Smart Parking Court Claim - DCB Legal - Dreamland

CoBe248

Hi,

I have received a claim form following a parking ticket obtained at Dreamland, Margate in Oct 2023. I am trying to familiarise myself with the advice and steps, however I am still a little unsure so wondered if I could get some guidance please.

I have done the AOS online, and now am at the stage of entering the defence. I think I should be using the Meltof template, but unsure if I should enter it exactly or personalise it to my case? Not that I really have a case - can barely remember the incident! One of my children is disabled which impacts time keeping considerably due to her needs so I am wondering if to mention this in the defence or is this not the stage for this? Or maybe it's the wrong defense entirely.

Any help or guidance would be very appreciated. I need to submit my defence by Tuesday 16th - I think…my brain is quite frazzled with it all.

I'm also trying to get my head around the POFA aspect - does this cover themselves to target me regardless of proof of driving the car?

Have posted a pic of the claim letter and hopefully redacted the right areas.

Thank you.

Gr1pr

SMART PARKING never complied with POFA until last year, definitely not in 2023, so no keeper liability

Copy and paste the 11 paragraph meltof template into the defence box on MCOL, save it and submit it ( no changes, no additions )

Simple

Coupon-mad

There is a current tsunami of Smart Parking claims. So much so, that I now have copy & paste advice ready:

just click on the username @Meltof

You could have copied their version of a Smart Parking final defence posted on April 12th. Obviously, as they didn't use the POFA until 2025, theres no 'keeper liability' possible with Smart's claims for old PCNs.


These claims are all the same (none go to hearings) and the sheer numbers of Smart Parking claim threads - about half a dozen new ones EVERY DAY here - have driven us regulars a bit mad in April/May with this batch!

Literally read any Smart thread…

Follow the 8 steps in the Template Defence thread which also covers Mediation.

It'll be discontinued just before the hearing fee falls due in the Autumn/Winter.

Read @Umkomaas'thread of over 860 examples . And counting! 

Le_Kirk

With an issue date of 19/05/26 and having completed the AoS in a timely manner your defence deadline date is 4.00 p.m. on 22/06/26

CoBe248

Thank you ever so much for your replies.

Am I silly in wondering how using a genric template doesnt compromise credibility? Thanks again.

Gr1pr

Because it addresses the woeful POC, the claim details

Credibility comes in your future Witness Statement and exhibits, should it be necessary, that will give an alternative to their worful template claim ( their Roboclaim )

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033706#Comment_82033706

No, not a silly question…but it works!

They will discontinue before the hearing,

Coupon-mad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82033706#Comment_82033706

Don't miss the deadline! Easy stuff.

CoBe248

Thank you! I'm in the middle of moving house and time is sparse. I am just completing it now but got stuck on mcol where it asks if i am counter claiming? I think it's a no - i am just defending the whole claim? I am trying to find the defence thread to confirm this but I haven't found this yet.

Gr1pr

Correct, most people are just defending the claim, because they dont usually have any legal grounds to pay for a counter claim

Coupon-mad

If you are moving you MUST separately email the CNBC and DCB Legal to tell them to erase the old address immediately.