Urgent help needed: Smart Parking / DCBL threatening bailiffs after default CCJ

Coupon-mad

This is odd but quite good:

• the court has listed the hearing 'to hear the claim' and seems to be amalgamating the hearing of your application with the hearing of the Claim;
• The good thing about that is, the Order says if they don't pay the hearing fee (despite the fact you paid £313 which includes the hearing costs) they will be liable for your costs;
• DCB Legal are likely to discontinue without paying the fee they've been ordered to pay;
• that will bring your costs into play.

It's quite clever from the court because it puts a payment obligation in the Claimant's hands.

Which court is this?

Even odder is that you are getting contacted only by DCB Ltd, not DCB Legal. Very odd. They even start their email with the single (unprofessional) word:

'Afternoon'!

The point here is: DCB Ltd are not a firm of solicitors. They are just a debt collector and can't make offers for 'their client' re a live defended claim where a firm of solicitors are on record.

This makes me wonder if - in every single Smart claim case - could DCB Ltd be handling ALL this £millions worth of legacy PCN data?

DCB Legal's involvement could be only to lend their name to claims. It looks like a front. Would explain the perfect record of Discontinuances. Cheapo way for Smart to get DCB Group to churn through their back 'debt book' without a solicitor being really involved.

Reply to that email with this:

Afternoon,

Who are you and why are you contacting me in a case that the court has set as a defended claim with an upcoming hearing?

Who is your supervising solicitor, or are DCB Ltd chancing your arm that I won't notice the difference?

You aren't writing as DCB Legal. They are the solicitor firm on record in this case.

Why are you still handling my data during a live (defended) court claim? A hearing has been ordered. You have no lawful reason to be involved now and appear to be impersonating your solicitor arm.

Obviously I'm not making an offer.

yours sincerely,

YOUR NAME

Coupon-mad

"Could you please advise what I should be preparing at this stage? For example, evidence gathering or anything specific to Smart Parking cases?"

Please send the above to smoke them out. I'm not joking with the flippant reply!

And then show us:

• the full WS you sent with the N244 that now counts as your defence, and
• page 2 of the hearing order, as you no doubt have a deadline to send evidence?

pistachioicecream

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82023128#Comment_82023128

Thanks for looking at this. I’ve emailed the response to DCB as suggested, and I’ll post the relevant documents once I’ve reviewed and redacted them.