County Court Claim letter re DCB Legal

f1umpet

Hi all,

I hope someone can offer some advice.

I parked at a theme park in October 2021 and needed to get cash out to pay for the car park. We walked in to the theme park and walked about to find a cash machine. It became obvious that the theme park was actually closed so we got back in the car and left. My Google Maps location history shows we were there for 10 minutes and I've found the theme park opening schedule on their Facebook that proves they were closed.

Their photos show me entering and exiting with a 21 minute stay in the car park.

They are claiming £312.72 via the County Court.

Is there anything I can do? I want to appeal it but an nervous about how much extra this could add to the court fees. 




I'm hoping I've scribbled out all the right things 🙈

Thanks

K

Gr1pr

No, delete that picture and also redact the claim reference number,  top right, then repost the picture again 

Smart parking via DCB Legal,  typical claim,  dated 29th October 2025, Insufficient paid time 

You cannot appeal a Money Claim,  you defend it 

Login to your government gateway account and navigate to MCOL and complete the AOS online first,  ASAP,  as explained in the 2nd post in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum by coupon mad 

Then start drafting your defence based on the template defence by coupon mad in announcements 

Study other recent Smart Parking cases, plagiarise their wording,  adapt to suit your case,  you will end up with 11 or 12 paragraphs

Le_Kirk

With an issue date of 29/10/25 and providing you complete(d) the AoS after 03/11/25 and before 17/11/25 your defence deadline date is 4.00 p.m. on 01/12/25 But please do as advised by @Gr1pr

f1umpet

Thank you so much for your advice.

It feels absolutely terrifying  I know that's the point of all this but I've had years of bullying over 10 minutes parking, I'm so sick of it

Gr1pr

Calm down please, it's just a civil dispute between you and the Private parking company,  over a £100 pcn, it's no biggie and nothing to worry about,  just follow our advice 

Le_Kirk

Its Smart Parking and DCB Legal, if you submit a defence (use the template defence) eventually DCB Legal will discontinue - see the Disco thread by @Umkomaas
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6377263/dcb-legal-record-of-private-parking-court-claim-discontinuations#latest

f1umpet

It's just the stress on top of life's normal stress. I'm sure I'll survive it 

Submitted my AoS now and just writing my paragraph three. The guides are absolutely brilliant, once you get your head around the language!

Umkomaas

f1umpet said:

It's just the stress on top of life's normal stress. I'm sure I'll survive it 

Submitted my AoS now and just writing my paragraph three. The guides are absolutely brilliant, once you get your head around the language!

You'll feel so much better if you beat them at their game, rather than taking the easy (but very pricey) way out and in the process helping to fund their ability to continue to cause grief and misery to others.  Stay strong, you will come out on the other side victorious.

Coupon-mad

Why not just copy one of the 2 or 3 dozen Smart defence threads linked in a reply by me in page 14 of the Public Consultation thread?

Soooo easy peasy. You'll pay nowt.