Letter Before Action - Civil Enforcement

tui85

Hi all,

I’ve received a Letter Before Action (LBA) from Civil Enforcement demanding £170, and this is the first correspondence I’ve received about it. I’ve now realised the likely reason: I hadn’t updated the address on my V5C, so any earlier letters must have gone to my previous address.

When I tried to appeal online via the Civil Enforcement website, it says the deadline has passed and I can't submit anything. The LBA and website tells me to respond using their “reply form”, and as there is no solicitor listed, the only contact is Civil Enforcement themselves.

I have read the "NEWBIES" thread, but I am feeling completely overwhelmed by this and feeling none the wiser as to what my next steps need to be. The thread suggests that when an LBA/LBC is received to contact the solicitors, but there are none mentioned. 
The thread also states to NOT respond using the "Reply form" but that seems to be the only option given to me. 

I’d be so grateful for any guidance on how to handle this properly. It's all feeling a little desperate. £170 is a shocking amount and not something that I can easily afford. 

Details of the situation as follows:

In June of this year, I mistakenly entered the Thurlestone Golf Club private car park, thinking it was the public one, that is directly next door. We were only there for a few minutes. My partner got out of the car, went to look for the ticket machine, was eventually told by a passer by that the public car park was next door, she returned to the car and we left and and drove 30 seconds away to the correct car park. 

We couldn't have been there for more than 5-10 minutes. 

Once the LBA arrived, I contacted the landowner (Thurlestone Golf Club) to complain/appeal.
I emailed the General Manager nine days ago, followed up four days later and have had no response at all. Also no response to my voicemails. My blood boils! So I’ve had to assume they are unwilling to help.

I'm now only 7 days away from my 30 days time limit to respond. 

Summary of the situation:

- £170 demanded by LBA
- CE website won't let me appeal online and says that I must use the "Reply Form"
- No solicitor mentioned on the LBA
- Landowner ignoring me
- 7 days away from 30 day time limit

What is my next step? I will continue trying the landowner, but that's feeling like a dead end.... 

I'm sorry to have posted this, I realise that reading the "NEWBIES" thread should have armed me with all of the information that I need, but I'm finding it impossible to process it all and just really need some help, if any are willing to offer some..... 

With hope and thanks

Brie

Don't pay.

Ignore things until you get a claim of going to court from an official source.  (not a threat from the debt scums.)

Coupon-mad

Or adapt the LBC reply in post 2 of the NEWBIES thread.

Removing two tiny phrases which are clearly only relevant to cases with a solicitor. Here's the exact same question answered the other day, please read and follow what was advised here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6644547/civil-enforcement-ltd-after-dcbl-dropped-chasing-me/p1

Search & read recent (2025) threads like yours and you'd be so much more confident.

Please don't ask us to check the reply. We are trying sooo hard not to drown in threads and posters really don't need us to check a reply that is already written and where other threads clearly say what to remove for a non-solicitor LBC case. It is obvious, and easy.

As is finding CEL's email address on here.

  

tui85

Hello, 

Thank you so much for your responses. I've had a read through the other thread. 

It feels so counterintuitive to not follow the instructions given in the threatening, anxiety inducing letter.

"If you do not pay or respond within 30 days of the date of the letter, we will commence proceedings against you to recover the unpaid debt". Sounds terrifying. 

Their intimidation tactics are certainly working on me.

Follow up questions if I may:
- Is there really no risk in not responding as instructed? Not sending in the "Reply form" is not digging myself a deeper hole?
- What is there to lose in responding using the "Reply form"? Saying that I dispute the charge and explaining why.... 

I'm not doubting your guidance, but I just need to get clear for myself why sending in the "reply form" is such a bad idea before I can feel at ease in not doing so. 

Thank you very much 

Coupon-mad

"Their intimidation tactics are certainly working on me."

Not any more! We do this all the time.


"Follow up questions if I may:
- Is there really no risk in not responding as instructed? Not sending in the "Reply form" is not digging myself a deeper hole"?

Nope. 

- "What is there to lose in responding using the "Reply form"? Saying that I dispute the charge and explaining why..."

It won't work - they will reply with photos and legalese guff and you'll feel more intimidated.

Secondly - worse - you will have binned the CEL v Chan argument that is a stalwart in CEL defences. Don't expect you want to bin a potentially winning point supported by a Circuit Judge that you can search for & read right now?

tui85

Thank you coupon-mad. So is my understanding with CEL vs Chan that filling in the "reply form" gives them more details that they can use in their case against me? Where in actual fact we want to keep it vague? 

On post 2 of the NEWBIES thread it says the following:
"You can briefly also state your reasons for disputing the claim and/or state (if true) it was so long ago you have no idea what it's about and/or (if true) that you were not the driver and do not believe their client can hold the keeper liable."

Should I not then do this....? I feel like in my email response, I'd like to tell them why I'm disputing their ridiculous claim. But is CEL vs Chan telling me not to do this? 

I've found the following email addresses on the forum for CEL:
legal3@ce-service.co.uk
office@ce-service.co.uk
dataprotectionofficer@ce-service.co.uk
claimsmanager@ce-service.co.uk

Should I just send the email to all of these? I'm worried if I send it to the wrong place, they'll claim that I didn't respond within 30 days. 

Thank you so much for your help so far. 

ChirpyChicken

it doesn't matter, you will get a court claim regardless, 
Sending a LBC does will not affect the outcome of this 
just use the legal one 

Gr1pr

You are correct in not giving them ammunition,  not seeking clarity,  ignorance is bliss, the previous court cases help your current position,  but enlightenment erodes your legal position 

tui85

Thank you chirpy chicken. Just so I'm clear, I shouldn't give my justification for the brief unpaid time in the car park? Would that actively be harmful? Or is just that it wouldn't be helpful? I really feel like I'd like to give my reasons, even if makes no difference. 

I finally managed to get through to the golf club this morning. The general manager told me that there's nothing that they can once it's gone beyond 28 days. He was adamant that's the case. I now owe CEL money, not the golf club. I've read similarly on other posts on this forum... 

Gr1pr

Save your stories and justifications and reasons for the correct point in the future,  your Witness Statement plus Exhibits bundle just a couple of weeks before the pencilled in future court claim hearing date, same as everyone else 

tui85

I just spoke with the golf club again and they explained that it's actually "Creative Car Park" who manage the car park for them:

https://www.creativecarpark.co.uk/

They must have passed it on to CEL once the PCN was issued.
Is there any point in communicating with them directly?