DCB LEGAL - SMART PARKING

mr_stripey

Hi posting this for a friend

Have read the FAQ's and though I am sure the questions I want to ask are covered there somewhere, I needed to get some clarity so I thank the wonderful people here in advance

Attached is the claim form from SMART PARKING UK (DCB LEGAL)

Friend says he received (and ignored) letters about this at a previous address around the time of the parking "infringment" around 2020 

Recently he has had letter(s) and then this claim form at his new address.

So my questions are - what are his options at this point? If he continues to ignore will he end up with the CCJ. If he is to defend, then what should that defence be? I don't know what the circumstances are around the parking incident but I will ask him the question (if it is relevant)

Thank you all in advance

EDIT - am struggling to upload the document 

issue date is 24 / 10 / 2025

particulars of claim:

1. defendent is indebted to the claimant for a parking charge issued to vehicle xxxxx at Harwood House, Melton Mowbray

2. date of contravention is 04/11/2020 and the D was issued with a PC by the claimant

3. defendent is persued as the driver of the vehicle for breach of the T&C (the contract) Reason- unathorised parking

4. in the alternative the defendant is pursued as the keeper pursuant to POFA 2012 Sch4

CLAIMANT CLAIMS

£170 being the total of the PC

Interest

Court fees

£326.44

ChirpyChicken

ok just follow the newbies

Gr1pr

As above, newbies sticky thread post 2, I'm announcements 

Same advice as in this thread below 

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6636568/claim-form#latest

They are not the same parking company but the advice is the same,  just a slightly longer defence for a Smart Parking case like your friends  ( but 95% is the same   )

Le_Kirk

With an issue date of 24/10/25 and providing they complete(d) the AoS after 29/10/25 and before 12/11/25 your defence deadline date is 4.00 p.m. on 26/11/25

mr_stripey

Thanks guys - have read and tried to understand the newbies post as best I can

So if I may ask a couple more questions

I don't think there is a defence as such from my friend other than perhaps not even remembering if it was him or his then girlfriend. So it the defence of "I don't know who was driving" sufficient.

Spoke to him last night and he's flustered saying "i'm just going to pay it, I don't want a CCJ". I;m still trying to deter him from that

So in a nutshell does he send a slighly more smartly worded version of the "defence" above by email. Will the email address be on the documents he has been sent (I haven't seen all the pages yet, just the cover sheet and claim form)

I'm sorry if this is covered in the thread but I'm up against it with work and travel and want to try and guide him before he caves in and pays it

A thousand thank yous in advance

ChirpyChicken

Tell him he will not get a CCJ from this as you will be following the advice on here
you dont use email you log it on the MCOL portal all described in the newbies
you must tell him he will not need to worry about getting a ccj

James_Poisson

No, "I don't know who was driving" is not sufficient but:

Reason- unathorised parking

If he wasn't authorised to park there was no contract so they cannot issue a charge for it, they did not offer a contract, it was trespass and you cannot be charged a fee for trespass by a third party.

In addition if it is here, this is the nearest GSV to that date the signage is non compliant, no entrance signage, small sign hidden on the right, large sign at the back which is contradictory, which is right? 

WARNING PRIVATE CAR PARK

PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK

NO PARKING

Unfortunately upload isn't working again but is this the place, nearest date is Sept 2021:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Harwood+House,+14+Park+Rd,+Melton+Mowbray+LE13+1TT/@52.7665447,-0.8886043,3a,30y,218.12h,87.81t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s9tp1TBFEkfCojdmAqVrbmA!2e0!5s20210901T000000!6shttps://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?cb_client=maps_sv.tactile&w=900&h=600&pitch=2.1863351740230286&panoid=9tp1TBFEkfCojdmAqVrbmA&yaw=218.1217167018339!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x4879d41e4d7e1ea5:0xca50247e7a2cf372!8m2!3d52.7665051!4d-0.8889686!16s/g/11q2sxy8_7?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAyNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

mr_stripey

James_Poisson said:

No, "I don't know who was driving" is not sufficient but:

Reason- unathorised parking

If he wasn't authorised to park there was not contract so they cannot issue a charge for it, they did not offer a contract, it was trespass and you cannot be charged a fee for trespass by a third party.

In addition if it is here, this is the nearest GSV to that date the signage is non compliant, no entrance signage, small sign hidden on the right, large sign at the back which is contradictory, which is right? 

WARNING PRIVATE CAR PARK

PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK

NO PARKING

Unfortunately upload isn't working again but is this the place, nearest date is Sept 2021:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Harwood+House,+14+Park+Rd,+Melton+Mowbray+LE13+1TT/@52.7665447,-0.8886043,3a,30y,218.12h,87.81t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s9tp1TBFEkfCojdmAqVrbmA!2e0!5s20210901T000000!6shttps://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?cb_client=maps_sv.tactile&w=900&h=600&pitch=2.1863351740230286&panoid=9tp1TBFEkfCojdmAqVrbmA&yaw=218.1217167018339!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x4879d41e4d7e1ea5:0xca50247e7a2cf372!8m2!3d52.7665051!4d-0.8889686!16s/g/11q2sxy8_7?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAyNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

yes, that is the place

James_Poisson

mr_stripey said:

James_Poisson said:

No, "I don't know who was driving" is not sufficient but:

Reason- unathorised parking

If he wasn't authorised to park there was not contract so they cannot issue a charge for it, they did not offer a contract, it was trespass and you cannot be charged a fee for trespass by a third party.

In addition if it is here, this is the nearest GSV to that date the signage is non compliant, no entrance signage, small sign hidden on the right, large sign at the back which is contradictory, which is right? 

WARNING PRIVATE CAR PARK

PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK

NO PARKING

Unfortunately upload isn't working again but is this the place, nearest date is Sept 2021:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Harwood+House,+14+Park+Rd,+Melton+Mowbray+LE13+1TT/@52.7665447,-0.8886043,3a,30y,218.12h,87.81t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s9tp1TBFEkfCojdmAqVrbmA!2e0!5s20210901T000000!6shttps://streetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com/v1/thumbnail?cb_client=maps_sv.tactile&w=900&h=600&pitch=2.1863351740230286&panoid=9tp1TBFEkfCojdmAqVrbmA&yaw=218.1217167018339!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x4879d41e4d7e1ea5:0xca50247e7a2cf372!8m2!3d52.7665051!4d-0.8889686!16s/g/11q2sxy8_7?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAyNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

yes, that is the place

Well that is a trap if ever there was one I doubt very much they would place that in front of a judge if you present that evidence.

Why on earth pay that it's all a contrived con he'd be daft to pay a scammer!

mr_stripey

Well that is a trap if ever there was one I doubt very much they would place that in front of a judge if you present that evidence.

Why on earth pay that it's all a contrived con he'd be daft to pay a scammer!

I suppose that is their entire model. To scare people into paying. 

I will tell him to hold off paying and I will try and help him with his response over the weekend

Coupon-mad

mr_stripey said:

Well that is a trap if ever there was one I doubt very much they would place that in front of a judge if you present that evidence.

Why on earth pay that it's all a contrived con he'd be daft to pay a scammer!

I suppose that is their entire model. To scare people into paying. 

I will tell him to hold off paying and I will try and help him with his response over the weekend

But these cases are all the same and of course he'll win. Dead easy. There won't even be a hearing.

Copy any other Smart Parking defence.