VCS Southend Elms Legal Court Claim - Cancelled!

fivestarsamz

Hello guys, I am kinda panicking.

So someone i know got a claim form letter for a PCN from Elms Legal Limited and the operator is Vehicle Control Serivces. This was for a PCN at Southend Airport so I know it defendable.

However, the issue date is 6th February and nothing has been done for it till date.
The register keeper (Defendant) went abroad on the 8th Feburary and returned around 15th February I believe. So they did not see it until after a few days they got back. (maybe it was already late by then?).

The RK did mention the claim to me a couple of weeks or so ago (can't remember exact date) but it slipped my mind completely.

Can anything be done?

Gr1pr

Copy and paste your MCOL claim history below ASAP

25th February was the deadline date

fivestarsamz

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81920982#Comment_81920982

A claim was issued against you on 06/02/2026

Only the above is on the claim history

Gr1pr

Do your AOS online stage ASAP, now !

Then copy and paste your defence into the defence box, save and submit ASAP

The deadline is tomorrow, so the sooner the better

fivestarsamz

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81920990#Comment_81920990

Thank you!!! Can i do it without the Defence for now? Like will i have the opportunity to do defence later?

Gr1pr

Read my amended post again please

fivestarsamz

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81920994#Comment_81920994

Can I breathe again or not yet? Am i in the clear?

This is the claim history:

"A claim was issued against you on 06/02/2026

Your acknowledgment of service was submitted on 12/03/2026 at 23:10:26 "

I will do the defence right now too.

Coupon-mad

You can breathe but must get the defence in tomorrow. Takes mere minutes using the Template Defence but why did you stop on double red lines?

fivestarsamz

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81921026#Comment_81921026

Thank you! and thank you @Gr1pr You saved my !!!!!!!!

So the driver is a private hire driver/minicab driver. I think it was their first time going to southend airport, and they saw the passengers coming towards their car, so I guess they thought it would only take a few seconds to load and get out. I guess it was not to annoy the passengers to force them to go all the way around to the dedicated pick up point since they were already there!

Edit: I must add, as a private hire driver, they can stop and load on double red lines in most places as alllowed by TFL.

fivestarsamz

Here is my edit on number 3 for the template by Coupon Mad. I have added another point too. Does it look okay? I have not identified the driver.


3. Keeper liability is denied. The Protection of Freedoms act 2012 (“POFA”) Schedule 4 states that a creditor has the right to recover any unpaid parking charges from the registered keeper of a vehicle if the driver is not known. Paragraph 3 of Schedule 4 of the POFA states that land is not 'relevant' where byelaws apply. The land entered is land subject to byelaws enacted in London Southend Airport and is therefore not ‘relevant land’. POFA cannot be used by the Claimant to recover any unpaid parking charges from the keeper of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle is a private hire vehicle and the driver is a private hire driver. A private hire driver may stop to load passengers on double red lines, as mentioned on TFL Private Hire Handbook and website. The driver was not aware of the road being on private land, and understood the same rules applied here as it looks very similar to public roads.

Coupon-mad

Very good. Get the whole template in.

🙂