Letter from DCB LEGAL - parking fine

paramedic124

Hello guys. 

Sorry this is going to be a long one and I’m new to this forum so bare with. 

On 16th May 2025 I received a letter from dcbl titled ‘notice of debt recovery - multiple unpaid parking charges £340’. They attached another letter to this with my old car number plate and two dates they are claiming I hadn’t paid for a ticket - 21/04/2021 and 09/05/2021. I have had no previous letters regarding these fines and with the dates being so long ago I assumed this letter was a scam. 

I then received another letter on 3rd July 2025 titled ‘Letter of Claim’ from dcb legal. This letter stated it was a formal letter of claim in accordance with the pre-action protocol for debt claims. It also stated I needed to pay within 30 days. I was on holiday in July and only recently returned so didn’t see this letter until after the 30 days had passed. 

Yesterday I received a very scary looking letter with HM courts and tribunal service logo at the top, although it is from DCB Legal. It outlines the particulars of claim. They are now stating I owe £562.40 and stated they could request a CCJ against me if I don’t pay. 

I obviously do not want to pay this but also never had any parking fines at the time of the alleged offence so I’m unsure why several years later I’ve had these three letters? 

The only thing concerning me is, in the same month of as the fines I was going through a bit of a messy divorce and my ex kept the house so I’m worried that fines could have gone there and she wouldn’t have necessarily told me. 

Please help me on where I go from here. I have tried to read all the other threads but they just don’t make sense to me (someone please dumb it down) 

thanks in advance!! 

Gr1pr

Definitely not fines, just invoices 

Now you have an N1SDT court claim pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL that has arrived in the post 

Study the 2nd post in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum,  usually 4th from the top 

Then study the template defence thread in announcements too, usually 2nd from the top 

Post the Issue date from the top right of the claim form below 

Post a redacted picture of the POC from the lower left of the claim form below after hiding the VRM details first 

Coupon-mad

Obviously I do not want to pay this but also never had any parking fines at the time of the alleged offence so I’m unsure why several years later I’ve had these three letters?

Because your car's logbook address at the time of the incidents had an old address on it. The PCNs went there. Then the parking firm handed a bulk load of PCNs to DCB Group to chase.

Yesterday I received a very scary looking letter with HM courts and tribunal service logo at the top, although it is from DCB Legal.

It isn't.

It is a Claim Form filed by DCB Legal with HM courts and tribunal service (the CNBC at Northampton). You can see it matches the claim forms seen on EVERY thread here. Read half a dozen. This is easy to defend.

Read post 2 of the NEWBIES thread.

paramedic124

I think this is the page you’re asking for?

thanks so much for that advice so far though. 

Coupon-mad

Exactly the same as all the other Smart Parking claims this year. Search the forum.

paramedic124

I’ve had a look through all the threads. Sorry I just can’t work it out.. Following my specific letter who am I writing back to and which template do I send please?

ChirpyChicken

Its a court claim follow the newbies section on court claims

Gr1pr

You are not writing or sending anything to anyone 

You are drafting your defence using the template defence in the announcement of the same name , at the very top of this forum 

Just look at a dozen recent dcb legal cases to see how to end paragraph 2 and to draft your bespoke paragraph 3

You will be copying and pasting it into the MCOL defence box,  and clicking on submit,  when complete 

paramedic124

So following the claim form I’ve been sent I don’t return anything to that address? 

ChirpyChicken

You use the MCOL as described in the relevant newbies guide 

Gr1pr

paramedic124 said:

So following the claim form I’ve been sent I don’t return anything to that address? 

Correct,  no paperwork,  everything on MCOL for the time being 

Login and complete the AOS online for now,  to extend the deadline