Britannia Parking - BW Legal Defence

paynele47

Hi

I recently received a claim form for a parking charge for Britannia Parking through BW legal. I parked in a car park and did not pay, as I thought after a certain time it was free. It was late in the evening. The car park apparently has 24hours a day car parking and it serves local shops, restaurants, and leisure facilities and you have to pay no matter what time it is.

The car park is run by Britannia.

I need to draft my defence and I am relying on parking signage not clearly visible etc.

Can you help please?

Le_Kirk

Have you found and read the NEWBIE sticky? Have you found and read the template defence thread? What is the date of issue of your N1SDT claim form? Can you show us the POC (no personal information!)

Coupon-mad

Follow the easy 8 steps covered in the Template Defence sticky thread.

No link is needed to that Announcement, or to the NEWBIES FAQS thread - which you must also read post 2 of, especially the red heading IMPORTANT: KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN'.

It is very easy but there might be a hearing in the end. Nothing to lose; you may as well defend, as you'd pay less than this claim even if you lose. £212 usually.

And you can make an offer under £100 at Mediation phone call stage this spring. If you want it over.

See my signature below if you need a steer about how to hop straight to page one. This could not be easier once you bookmark the Template Defence thread to follow the 8 steps.

We don't want to know about BW Legal's template reply to your defence - search the forum for other posts about it - nor the DQ, nor questions about Mediation (all are covered in the 8 steps).

Re your paragraph 3 to add to the defence:

• Do not write that you 'assumed' something.
• Write that the signs were unlit and not seen and that this Claimant doesn't appear to be the exact same legal entity which was on the sign at this location.

By the way, as a general tip, why are you seeking out car parks at night?

None of us regulars EVER use a scammer-managed private car park if we can help it, and certainly never after 6pm or on Sundays! Many streets are restriction-free at that time, in cities including London.

If I drive to go somewhere after 6pm I would literally never (ever) use a car park even if visiting my adult sprogs in London. Use the streets. That's why restrictions end in most permit roads and also on single yellows by 7pm in every town & city, to allow parking and use of local businesses of an evening.

paynele47

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81915800#Comment_81915800

Hi Le Kirk

Date of issue is 18/02/26. I done the AOS on 23/02/26.

See attached.

claim form.jpg

paynele47

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81915850#Comment_81915850

Thanks. I have read those and will draft a defence but just needed a hand of what defence to write.

It was poorly lit and signage was not clearly visible. I parked there as I was going to the local restaurant and I was there for a few hours.

When you look at the car park in cold light of day they have a sign above the barriers that says pay car park 24hrs

Coupon-mad

I already gave you the two points to say in your para 3.

And stop using car parks unnecessarily. Use the street where no ANPR is allowed for parking contraventions.

🙂

Le_Kirk

With an issue date of 18/02/26 and having completed the AoS in a timely manner your defence deadline date is 4.00 p.m. on 23/03/26

paynele47

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81916127#Comment_81916127

Errr,,,coz you cant park in the road on a busy street !! so there is a car park for all the customers of the restaurant and local pubs

Coupon-mad

Drivers can park on-street in the evening.

I wasn't criticising you. I was merely elaborating on this advice because I really mean it: avoid private car parks like the plague.

"By the way, as a general tip, why are you seeking out car parks at night?

None of us regulars EVER use a scammer-managed private car park if we can help it, and certainly never after 6pm or on Sundays! Many streets are restriction-free at that time, in cities including London.

If I drive to go somewhere after 6pm I would literally never (ever) use a car park even if visiting my adult sprogs in London. Use the streets. That's why restrictions end in most permit roads and also on single yellows by 7pm in every town & city, to allow parking and use of local businesses of an evening."

paynele47

Can you help please? Does my claim form state the breach so that I can amend para 3 of defence template?

The claim against the defendant (D) is for a parking charge following a parking contravention which occurred on xxx on private land (lawfully occupied by claimant ( C ) at xxx location buy the driver of the vehicle.

C's terms and conditions (displayed on signage) offered the driver a contractual license and was accepted by the driver upon entry and subsequently breached. Drivers breach: failure to make a valid payment D is liable as driver or keeper per sch 4. C also claims £70 contractual recovery costs as set out in its terms and conditions and the ATA code of practice.

I guess it does from re-reading

Hattie627

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81915850#Comment_81915850

Not strictly relevant to this thread but just a warning to visitors to Glasgow (and likely other places too). Many of the council-owned car parks and council meter controlled on-street parking bays in Glasgow now work 7am to 11pm, Monday to Sunday. Others are still 8am to 6pm and free on Sundays. The ones going up to 11pm at night tend to be in "entertainment" areas where there are lots of restaurants, comedy clubs, bars etc.

Sorry for butting in on this thread, just wanted to warn people not to make assumptions about controlled times in council controlled parking.

By the way, I'm new here but have learned so much about the private parking scam from reading many of the threads and the replies from the helpful experts guiding people through this minefield. I'm going to need to keep an elderly and sick friend calm through the inevitable series of threatening letters which will come following receipt of a Scottish parking charge notice received recently from "Smart" Parking.