CCJ - Dcb Legal/Smart parking - advice please

ParkAnywhere

Hi,

Any advice would be much appreciated.

I moved address a few months ago and have been collecting any post from old address from resident(parent). Yesterday I was passed this claim form below, spoke to the resident(parent) of old address, who said it only arrived in a big pile of letters 2 days earlier, saying post problems at the address. (There were problems when I lived there). 

The Claim issue date is 27 Oct 2025, so I checked mcol and they have judged against me on 18/11/2025.

Below are the particulars or claim. and total amount is £306.32 = amount claimed 221.32 + court fee 35 + Legal rep Costs £50



I then spoke to Dcb Legal explaining change of address, didn't care, happy with the position at the moment and argued not their problem I moved, as I had spoken to them a couple of months earlier, replying to correspondence sent to my old address. So they had no obligation to look for me and it was my responsibility as I knew of the intention to bring a claim. They say the letter I spoke to them about was the "letter of claim," I can't remember what I replied to or the conversation as I probably thought they were trying to scam me anyway, and was not particularly pleasant or making sense. 

From reading threads on this forum, it seems I have a good chance of getting the CCJ set aside even if I forgot to inform them I was moving. I did not live at the address when the claim form arrived and have had no chance of defending. (if anyone knows otherwise please let me know)

I was wondering if anyone could help with the process timeline, I understand there is a high chance of having CCJ removed and the claim being defended, but:

Will that take a long time?

Or is there a process, I can't seem to find, where the CCJ will not show until the set aside is heard?

Is the CCJ on your credit file for the first 30 days or only after not paying within 30 days?

Would I be ruining my credit by attempting to set aside, whilst the court process played out?

Am I correct assuming that, If I succeed then my credit would return to normal, but will take hit now. Where as paying (very reluctantly) would sort out my credit immediately to normal?
  
Thanks

Coupon-mad

My goodness, if only you'd told them you'd moved. You knew they were about to sue...

However, this is doable:

The is no process where the CCJ won't show, so you will suffer the credit rating hit until your hearing which could be in 6 months, especially with the Xmas break coming up.

If I were you, because DCB Legal have already told you to get lost and pay up (typical crap from them) I would not delay.

Wallop in your N244 and WS and Draft order on Monday morning by email to the CNBC. 

Pretty much 100% certain to get the CCJ set aside due to the case law: VCS v Carr at the Court of Appeal this year; and CPR 13.2 which requires the court to grant a mandatory set aside.

You will also ask for the Claim to be dismissed and your costs. That's not 100% but it is worth asking for because there are 'costs in the case' and at the very least, you'd want your costs reserved by the Judge if they insist on keeping the unserved claim alive and having a second hearing to decide the case.

Was the keeper driving that day?

Is the claim form signed by on the back by David Croot?