment_81552148

Please bookmark the main thread linked in that link. Come back in August to take part.

We need to drown out the 'alternative facts' from the parking industry and their relatives posing as ordinary motorist consumers. They always get their mates to respond so we need a stronger voice and better evidence.

Thank you, that's reassuring and I will for sure try to follow the steps. My V5 was updated yes, I am 99% sure. I had a different car back then too. I appreciate the help, and will for sure come in August to help. I'll try to update as I can. 

Sarahpuggy

Sorry - I can't seem to find the email address for DCB Legal's solicitors like you suggested. Can I send it to their info@ email address?

Gr1pr

Yes, use the info@ address