Help Needed: ParkingEye / DCB Legal – £488 Default CCJ – Abroad When Claim Arrived

SunBlue

ParkingEye / DCB Legal – £488 default CCJ – best way forward before mortgage application?

Hi all,

I would appreciate some advice on the best way to deal with a ParkingEye default CCJ for £488.44 dated 1 September 2026.

This is particularly urgent because I am planning a mortgage application in November 2026, so protecting my credit record is very important.

Background:

I booked accommodation through Booking.com in September 2025 which was specifically advertised as “Lovely Private Large Studio with Parking.” I stayed there from 6 September to 4 October 2025.

ParkingEye subsequently alleged two parking events on 8 and 9 September 2025.

I never received the original PCNs or any other ParkingEye correspondence. I changed my V5C address around the end of October 2025 and also checked with the occupant of my previous address during October/November 2025. They told me they were not aware of receiving any letters addressed to me.

On 30 September 2025, I gave my registration number to the property manager. On 3 October 2025, the manager messaged me:

“They have advised they will cancel the tickets and discount to just one set of £20.”

I therefore understood that the parking issue was being dealt with.

The first correspondence I received identifying the two PCNs was a DCB Legal Letter of Claim dated 27 March 2026, seeking £340.

On 15 April, I contacted the property manager again and also submitted evidence through ParkingEye's Late Appeal Request process. I received no response.

The CCJ:

I travelled to India on 17 July 2026.

ParkingEye issued the County Court claim on 4 August 2026, while I was abroad. The Claim Form was sent to my correct current address.

I returned to the UK on 1 September 2026. Unfortunately, default judgment for £488.44 was entered on that same day.

I found the Claim Form at home on 2 September 2026, so I did not knowingly ignore the proceedings. I have flight evidence confirming I was outside the UK when the claim arrived.

On 11 September 2026, I contacted DCB Legal asking whether ParkingEye would consent to the judgment being set aside. They did not substantively respond, and I chased them again on 21 September 2026, this time to Sarah Ensall. No response yet.

My dilemma now:

The CCJ is dated 1 September, so the one-month window for paying it in full and having it removed from the Register is approaching.

At the same time, I believe I have grounds to defend the underlying claim: the accommodation was expressly advertised with parking, and I have the property manager's written message saying the tickets would be cancelled/reduced.

With a mortgage application planned for November 2026, what is the safest way to tackle this now?

In particular:

1. Should I stop waiting for DCB Legal and proceed with an N244/set-aside application now?
2. Would paying the £488.44 within one month to protect my credit record prevent or prejudice a subsequent set-aside application/defence?
3. As the Claim Form went to my correct address but arrived while I was abroad, would this principally be a CPR 13.3 discretionary set aside?
4. Is there another approach I should consider given the imminent CCJ deadline and mortgage application?

I have the Booking.com listing/confirmation, property manager's WhatsApp messages, travel evidence, DCB Legal correspondence, Claim Form and judgment, and can post suitably redacted documents if useful.

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Gr1pr

There may be a way for @Coupon-mad to assist you off the forum

SunBlue

Thank you @Gr1pr, I really appreciate that.

@Coupon-mad, if you are able to assist or advise me on this, I would be very grateful. Please let me know the best way to proceed.

Thanks again.

SunBlue

Hi all,

I would be very grateful for some further advice, particularly as the one-month CCJ deadline is approaching.

I received the following response from DCB Legal yesterday afternoon:

Dear XXXX,

We write in response to your recent correspondence.

We note your request for Judgment to be set aside.

We note your comments that you would be willing to file a signed consent order with the Court.

Please advise if you have a drafted consent order for review.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards,

Would the best course now be to send DCB Legal a draft consent order immediately and ask them to obtain ParkingEye's consent/signature, with a short deadline for responding?

If they consent, am I right that I would then submit the signed Consent Order with an N244 application for a set-aside by consent?

My main concern is timing. The judgment was entered on 1 September 2026 and I am hoping to apply for a mortgage in November. I therefore do not want to lose the opportunity to pay the judgment within one month and have it removed from the Register if the consent/set-aside route does not succeed quickly enough.

