Help please - now receiving letters from HM Courts & Tribunals Service

JonHeath1980

Hi,

We have a private parking ticket. Unfortunately we've probably not done the right thing to date, and just ignored it. Would appreciate some help please on how we can turn this around as the claim is now up to £261.84 which we can't afford.

The ticket was in a car park behind a local high street. One where if you stay over 2 hours they then charge you (it's free up to 2 hours). We weren't even aware of this. We over stayed by around 19 minutes. We've gone back since, and whilst there are signs, they aren't very obvious and the car park was completely rammed. We've ignored their invoices and we've now received a "money claim" from HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

I've attached the original PCN, and the latest letter from HM Courts & Tribunals Service. I've blanked out personal information.

They've given us 14 days from 14/10 to complete a Claim Form / Response Pack. We don't know what to do. Would be very grateful for some advice.

Many thanks

Coupon-mad

Just defend it using the Template Defence. DCB Legal will discontinue in 2026.

Nellymoser

A bit more redacting needed in your posted images (circle with 3 dots let's you edit).
PCN Ref No, car reg showing on pcn and car reg in and below photos.
Car reg also in particular of claim section on the Claim form.

Le_Kirk

With an issue date of 14/10/25 and providing you complete(d) the AoS after 19/10/25 and before 02/11/25

your defence deadline date is 4.00 p.m. on 17/11/25

JonHeath1980

Thanks for the replies.

So we should use the Template Defence. We'll get that done.

AND

We should fill in the Acknowledgment of Service bit of the "Response Pack" saying we "intend to defend all of this claim"?....should we also fill in the "Defence and Counterclaim" section? This has a free text "Defence" box? Do we copy and paste the defence constructed from the Template Defence?

Many thanks

Gr1pr

Complete the AOS online on MCOL ASAP,  no paperwork involved 

When your final draft defence is completed,  you will copy and paste into the defence box,  save, and submit,  again no paperwork 

Put your paperwork in a drawer or somewhere safe

JonHeath1980

Hi everyone again.

We did as above - submitted a defence as per the template.

We've now had a "Notice of Proposed Allocation to the Small Claims Track" through the post.

We now need to fill in the Small Claims Directions Questionnaire (Form N180) by 5th January. Looks like a paper only form (?) and it wants us to serve copies on all other parties.

What's the advice at this stage please?

Gr1pr

Study the 8 steps in the defence template thread in announcements 

Download the N180 DQ pdf document from the government website,  fill it in,  save it,  attach it to your email and send it to the DQ email address in the 8 steps  ( file the paperwork. )

Coupon-mad

JonHeath1980 said:

Hi everyone again.

We did as above - submitted a defence as per the template.

We've now had a "Notice of Proposed Allocation to the Small Claims Track" through the post.

We now need to fill in the Small Claims Directions Questionnaire (Form N180) by 5th January. Looks like a paper only form (?) and it wants us to serve copies on all other parties.

What's the advice at this stage please?

Reread the Template Defence thread.

See you in 6 months.

Gr1pr

Fill in the online N180 DQ document on the government website,  save it,  and then download it ( or download it and fill it in and save it  ).  Then email it as an attachment,  as explained in the 8 steps in the defence template thread in announcements 

No paperwork,  no scans or pictures,  no posting either 

Put the paperwork in a drawer or file,  unused

As previously mentioned 

JonHeath1980

Hi everyone,

We've now had a notice of allocation to the Small Claims Track (Hearing) through the post. Giving us until 25th May to provide witness statements and documents to the court, and then allocating us a hearing 23rd June. It also says if the claimant doesn't pay the court fee of £27 by May 26th then the claim will be struck out.

I've attached the 4 pages for reference.

page1.jpg

page2.jpg

page3.jpg

page4.jpg

Separately to that a case manager at "DCB Legal ltd" has emailed today asking us to phone as their client "is prepared to make an offer to potentially conclude this matter". We're planning on ignoring this.

What is the advise please regarding handling the letter. Do we need to provide witness statements again when we've already provided our viewpoint in previous stages?

Is the most likely outcome still that they won't pay the fee and it'll get dropped?

Thanks