DCBL - Overstay Parking in Tescos

zenten71

Newbie here, would really appreciate a steer.

Operator: Horizon Parking Ltd (BPA). Debt collector: DCBL.
Site: Tesco Nottingham Beeston (5329), ANPR, 3 hour max stay.
Vehicle: no longer owned — I was the registered keeper at the time.

Four charges, all ANPR overstays:

Date	Duration
11/08/2022	4h43m
21/11/2022	4h30m
08/02/2023	3h37m
31/03/2023	3h33m

I received no Notice to Keeper for any of them. First I knew was a DCBL debt letter dated 09/07/2026 demanding £500.

I know why we moved just before the first event and the V5C wasn't updated until Sept 2023. That's on me.

The bit that bugs me: I've pulled all four cases up on Horizon's portal and every one says "Outstanding Amount: £80.00" — £320 on Horizon's own system against DCBL's £500. The extra £180 is DCBL's £45-per-charge fee. The portal also says the appeal window has elapsed on all four, so no POPLA.

What I've done (before finding this forum — happy to be told I've made it worse):

• Went into the Tesco store. Manager wouldn't cancel, said go to Horizon.
• Tesco customer services rang back and formally declined to intervene. Their adviser suggested POPLA, which isn't available.
• Emailed DCBL. They replied refusing to help: non-receipt due to an un-updated DVLA address can't invalidate liability, they're not part of the appeals process, collection continues, and they won't correspond further on the dispute. They didn't address the £500 vs £320 at all and provided no NTK copies.
• SAR sent to Horizon, awaiting response.
• I have not named the driver to anyone.

Questions:

1. Four separate overstays with clean ANPR evidence — is there any realistic angle beyond the added £180, or am I just arguing about the fee?
2. Does an out-of-date V5C sink the POFA Sch 4 para 9 argument entirely, or do service timing and para 9(2) content still have to stand up? That's what I've SAR'd for.
3. Standard advice is ignore DCBL and wait for a Letter Before Claim. Does that still hold with four bundled and a £500 figure — and given they've now put in writing that they won't cease collection?
4. Worth the MP / landowner complaint (Plan A) even though Tesco have said no twice?

Thanks I've read the NEWBIES thread.

Gr1pr

1 the £80 pcn charge never changes, but the added debt collectors fees are regularly thrown out, so £320 is the actual amount in play for 4 pcns

2 an out of date V5c was an error by the keeper, nothing to do with Pofa2012

3 wait for the inevitable Letter of Claim giving you 30 days notice, or a Money Claim

4 not really, especially with 4 large overstays

Le_Kirk

Did anybody in the car have a blue badge indicating a disability and requiring more time for their shopping?

zenten71

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82099506#Comment_82099506

No there wasn't

Car1980

Very likely their NtKs are not Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 compliant if they're that old.

Either way, this is a mopping up exercise where they've been dumped on DCB to ultimately make a court claim that will be discontinued.

When the time comes for the court claim I would assume (if they don't send you one as part of the SAR) and defend on the basis of POFA non-compliance. Look at the thread of NtKs and find a Horizon one from 2023.

Coupon-mad

"Four separate overstays with clean ANPR evidence — is there any realistic angle beyond the added £180?"

LOL, how about:

• the fact that these were definitely all 'non-POFA' NTKs in those years
• the fact that the Tesco signs say £70, not £80
• the fact that DCB Ltd aren't acting as bailiffs but they frighten and mislead every recipient with that aggressive and unlawful footer "Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!"
• the fact that the BPA and IPC disingenuously changed the Code to say that people can't have a fair chance to appeal if their DVLA address was wrong (consumer blame culture at its finest, despite the fact local authority PCNs do have a way to have PCNs reissued and don't blame the keeper)
• the fact that DCB Legal's signatory always lies about the POFA in court claim particulars for non-POFA notices, and they always discontinue defended cases.

You'll never have to pay these invoices.