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CCJ CEL set aside application

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24

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  • Ajacobs83
    Ajacobs83 Posts: 17 Forumite
    edited 31 January 2018 at 10:03AM
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    if the best way to do that is by pursuing getting the entire judgement set aside is the best way of doing this then that is how i will proceed. But though as i had already paid then by consent was the easiest and fastest option open to me
  • Quentin
    Quentin Posts: 40,405 Forumite
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    By consent is the quicker of the 2, the difference being (assuming you win a set aside) you could get all your money back + costs by winning at any subsequent hearing (or they fold and don't attempt another hearing) v having to say goodbye to the £350 + the costs of the set aside by consent (£100 application plus any other costs should you use a solicitor to draw up your request)
  • Ajacobs83
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    Ok looks like I will go the standard set aside route and try to claim back monies already paid as well as removing the ccj
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 131,746 Forumite
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    edited 31 January 2018 at 1:02AM
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    You won't get a set aside by consent out of CEL, so the standard set aside route for a £255 court fee (ask the Judge to order it be refunded by CEL when they don't turn up, then discontinue after wasting your time and wrecking your credit record).

    Read other set aside threads, some (like saggi's, who got the £255 refunded) are linked in post #2 of the NEWBIES thread. You WILL prevail!

    You may wish to swap notes by private message with this poster, so you help each other:

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5785592

    HTH, this isn't too hard and the CCJ will be set aside, in our experience.
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top of this/any page where it says:
    Forum Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • Ajacobs83
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    @Coupon-mad thank you for the advice, The only bit i am concerned about is the fact i panicked into paying CEL as soon as I found out what the CCJ was for before sitting down and analysing my options. As I have already paid CEL should this be mentioned in my application to set aside?
  • Coupon-mad
    Coupon-mad Posts: 131,746 Forumite
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    edited 1 February 2018 at 10:12PM
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    Yes you will have to, but as you paid them maybe TRY to get them to consent (but they won't, IMHO).

    Now you are paying twice, wrong move. Disaster, paying CEL money is a no-no and you'd have been SO much better if you had not. You'd have won the case.
    PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
    CLICK at the top of this/any page where it says:
    Forum Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD
  • Ajacobs83
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    I do realise that now, I was just panicked at the time upon seeing a CCJ on my record.
    How would you recommend presenting this point in the application? want to ensure i make a good case, should i also ask for these monies to be refunded along with the court fee?
    Do you think this means I will now possibly lose the case?
  • Ajacobs83
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    ok so here is where i am at so far. if people could take a look and let me know their thoughts? I am unsure how to word the request for costs and refund of monies already paid so any help there would be great!
    Also if you feel i should abandon the pursual of a dismissal and reimbursement due to having been stupid and already paid and just ask for the set aside please let me know that too.

    1. Default Judgement
    1.1. I understand that the Claimant obtained a Default Judgement against me as the Defendant in December 2017. However, this claim form has not been served at my current address and I thus was not aware of the Default Judgement until 12/1/2018 when I was doing a routine check on my credit file. I understand that this Claim was served at an OLD ADDRESS (xxxxx). However, I moved to a new address in September 2016. In support of this I can provide confirmation from St Albans County Council showing my updated details for the purposes of paying Council tax.

    1.2. I have also never received any previous documentation from the Claimant in this matter and I thus was never able to challenge the Claimant!!!8217;s claim.

    1.3. On the 12/01/2018 I contacted Northampton County Court to find out details of the Default Judgement. The court papers contain no details of the alleged incident and I do not know what the Default Judgement relates to.

    1.4. On 12/01/2018 I attempted to contact the Claimant using information given to me by Northampton County Court. I was not able to get through to a member of the Claimant!!!8217;s staff to discuss, nor have I received a response to my numerous answer phone messages left on the Claimant!!!8217;s legal department answer-phone. This means as the Defendant, I still do not have any details of the incident the Claimant alleges has taken place, other than the summary of charges now owed and incident reference number. At this point I was very picnicked about court troubles and a judgment against me and paid the monies owed which I now understand to have been an error.

