Smart Parking - DCBL - 2025 - NI Resident living in England

Boredtramrider

Hi All, creating a new thread following some comments I tagged off the back of a thread with similar/ not so similar circumstances a number of months ago. 

To start, what a great resource this forum is and the guides, steps that it sets out are thorough along with the advice from users Umkomaas & doubledotcom within that short flurry of comments are second to none. 

To give a bit of history & catch up to date;

• PCN's issued for two event on 15/07/2020 & 17/07/2020 from Smart Parking. 
• PCN's had been going to family address in NI. PCN's never acknowledged.
• Charges escalated to DCBL who sent a letter that was never acknowledged and correspondence died for 5 years.

I am a Northern Irish citizen living in the England who's driving licence was not updated at the date of the event. All info with regards to what my best route to challenge this was addressed within the previous thread I tagged off the back off. 

• May 2025 - DCBL had eventually tracked me (the registered keeper) down to England residence due to what I assume coming near to the statute of limitation date. 
• Final reminder issued June.
• Final final reminder issued July.
• Letter of claim receive 1 day later. 
• CNBC notice of proposed allocation to the small claims track received September 2025.
• Acknowledged via money claim portal, defenced filed (sent to all parties via email), direct questionnaire completed, mediation organised for today. (Probably missed a few steps that I have completed but followed the guidanced pinned to the front page of the forum).

I am currently within mediation calls within the representative from CNBC who is going back to DCBL solicitors with my counter counter offer. Started at £40 (10% of DCBL offer), final counter offer of £90 (vs DCBL counter offer of £250 (£100 for each event + court fee) my counter offer was £20 for each event + court fee)). Way more generous than advised by the guidance provided by the forum. I assume this will not be accepted but will hopefully be seen as goodwill if it ever reaches court. 

As read within the guidance, I hope this is the start of the end and receive the N279 notice to discontinue and will post updates hopefully once received. 


   

Boredtramrider

In a strange turn of events, to which I hope that someone can use in the future for their own case, DCBL have accepted my £100 offer. 

Back story on the charges;
PCN1; £100
PCN2; £100
for both PCN's, initial pay before 14 days letters issued to old address so I never had the chance to consider paying the reduced fee of £60 each. I probably wouldn't have either out of ignorance.
New letters received with £70 fee added for each PCN;
PCN1; £170
PCN2; £170
Letters went away but 5 years later, letters recommenced and within a 2 month period, small claims track notice issued with revised total sum of £485.44 + court fee (£50) + solicitors fee (£50) totalling £585.44.

Completed mediation with a settled sum of £100 (my thought was £20 for each PCN + court fee of £50 - rounded to £100 as goodwill). 

Stages of my mediation call;
CNBC called and explained they had already spoke with DCBL solicitors and gave background to the claim. DCBL had offered £450 in order to reach settlement. I declined and offered £40 (£20 per PCN). CNBC mediator ended call to enter new call with DCBL solicitor, counter offer refused and new revised offer of £250 was proposed by DCBL. CNBC called me back to relay offer to which was declined and new counter offer as per settlement proposed. Call ended again to allow CNBC representative to propose new counter offer. Offer accepted. CNBC representative called back to confirm. 

In hindsight now, I don't believe I would have had the confidence and knowledge if it was not for this forum to challenge this through the correct channels. Despite family and relationship pressures, I held firm to not paying £585 at the time and settled for a much less value than what was initially being proposed to which, I was surprised at being accepted. I feel relieved this process is over, but still am slightly disgruntled I have to pay £100 when the odd's of paying zero were favourable.

But hey ho that's life! 

For anyone reading this, please read the advice, guidance and step by step guides this forum provides. It is not some conspiracy voodoo. 

Coupon-mad

But nobody should be offering more than £10 or £20.

This isn't a strange turn of events. As soon as I read you'd offered £90 (ouch!) I knew they would snap your hand off. We would never have recommended that.

DCB Legal would have discontinued later.