DCBLegal Parking from 2020

fars084

Hi,

I have received a letter a few months ago from DCBLegal saying that i had to pay £1020 pound for a parking fine from 2020 for apparently using a shop car park for a couple of 9 minute stays. 

These were legitimate trips to the shop and they have only chosen a few trips to take issue with which is odd as i was at the shop almost every other day but these other stays were apparently no issue.

Using the template on this forum I contacted them,

Dear Sirs,

Ref: 711200232231SMP
Claimant: Poundstretcher Ltd

I acknowledge receipt of your Letter of Claim. Please note that, for the purposes of service, my address is temporarily as follows, and any previous address for service should be deleted from your files:

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I dispute the existence and amount of the alleged debt. Any court proceedings issued in respect of this matter will be defended on all available grounds. In accordance with paragraph 2.4 of the PAP, we formally request an extension of 30 days from the date of your Letter of Claim to enable our client to obtain independent debt advice and to consider the particulars of your claim.

I further invite you to provide, in writing, the following particulars pursuant to paragraph 3.1 of the PAP:

1. Breakdown of the Additional Charges:
   a. Please confirm whether the sum added to the principal alleged Parking Charge Notice (“PCN”) represents a “Debt Recovery Fee.”
   b. If so, specify whether that fee is stated net of VAT or inclusive of VAT. If the latter, please explain the legal basis upon which VAT is claimed in respect of the operator’s fees.

2. Nature of the Principal Sum Claimed:
   a. Clarify whether the principal PCN sum is asserted as liquidated damages, or whether it will be pleaded as consideration for a contractual license to park on the premises.

For completeness, I have been a regular customer of the Poundstretcher store at which the PCN was issued and understands that no parking charge is ordinarily levied for bona fide customers who patronise the shop.

Regards,

now 5 weeks later I have received this email,

We write in response to your correspondence received in our office.

The parking charge has been issued due to insufficient paid time. The signs on site would have clearly outlined the terms and conditions of the site.

When parking on private land, the contractual terms of the site are set out on the signs. You are entering a contract and agreeing to the terms by parking and staying on the site. Parking in breach of the terms as stipulated on the signage means that you are then breaking the terms of the contract.

The amount owed is a genuine pre-estimate of the losses incurred in managing the parking location to ensure compliance with the clearly displayed terms and conditions. However, in Parking Eye Ltd v Beavis, it was found, both at County Court and Court of Appeal level, that appealing a Parking Charge on the basis that the amount is not a genuine pre-estimate of loss is, in fact, not a successful legal defence.

The sum added is a contribution to the actual costs incurred by our Client as a result of your non-payment. Our Client’s employees have spent time and material attempting to recover the debt. This is not our Client’s usual business and the resources could have been better spent in other areas of the business. Had you of paid as per the Contract, there would have been no need for recovery action so the amount due would not have increased. 

For the avoidance of doubt, the outstanding balance consists of £100.00 for the breach in contract as per the signage displayed on site, and £70.00 debt recovery fee, per parking charge.

The HMRC ‘VAT Supply and Consideration manual’ (VATSC06140), confirmed that parking charge falls out of the scope of VAT.

You now have 30 days from the date of this email/letter to make payment of £1,020.00. Failure to make payment will result in a Claim being issued against you without any further reference.

Payment can be made via bank transfer to our designated client account: -

• Account Name: DCB Legal Ltd Client Account
• Sort Code: 20-24-09
• Account Number: 60964441

Gr1pr

Is it Smart Parking via DCB Legal   ?

How many outstanding pcns in total   ?

Do you have a Letter of Claim giving you 30 days notice   ?

Do you have an N1SDT court claim pack from the CNBC in Northampton using MCOL in the post yet  ?

fars084

Hi,

Yep its smart parking via dcblegal,

They are saying this £1020 is for 6 parking fines, all from the same 1 week period in 2020,

I have a letter of "Final Notice of Debt Recovery" from 7th July 2025, this was the first letter i received, its just the email i received today says "you now have 30 days",

No, I have not got a N1SDT claim pack, they are linking these fines to the north west so im not sure if Northampton forms are relevant?

Gr1pr

Definitely no fines,  just 6 outstanding invoices from Smart Parking 

Wait for the formal Letter of Claim giving you 30 days notice to arrive in the post ( not email,  not text, no phone calls either   )

If you have moved in the last 6 years,  ensure that the DPO at Smart Parking has your current address for the service of papers and they must erase all old addresses, because you don't want any court claim going to an old address 

fars084

okay thankyou for the re-assurance, i thought this may be the case that they are just invoices which i have no intention of paying....

i did include my address in my email (redacted above) to them so they do have it,

"I acknowledge receipt of your Letter of Claim. Please note that, for the purposes of service, my address is temporarily as follows, and any previous address for service should be deleted from your files:

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what do you suggest as my next course of action?

is there anything i can do to stop these criminals emailing me or sending letters? 

or just hold tight for now?

Coupon-mad

Why did you put in your response "Claimant: Poundstretcher Ltd"?

They aren't a parking firm.

 I have not got a N1SDT claim pack, they are linking these fines to the north west so im not sure if Northampton forms are relevant?

Sorry? I think you misunderstand: all claims using the MCOL system regarding defendants in any part of England & Wales are churned out from Northampton as an admin centre. Obviously they aren't heard there!

And Smart Parking cases don't proceed to hearings anyway.

When you get your Claim Form in the Autumn, you just defend. Dead easy. Your case is the same as all the other Smart / DCB Legal defences that include the words signatory misled POFA.

fars084

hi,

i put poundstretcher as this is the car park they are trying to claim from, this was a mistake in hindsight,

yep, i was not aware that all claims in the uk are directed to Northampton...should i acquire one of these N1SDT forms, or hold tight for their Claim Form in Autumn and ignore todays email for now?

I am unsure what "signatory misled POFA" means, is this referring to the fact they are just making up fake fines and have no legal standing?

many thanks,

Gr1pr

You dont acquire it, it's part of the centralised Money Claim system,  so you will receive it by post once the legal firm start a Money Claim using MCOL,  same as everyone else in England and Wales that has the same or similar issues 

You can probably expect it within a couple of months,  by snail mail,  not email 

That terminology in bold are your search words in the forum search box to find and use similar cases like yours, meaning that you don't have to start from scratch 

fars084

okay thankyou for your help, 

i will not make any further correspondence to them and will update this thread in the coming weeks as things develop,

Coupon-mad

fars084 said:

I am unsure what "signatory misled POFA" means, is this referring to the fact they are just making up fake fines and have no legal standing?

No.

Sorry I thought this was clear: I've given you those as forum search words.

It's primarily a self help forum (not entirely down to us regulars to field everything even though we do!) so it will help you to search and research a bit, in readiness.

fars084

okay cheers, will do, and appreciate the help,