Help with Court Claim

BMW_Mad17

Hey there! I’m in a bit of a sticky situation and could really use your expertise. I’ve got a court claim for a few parking tickets I got at the same spot on three different days.

Here’s the scoop: we usually head to the quayside, park up, and take a stroll at night. I hadn’t been there in ages, and honestly, I’d never gotten any parking tickets before from that said location. 

So, about a week later, I start getting these parking ticket letters with my registration plate pictures. I was totally shocked because I’d never seen this before, especially at that spot. I parked there three times, and I got three letters!

The letters said it was St Ann’s Sandgate MSCP, but I didn’t park in the multi-story building, I parked outside on the road. After I got the letters, I went there on foot and saw signs saying no parking at all.

Since it was a private parking company, I just ignored the letters.

Then, after a while, they got passed on to Trace Debt Recovery, and then to Moorside Legal.

About a month later, I got a letter with a county court claim form. Date received was 23/09/2025.

I read the newbie forum post and, after a few days, submitted an AOS on MCOL. As far as I know, now I’ve got to start getting ready for my defence. I then submitted the AOS on 26/09/2025

That’s where I need your expert help to guide me. If you have any questions, please ask, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. 

Thanks

Le_Kirk

With an issue date of 19/09/25 and having completed the AoS in a timely manner

your defence deadline date is 4.00 p.m. on 22/10/25

doubledotcom

Has the claim form changed? Where is the SoT with Sarah Ensall's name and position?

Send the following email to info@dcblegal.co.uk and CC yourself:

Subject: Claim [court reference] – Authority to conduct litigation

Dear Sir/Madam,

I refer to the Claim Form (N1SDT) filed/served in this matter. The document is signed on behalf of the Claimant by Sarah Ensall, whose position is given as Head of Legal.

Please confirm by return:

1. WhetherMs Ensall is an authorised person for the purposes of the Legal Services Act 2007 with current rights to conduct litigation (provide SRA or CILEX number and practising status); or, if not,

2. The precise exemption relied upon under Schedule 3 of the Legal Services Act 2007 that permits her to conduct litigation and sign this document in these proceedings (provide the sealed court order or statutory provision if applicable).

For the avoidance of doubt, preparing, signing, filing or serving this document is an act of conducting litigation. Following the High Court decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP, unqualified employees may provide support but cannot themselves conduct litigation unless authorised or exempt.

If the document has been signed by a person who is not authorised or exempt, or must be re-filed/served, I will treat this as unreasonable conduct. In line with Mazur and CPR 27.14(2)(g), I, as a litigant in person, will invite the Court, in its discretion, to order the Claimant to pay the Defendant’s costs caused by your firm’s irregular conduct (and, if appropriate, consider wasted costs against representatives).

Absent confirmation, I reserve the right to raise this matter with the Court and the SRA.

Yours faithfully,
[full name]
[address]
[email]

Gr1pr

Its Moorside Legal,  not DCB LEGAL,  but the SoT will be on the back and signed by one of theirs

The alleged breach is not pleaded , nor is the number of pcns either, but probably 3 pcns

Coupon-mad

Easy to defend. Even para 3 is already written for these cases (see Template Defence thread) but the OP should add a line stating that the Defendant denies that the vehicle was ever parked in the multi-storey car park known as St Ann’s Sandgate MSCP.

doubledotcom

Gr1pr said:

Its Moorside Legal,  not DCB LEGAL,  but the SoT will be on the back and signed by one of theirs

The alleged breach is not pleaded , nor is the number of pcns either, but probably 3 pcns

In which case we need to see the name of the person who has signed it and in what capacity and on behalf of whom. I note that many Moorside Legal claims are signed by Ibrar Ahmad. However, he is not listed as an SRA regulated solicitor with Moorside but with Osbourne Pinner Ltd.

This poses further questions that need clarification. Does he have actual retainer/authority from Moorside to act?

These shifty bulk litigators, especially one as incompetent as Moorside Legal, need to be brought to account.

BMW_Mad17

doubledotcom said:

Gr1pr said:

Its Moorside Legal,  not DCB LEGAL,  but the SoT will be on the back and signed by one of theirs

The alleged breach is not pleaded , nor is the number of pcns either, but probably 3 pcns

In which case we need to see the name of the person who has signed it and in what capacity and on behalf of whom. I note that many Moorside Legal claims are signed by Ibrar Ahmad. However, he is not listed as an SRA regulated solicitor with Moorside but with Osbourne Pinner Ltd.

This poses further questions that need clarification. Does he have actual retainer/authority from Moorside to act?

These shifty bulk litigators, especially one as incompetent as Moorside Legal, need to be brought to account.

Here’s the SoT:

Thanks for the advice given, I’m going to look at the defence template, edit it and post it on here to get your thoughts if I need to change anything. 

jd576

BMW_Mad17 said:

Here’s the SoT:

Thanks for the advice given, I’m going to look at the defence template, edit it and post it on here to get your thoughts if I need to change anything. 

Thomas Clough is an authorised person, so the Mazur judgement won't hold any sway here I believe.

Gr1pr said:

The alleged breach is not pleaded , nor is the number of pcns either, but probably 3 pcns

Particulars of claim must state the exact term of the contract that you breached, otherwise it is in violation of Practice Direction 16.7.5 and and you can ask to have their claim struck out: “Where a claim is based upon an agreement by conduct, the particulars of claim must specify the conduct relied on and state by whom, when and where the acts constituting the conduct were done”. 

Civil Enforcement Limited v Chan [2023] E7GM9W44 and of Car Park Management Service Ltd v Akande [2024] K0DP5J30 are appeal judgements that, while not binding, certainly in my case were persuasive enough to get a claim struck out. 

In your original post, you've failed to redact your name from the letter just above the Letter before Claim. Ditto for the 3 above that one.

Coupon-mad

All the wording to defend a Moorside case is already in the Template Defence thread.