My proposed draft Consent Order is:

IN THE CIVIL NATIONAL BUSINESS CENTRE
Claim No: XXXXXX

BETWEEN:

PARKINGEYE LIMITED
Claimant

-and-

XXXX XXXX
Defendant

CONSENT ORDER

BY CONSENT

IT IS ORDERED THAT:

1. The default judgment entered against the Defendant on 1 September 2026 be set aside.
2. The Defendant shall file and serve a Defence within 14 days of service of this Order.
3. The costs of the application be reserved.

Signed: __________________________
For and on behalf of the Claimant

Signed: __________________________
XXXX XXXX, Defendant
Litigant in Person

Dated: __________________________

Would the regulars suggest sending this to DCB Legal now, or any alternate option as mentioned by @Gr1pr that 'There may be a way for @Coupon-mad to assist you off the forum.'

Many thanks for any help.

Coupon-mad

"Would the best course now be to send DCB Legal a draft consent order immediately and ask them to obtain ParkingEye's consent/signature, with a short deadline for responding?"

Not without help and you probably don't need a consent order. Don't write your own version. Don't rush to pay the CCJ: I will see if help is possible and will pm you.

Are you saying it was ParkingEye at a residential estate? Odd.

Check your messages in a mo. You'll have to act quickly!

SunBlue

Thank you very much @Coupon-mad , I really appreciate your help.

I won't pay the CCJ or send DCB Legal a draft consent order for now. I'll wait for your PM.

Yes, the property was managed by Belgravia Property through a private property manager. I also recall that there were ParkingEye signs displayed in the car park.

I can share any further details or documents by PM if needed.

Many thanks again.

Coupon-mad

Pm'd you 🙂

Odd that it's ParkingEye though. Not another company of a similar name? ParkingEye don't do residential estates really.

SunBlue

Thank you @Coupon-mad.

Yes, it is definitely ParkingEye Ltd. ParkingEye Ltd is named as the Claimant on the County Court Claim Form, and the DCB Legal Letter of Claim also states that they are acting for ParkingEye Ltd in relation to the two PCNs.

The location is NatWest House, 225 Shenley Road, Borehamwood, WD6 1TE. It contains studio flats/apartments, and I stayed there in paid accommodation.

Coupon-mad

Oooh I have a friend in Borehamwood.

Can go and have a nosy next time I drive to her! But that's not very often.

I can only see a McDonalds on GSV but there is a big block of flats or offices behind?

Coupon-mad

Case settled for the price of a loaf of bread.

A fresh default CCJ like this doesn't need a set aside application when settled in the first month, so it's over!

Coupon-mad

Just to add, the same result would have been achieved due to the POC not pleading the breach, but the OP did a useful thing at LBC stage which we regulars could note & encourage people at LBC stage to copy.

Especially worth considering the below, in cases where there isn't the greatest defence and discontinuance isn't likely, or where the PCN is close to becoming statute barred:

The OP got the LBC from DCB Legal which revealed the two PCN numbers for the first time, and so he put in a late appeal with ParkingEye.

Remember, the Code allows people to put in late appeals where there are exceptional circumstances and where you can show you didn't get the first PCNs.

Also, outside of parking, the FCA CONC rules that require debt recovery best practice say that action must be paused where a 'debtor' raises a dispute on valid - or potentially valid - grounds.

(Just musing: if a late appeal was about a major keying error fault of the driver - partners vehicle input by mistake - this very late appeal time would be a great moment to make an open offer of £20 and quote the 'taking the PPS CoP' to press the narrative that it should be accepted. The lack of engagement from the C would look unreasonable, later on).

Now, we all know that the appeal would have been fobbed off in due course but that doesn't matter: it was acknowledged and it was still a 'live' appeal when the claim was filed.

So, it added another string to my contact's bow to get DCB Legal to crawl back under their stone and would be equally useful to add as evidence to a WS in a case (such as BW Legal or QDR) which are more likely to head to a hearing.