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Parking "fine" - court letter

Hi all,

After receiving a parking fine from Britannia Parking back in 2017, I was lead to this site and forums and after reading countless threads and advice, I didn't pay my "fine".

Months passed, kept receiving letters, kept coming here to read and kept ignoring.

This morning, I have just received this letter (attached) and I'm now panicking a bit. Any advice please? There is more to the letter, attached is only the first page.... OK I'm not allowed to post attachments or links as I'm a new poster, not sure when this will be changed but the letter is a claim form from the county court business centre with a claim number.

Thanks
«13456712

Comments

  • Fruitcake
    Fruitcake Posts: 58,231 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Post 2 of the NEWBIES tells you how to deal with court. There is a step by step guide from LBC to the court room written by a poster called bargepole which should be your starting point.

    Acknowledge service first, but don't put anything in the defence box. The guide shows you how to do all this.
    I married my cousin. I had to...
    I don't have a sister. :D
    All my screwdrivers are cordless.
    "You're Safety Is My Primary Concern Dear" - Laks
  • The_Deep
    The_Deep Posts: 16,830 Forumite
    edited 11 January 2019 at 2:37PM
    There is absolutely no need to panic, this is a scam which is well known to judges who are becoming increasingly unwilling to find for these parasites. Raise the matter with your MP as it is the will of Parliament that these disreputable companies put out of business.

    Hopefully that will take place in the near future. The Bill has passed through the HOC without hitch, and goes to the Lords soon. In the meantime involve your MP, the poor dears are buckling under the weight of complaints about these scammers.

    This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of alleged contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors. Is has been suggested by an MP that some of these companies may have connections to organised crime.

    Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, (especially Smart}, and others have already been named and shamed in the House of Commons as have Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each week), hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned. They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

    The problem has become so widespread that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers.

    Sir Greg Knight's Private Members Bill to curb the excesses, and perhaps close down, some of these companies passed its Third Reading in late November, and, with a fair wind, will become Law next year.

    All three readings are available to watch on the internet, (some 6-7 hours), and published in Hansard. MPs have an extremely low opinion of the industry. Many are complaining that they are becoming overwhelmed by complaints from members of the public. Add to their burden, complain in the most robust terms about the scammers.
    v

    It is the will of Parliament that these scammers be put out of business.

    Hopefully that will take place in the near future. The Bill has passed through the HOC without hitch, and goes to the Lords soon. In the meantime involve your MP, the poor dears are buckling under the weight of complaints about these scammers.

    This is an entirely unregulated industry which is scamming the public with inflated claims for minor breaches of alleged contracts for alleged parking offences, aided and abetted by a handful of low-rent solicitors. Is has been suggested by an MP that some of these companies may have connections to organised crime.

    Parking Eye, CPM, Smart, (especially Smart}, and others have already been named and shamed in the House of Commons as have Gladstones Solicitors, and BW Legal, (these two law firms take hundreds of these cases to court each week), hospital car parks and residential complex tickets have been especially mentioned. They lose most of them, and have been reported to the regulatory authority by an M.P. for unprofessional conduct

    The problem has become so widespread that MPs have agreed to enact a Bill to regulate these scammers.

    Sir Greg Knight's Private Members Bill to curb the excesses, and perhaps close down, some of these companies passed its Third Reading in late November, and, with a fair wind, will become Law next year.

    All three readings are available to watch on the internet, (some 6-7 hours), and published in Hansard. MPs have an extremely low opinion of the industry. Many are complaining that they are becoming overwhelmed by complaints from members of the public. Add to their burden, complain in the most robust terms about the scammers.
    You never know how far you can go until you go too far.
  • KeithP
    KeithP Posts: 37,628 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    What is the Issue Date on your Claim Form?
  • Issue date- 10 Jan 2019
  • KeithP
    KeithP Posts: 37,628 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    sellwin90 wrote: »
    Issue date- 10 Jan 2019
    With a Claim Issue Date of 10th January, you have until Tuesday 29th January to do the Acknowledgement of Service, but there is nothing to be gained by delaying it. To do the AoS, follow the guidance offered in a Dropbox link from post #2 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread.

    Having done the AoS, you have until 4pm on Tuesday 12th February 2019 to file your Defence.

    That's over a month away. Loads of time to produce a perfect Defence, but don't leave it to the very last minute.


    When you are happy with the content, your Defence should be filed via email as suggested here:
      Print your Defence.
    1. Sign it and date it.
    2. Scan the signed document back in and save it as a pdf.
    3. Send that pdf as an email attachment to CCBCAQ@Justice.gov.uk
    4. Just put the claim number and the word Defence in the email title, and in the body of the email something like 'Please find my Defence attached'.
    5. Log into MCOL after a few days to see if the Claim is marked "defended". If not chase the CCBC until it is.
    6. Do not be surprised to receive a copy of the Claimant's Directions Questionnaire, they are just trying to put you under pressure.
    7. Wait for your DQ from the CCBC, or download one from the internet, and then re-read post #2 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread to find out exactly what to do with it.
  • Thanks Keith, and the two people before.

    Is there any guidance for the defence side of things?
  • Redx
    Redx Posts: 38,084 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post Photogenic
    yes, post #2 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread, third thread down from the top of this forum, the one you havent studied yet BUT WERE TOLD TO LOOK AT IN THE POST #2 REPLY BY MEMBER FRUITCAKE

    your PPC had 6 years to try a court claim, which they are now doing, which was always their prerogative, and B W LEGAL have millions of invoices like yours to process and possibly take to court

    post your full P.O.C. details below, plus post the full charges breakdown and total too

    do the AOS online by logging in (as detailed in that same post #2)

    than start drafting your defence, by looking at the examples by member BARGEPOLE
  • KeithP
    KeithP Posts: 37,628 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    sellwin90 wrote: »
    Is there any guidance for the defence side of things?
    Yes in post #2 of the NEWBIES thread.

    There is a link to that thread in my earlier post - twice in fact. ;)


    But Fruitcake had already told you that was the place to look.

    And now Redx has too. :D
  • sellwin90
    sellwin90 Posts: 56 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    edited 17 January 2019 at 1:15AM
    AOS Complete

    POC:
    The claiments claim is for the sum of £85 being moneys due from the defendant to the claiment in respect of PCN issued 29/11/17 at 21:42.
    PCN related to Car under reg XXXXXX, the terms of the PCN allowed the defendant 28 days from the issue date to pay the PCN but defendant failed to do so. Despite demand having being made the defendant has failed to settle their outstanding liability.
    The claim also includes statutory interest pursuant to section 69 of the count courts act 84 at a rate of 8% per annum a daily rate of 0.02 from 29/11/17 to 09/01/19 being an amount of £8.14.The claiment also claims £60 contractual costs pursuant to PCN T&Cs.

    Full charges breakdown:
    Amount claimed: £x
    Court Fee: £x
    Legal costs: £x
    Total Amount £x

    Going to start looking at the defence bit from Bargepole as advised but any advice from the above would be appreciated. Thanks
  • KeithP
    KeithP Posts: 37,628 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    sellwin90 wrote: »
    ...any advice from the above would be appreciated. Thanks
    Yes, my advice would be to remove all personal information from your latest post - e.g. the vehicle's VRN.

    You will also have read, linked from post #1 of the NEWBIES FAQ sticky thread, that it is unwise to post precise amounts, for the same reason.
This discussion has been closed.
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