Smart Parking via DCB Legal 2025

SeaCarrots

Hi all,

I’m looking for some advice regarding a recent claim from DCB Legal which has now led to a court letter from HM Courts & Tribunals Service (Civil National Business Centre, Northampton).

The background:

• The claim relates to a private parking charge from 18/07/2021 for overstaying in a free car park (managed by Smart Parking Ltd).
• I originally ignored the earlier letters, and for years I heard nothing further.
• About a month ago, I began receiving letters from DCB Legal, which I also ignored, thinking it might go away as the earlier ones did.
• However, I received an official court letter dated 18th August 2025.

I am worried about what to do next. I accept that I did overstay at the time (though I can’t recall the exact details now), but I’m concerned about the potential consequences, especially as I am planning to apply for a mortgage next year and do not want anything affecting my credit record.

The claim details are as follows:

• Amount claimed: £228.44
• Court fee: £35
• Legal representative’s costs: £50

Based off of some other posts I have applied for the Acknowledgement of Service extension.

This should give me till the 20th September to work it out. 

My questions are:

• Should I try to fight this, or would it be better to pay/settle at this stage?
• Is it worth contacting DCB Legal to try to negotiate a lower settlement figure?
• What are the immediate steps I need to take to protect myself from a CCJ?
• Do I even have a leg to stand on? It’s not like I have any evidence from that date anymore. 
• What sort of information could I even use as a defence? 
• What is the actual process that now follows. 

I understand I have been slow to follow up with this once I got the Acknowledgement of Service, it gave me some breathing room in which I took but now the panic is setting in again. Any guidance on the next steps or what I need to do for statement? 

Thanks in advance.

Gr1pr

Deadline is 4pm on Monday 22nd, not Saturday , never on a weekend 

Fight, copy a recent Smart Parking defence from here over the last few weeks,  adapt as required 

No, no settlement,  maybe at mediation,  but not now

Once your defence is submitted on MCOL,  follow the process outlined in the defence template thread in announcements near the top of the forum 

Coupon-mad

You want to add the same paragraphs 3 & 4 as seen in all Smart Parking defences. Copy!

There are a dozen recent Smart ones linked on page 14 of the Public Consultation thread linked below:

FIGHTBACK ALERT: Please do the government's Public Consultation. We need every poster to complete this vital survey before the deadline. See this thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6617396/parking-code-of-practice-consultation-now-extended-closes-friday-26th-september/p1

PLEASE DO IT! Thanks.