DCB Legal pursuing me for fines I’ve already paid

CoconutChai

Hi! I’m getting stressed with this situation and really would appreciate some direction in what to do please.

Last year April to July, DCBL were sending me letters asking me for payment of PCNs issued by smart parking on 2 separate dates. I gave birth last April and with 2 other very little ones I just put the letters aside and didn’t have time to look into them. I then get an MCOL come through which panicked me but again I was preoccupied that I didn’t get chance to look into it and then a letter came saying they had issued me a CCJ but if I paid within 30 days then it would get cancelled. So I just scraped the £315 together and paid it. Literally left £6 in my bank the scum bags! So, I assumed it settled then. Albeit I didn’t receive any receipt or acknowledgment of payment from them. I paid that in July 2025.

Now 2 weeks ago I received another 2 MCOL’s come through to me from DCBL asking me to pay £521 for the one and over £302 for the second claim. Out of stress of being super busy I put them aside until last night where I went to respond to the MCOL’s but I missed the date by 1 day. And it says they have made a judgement against me on 2/6/26. So the only option I have on there now is to apply to have it ‘set aside’.

I then dug out letters from last year and went through bank statements. Things I should have done straight away last year!! It turns out the £521 claim is for the parking fines that I paid in July 2025 - the exact same ones!! I have my bank statement proving that I paid them and the letter they sent me with how to pay and the reference which also says the parking fine area and dates on it too so I know it’s corresponding to the same fines. To make matters worse, I also discovered that I had paid my parking too so I should never have paid that £314 last July! The other claim they’ve made judgement on me for is the £302 one for an alleged breech of parking back in 2022. I had a different bank account then so I’ve contacted them today and they are sending my bank statement out to me so I can then check if I paid parking for that one or not.

So I’m stuck what to do because I’ve missed the deadline for the MCOL. I completed the ‘set aside’ application but then saw the £300 fee which I just don’t have right now so I can’t do that at the moment. I’ve sent an email through to DCBL today via their Defendant contact form stating the above and that I’m going to take them to court for damages and make a counter claim but I’m certain they won’t respond. And I really don’t know where to go from here now or how I can get this settled before the CCJ kicks in in 1 month.

Coupon-mad

I'll send you a pm - we have ways to resolve these.

CoconutChai

You’re amazing! Thank you so much!!

Coupon-mad

Turns out these were not the same PCNs as the OP had paid but my contact finally got these two CCJs cancelled - without any payment - due to other grounds he saw.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!

🙂