DCBLegal letter of claim

Pappy69

Hi all

apologies for asking the same question, there is way too much information on this board to get through to find the solution and I have learning difficulties, hence my post, sorry.

I have not made any contact yet.

I received a letter from DCBL on 28th January stating a notice of debt recovery for an unpaid parking charge £170 from 08/06/2024 !!!

you can guess the rest of the letter.

I received another letter on 17th February with final reminder stating that Direct Collection Bailiffs ltd have been instructed to collect the outstanding balance on behalf of the client.

On the 26th February I received a letter of claim: in accordance with the Pre-action protocol for Debt claims.

Basis of Claim

The vehicle with registration number ***** ("Vehicle") was parked on private land ("Land") managed by our Client. The sıgns displayed on the Land set out the Terms of parking (i.e "the Contract"). The Vehicle was parked in breach of the Terms contract was accepted and a Parking Charge(s) was issued. You are liable as the Keeper or Driver. The details and as such the due within 28 days of the of the Parking Charge(s Can be tound in the schedule at the bottom of this letter. Payment was Parking Charge(s) being issued but remains outstanding

The amount of the debt is £170.00, which includes the Parking Charge(s) and debt recovery costs. If a claim is issued, further costs will be sought, together with accruing interest at 8% above base rate per annum pursuant to s69 of The County Courts Act 1984.

Next Steps

Within 30 days of the date of this letter, you should either make payment using one of the methods detailed overleaf or complete the reply form & financial statement. Failure TO do so is likely to result in a claim being issued without further notice.

Please visit DCBL website to complete and submit the reply form and financial statement. You will also find an additional information sheet summarising your rights and responsibilities under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims.

Your attention is drawn to the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 and the Court's power to impose sanctions if you fail to pay or respond.

Any such failure will be brought to the attention of the Court when considering costs Any non-compliance with the Rules can increase liability for costs. The BPA Code of Practice requires us to make the customer (driver/keeper) aware of the implications of non-payment including, should the Court find against them, the risk to their credit rating

We suggest you deal with this as a matter of urgency to avoid a claim being issued.

What should I do?

TIA

Paul

Gr1pr

You should study the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum by coupon mad, mainly post 5 and then post 2

Then email the Letter of Claim template response to the info@ email address for DCB Legal

Name the private parking company claimant involved too

Coupon-mad

But that letter in is pictures in post 4 of the NEWBIES thread. Not sure why you copied that letter here. We never need to see the £170 threatograms.

Please read that bit. There is not too much info there. It's in pictures.

🙂

Pappy69

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81934109#Comment_81934109

I'm so sorry but I cant find the links you are both mentioning, I feel like a real idiot :(

Le_Kirk

Have you found the first page of the forum? It is one click back from here. If, so, can you see all the announcements? One of them is entitled "NEWBIE READ THESE FAQs FIRST. That is the one you want.

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81934342#Comment_81934342

You replied right under my signature… every reply I make tells everyone where to click, look:

Gr1pr

Look at the top of the forum

Pappy69

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81934377#Comment_81934377

Thank you.

I am still confused. My fine isnt a PCN is it? I never got one of those yellow things on my car, I would have remembered even if it was almost 2 yrs ago.

The parking charge no. begins with a TC.

Gr1pr

You have not received a fine, Magistrates issue fines, not private companies

The yellow and black notices issued by councils etc are Penalty Notices

You have a PCN, Parking Charge Notice, or INVOICE, from a private parking company

It doesn't matter if it says Parking Charge, Parking Charge Notice, Notice to Keeper or Charge Notice

Its an Invoice

Coupon-mad

My fine isn't a PCN is it?

Well yes it's obviously a PCN (Parking Charge Notice). 90% are issued by post.

But no: clearly NOT a fine! Why are you calling it a fine?

You need to read the official MSE Guide linked at the top of the page (click to read the private parking guide of course, not the Local Authority penalties guide).

Pappy69

I sent the following email:

Your ref:
Proposed legal proceedings

Claimant: Smart Parking (UK) Limited

I refer to your letter of claim.

I confirm that my address for service for the time being is as follows, and any older address must be erased from your records:

My Address

The claimed parking charges was so long ago, I have no idea what it's about and/or if it is true. 
You should revert to your client because the 'propensity to pay' score in my case is zero, so any claim is hopeless and a waste of the court fee (whether 'fronted' by your firm or not). Move on to weaker victims.

The alleged 'debt' is disputed and any court proceedings will be vigorously defended.

Yours faithfully

I received the following response:

We write in response to your correspondence received in our office dated 23 March 2026
We acknowledge receipt of your correspondence.

 

Following the parking contravention, our Client applied to the DVLA for the details of the Registered Keeper of the Vehicle. Your name and address were provided. Our Client therefore correctly issued correspondence to you at that address. Having not received payment, address verification was carried out prior to the Letter of Claim being sent. Your new address was located and as such the Letter of Claim was issued to you at the traced address. 

 

We wish to advise that it is the responsibility of the registered keeper to ensure that the V5C logbook is updated whenever there is a change of address.

In regard to the parking contravention, when parking on private land, the contractual terms of the site are set out on the signs. You are entering a contract and agreeing to the terms by parking and staying on the site. Parking in breach of the terms as stipulated on the signage means that you are then breaking the terms of the contract.

 

The parking charge notice was issued because of the insufficient paid time; therefore the notice was issued correctly.

 

Our Client has a period of six years to pursue payment of a Parking Charge. Court proceedings should only be issued as a last resort when all other avenues have been exhausted. Our Client will have made various attempts to recover payment before instructing ourselves to commence Court action and we are now instructed as all prior efforts to recover payment have been unsuccessful.

 

You now have 30 days from the date of this email to make payment of £170.00. Failure to make payment may result in a Claim being issued against you without any further reference.
Payment can be made via bank transfer to our designated client account: -

• Account Name: DCB Legal Ltd Client Account
• Sort Code: 20-24-09
• Account Number: 60964441

You must quote the correct case reference (***************) when making payment. If you do not, we may be unable to correctly allocate the payment. If further action is taken by us as a result of an incorrect reference being quoted, you will be liable for any further fees or costs incurred.

We would ask that you kindly furnish us with your most up to date telephone number, this can be emailed to us at info@dcblegal.co.uk. 

Alternatively, you can contact DCB Legal Ltd on 0203 838 7038 to make payment over the telephone or Kind Regards,

 

[Name removed by Forum Team]

DCB Legal Ltd

I have just realised that i haven't updated my V5C log book, but i did update my driving licence months before the "fine" occured, does this mean that i have to pay the fine?