    1.5. I now believe the Claimant has behaved unreasonably in pursuing a claim against me without ensuring they held the Defendant!!!8217;s correct contact details. According to publicly available information my circumstances are far from being unique. The Claimant!!!8217;s persistent failure to use correct and current addresses results is an unnecessary burden for individuals and the justice system across the country.

    1.6. On the basis provided above I would suggest that the Claimant did not fulfil their duty to use the Defendant!!!8217;s current address when bringing the claim.

    1.7. Considering the above I was unable to defend this claim. I thus believe that the Default Judgement against me was issued incorrectly and thus should be set aside.

    2. Order dismissing the Claim

    2.1. I further believe that the original Claim by the Claimant has no merit and should thus be dismissed. I understand that the Claimant is a Parking Company which seeks to claim for !!!8220;Parking Charge Notices!!!8221; which the Claimant believes are due as a result of an alleged breach of contract for parking by a motorist.

    2.2. If the Claimant has obtained details of the vehicle for which the Defendant is the Registered Keeper, and used those details to make a claim for a !!!8220;Parking Charge Notice!!!8217;!!!8217;, I thus dispute the claim in its entirety as I do not know the wording of the contract nor do I know the means by which the contract was alleged to come into force.

    2.3. If the Claimant can evidence that the alleged incident relates to a vehicle for which the Defendant is the Registered Keeper, any Notice to Keeper served by the Claimant must comply with Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Otherwise, the Claimant is required to prove the driver of the vehicle they claim was involved in the alleged incident. I submit that the Claimant cannot provide such evidence and further submit that the Claimant does not include !!!8216;Protection of Freedoms Act 2012!!!8217; wording on the Parking Charge Notices they issue and therefore cannot hold the Defendant automatically liable for the alleged incident merely for being the Registered Keeper of a vehicle.

    2.4. A requirement of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 is that this any Notice to Keeper served by the Claimant must be served within 14 days of the date of the alleged incident. Since I have not received any documentation from the Claimant prior to finding out about the Default Judgement, I submit the Claimant will not have complied with the requirements of the Act and thus cannot claim this charge against me as the Registered Keeper in any case.

    2.5. I further submit that the Claimant!!!8217;s claim is without merit due to substantial issues in law. This is for the following main reasons:
    2.5.1. Lack of Standing by Claimant: The Claimant is unlikely to be the landowner of the car park in question, and will have no proprietary interest in it. This means that the Claimant, as a matter of law, will have no locus standi to litigate in their own name. Any consideration will have been provided by the landholder, and only they would have been able sue for any damages or trespass.
    2.5.2. No Loss Suffered by Claimant: Their claim is presumably based on damages for alleged breach of contract. It is a fundamental principle of English Law that a party who suffers damages through breach of contract can only seek through court action to be put back in the same position as they would have been if the breach had not occurred. In order to do so, they must demonstrate their actual, or genuine, pre-estimate of loss. I submit that no loss has been suffered by the Claimant as a result of any alleged breaches of contract on the part of any motorist of the vehicle of which I am the Registered Keeper. I further submit that any loss to the landholder (which would be the only party able to claim such losses) would be at most a few pounds.
    2.5.3. Claimed charge is an Unenforceable Penalty: I further submit that the Parking Charge that the Claimant claimed, given it is not based on any loss suffered due to the alleged breach, is nothing but an unenforceable penalty.
    2.5.4. No contract with the claimant: Any contract must have offer, acceptance and consideration both ways. There would not have been consideration from the Claimant to the motorist; the fee for parking benefits the landowners, not the Claimant. Therefore, there is no consideration from the motorist to Civil Enforcement Ltd.
    2.6. On this basis I believe that the Claimant has not provided any reasonable cause of action and thus the claim should be dismissed in its entirety.
    2.7. In order to make informed decisions and statements in my defence as keeper of the a vehicle, I will require copies of all paperwork and pictures of all signs from the Claimant.




    Statement of Truth:
    I believe that the facts stated in this Witness Statement are true.
  • Le_Kirk
    Le_Kirk Posts: 22,316 Forumite
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    At this point I was very picnicked about
    Nice thought but I assume you mean panicked!
  • Ajacobs83
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    Thanks for pointing that one out, have edited now.
    If anyone has any thoughts on the content and how this looks for an application they are gratefully recieved
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