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CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please! - won

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  • CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please! - won

    Hello :-) I found out 2 weeks ago when checking my credit file that I have a CCJ from CEL. I've spoken to the court, and the CCJ was in Aug 2016. It was linked to an old address I left in August 2014. Details on the court report says 15/4/15, a ref number, the debt and damages are now £356.85. I can't find any details of what the alleged incident is or where it took place. I've never received anything from CEL before. CEL are not an easy bunch to contact either to find anything out :-(

    I'm going to ask for the judgement to be set-aside on the basis I didn't know about it and therefore didn't have a chance to defend any claim made against me (and I should be able to do that). Reading other threads I think this is ok as the justification for setting aside - would someone be able to confirm that please?

    I know I need to add an outline defence to the set-aside application so the judge can see I have a good chance of defending it which is hard to do as I have no details of the alleged incident. I intend to put in my defence statement that CEL do not follow POFA Schedule 4 and therefore have no right hold me liable for any claim purely on the basis I am the registered keeper of a vehicle and unless CEL can prove I was the driver, they have no right to hold me liable or pursue me for a parking claim.

    Other examples I've seen cover a few other areas, such as CEL not meeting the required timescales for issuing parking notices, and whether a contract exists in the first place, but conflicting advice on whether these add much too.

    My draft statement is as follows: -

    I am xxxxxxxxxx and I am the Defendant in this matter.
    This my supporting Statement in support of my application dated 13/01/2017 to:
    · Set aside the Default Judgement dated August 2016 as it was not properly served at my current address;
    · Order for the Claimant to pay the Defendant £255 as reimbursement for the set aside fee;
    · Order for the original claim to be dismissed.

    1. Default Judgement
    1.1. I understand that the Claimant obtained a Default Judgement against me as the Defendant in August 2016. However, this claim form has not been served at my current address and I thus was not aware of the Default Judgement until 23 December 2016 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 August 2014. In support of this I can provide confirmation from xxxxx 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 properly challenge the Claimant’s claim.

    1.3. On the 03/01/2017 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 03/01/2017 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’s staff to discuss, nor have I received a response to my numerous answer phone messages left on the Claimant’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, which is shown on the Court papers.

    1.5. I believe the Claimant has behaved unreasonably in pursuing a claim against me without ensuring they held the Defendant’s correct contact details. According to publicly available information my circumstances are far from being unique. The Claimant’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’s current address when bringing the claim.

    1.7. Considering the above I was unable to defend this claim properly. 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 “Parking Charge Notices” 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 “Parking Charge Notice’’, 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 ‘Protection of Freedoms Act 2012’ 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’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.


    I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF ANYONE ON THE FORUM COULD LET ME KNOW IF THIS LOOKS OK AND IS STRONG ENOUGH TO GET A SET ASIDE AND SHOW A HOPE OF DEFENDING THIS IF IT COMES TO IT!
    Tags: None

  • #2
    Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

    1.7 Remove "properly"

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

      Thanks for responding. Does this look ok otherwise?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

        Did you contact DVLA at all to change your details ?

        M1

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

          Originally posted by mystery1 View Post
          Did you contact DVLA at all to change your details ?

          M1
          Not until Dec 2015 - I moved 3 times between August 2014 and October 2015 due to divorce so once I was settled somewhere (where I still live now) I updated my details with DVLA and on my V5C.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

            Originally posted by Saggi1075 View Post
            Not until Dec 2015 - I moved 3 times between August 2014 and October 2015 due to divorce so once I was settled somewhere (where I still live now) I updated my details with DVLA and on my V5C.
            So they'll probably say they served at the last known address. Still should check the voters roll or something to confirm when they've had no reply. Don't know which way a judge would sway though.

            M1

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

              Hello again. Hoping someone can help here again with some advice.

              CEL have now written to me as I have submitted the papers for a set aside - the hearing for that is on the 23rd feb. They've written to me to say that they dispute the judgement being set aside as i should have informed the DVLA of my change of address and if I had done that they wouldn't have used my old address. They've also said they will request for the claim to be restored to being a defended claim if the judge does set-aside. Suddenly am feeling quite nervous....

              I don't think I have any option now but to see the set-aside hearing through (CEL aren't going to be there) but do I have any other options?

              The letter CEL have sent me contains a PCN number and the location of the 'incident'(Greyfriars car park, Bedford, which is the QD carpark), along with my registration but nothing else. So at least now I know it relates to a parking incident) I don't know yet if they can prove who the driver was.

              Any suggestions? Would it be worth me getting a specialist lawyer to come with me on the day?

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

                No need for them to find driver the keeper becomes liable unless you identify the driver

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

                  They've written to me to say that they dispute the judgement being set aside as i should have informed the DVLA of my change of address and if I had done that they wouldn't have used my old address.
                  Yes you should have. I would doubt that they reapplied for the information from DVLA once they had it initially though. You may wish to ask DVLA about that. They also should have checked the voters role or something if they were getting no reply 2 years later. It would seem like a prudent thing to do.

                  They've also said they will request for the claim to be restored to being a defended claim if the judge does set-aside.
                  That'd usually be the case.

                  The letter CEL have sent me contains a PCN number and the location of the 'incident'(Greyfriars car park, Bedford, which is the QD carpark), along with my registration but nothing else. So at least now I know it relates to a parking incident) I don't know yet if they can prove who the driver was.
                  The driver issue is huge. CEL do not use PoFA compliant notices so that would sink them if they couldn't prove on the balance of probability who was driving.

                  M1

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

                    Thanks for this. I do live near my old address. thought about going to ask them if they've had any papers and if they ever returned to sender. that might prove CEL knew I didn't live there but continued in any case?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

                      Originally posted by Saggi1075 View Post
                      Thanks for this. I do live near my old address. thought about going to ask them if they've had any papers and if they ever returned to sender. that might prove CEL knew I didn't live there but continued in any case?
                      :okay:

                      M1

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

                        Hello :-)

                        I just wanted to update on the outcome of the set aside hearing today – it went very well and I’ve summarised the points the judge made. I hope they all make sense and if any of it doesn’t, do point it out!

                        The judge started by asking me about the DVLA issue which I explained honesty as being a poor level of admin by me when I was going through a very difficult time. I did mention that I didn’t believe the claimant has gone to much effort to find where I was living in the 15 months the process took, and also added that the DVLA record is only useful in any case if they can prove I was the driver (as claimant doesn’t comply with POFA Section 4 and Claimant can’t pursue me as the keeper).

                        Judge then quickly moved onto the following: -

                        1) The judge ordered a strike out of the claim due to CPR Part 3.4
                        (a) that the statement of case disclosed no reasonable grounds for bringing or defending the claim;
                        (b) that the statement of case is an abuse of the court’s process or is otherwise likely to obstruct the just disposal of the proceedings; and
                        (c) that there has been a failure to comply with a rule, practice direction or court order.

                        2) The judge then said the claimant can file and serve an amended claim providing it complies with CPR Part 16; if it does submit a new claim then I need to send my defence to the court and the claimant to arrive 3 weeks after the particulars (I think this means 3 weeks from the date he writes out to us following today – is this correct?) [he mentioned 'para 3' here – in CPR Part 16 this refers to the statement of value – would this be right or is he referring to something else?]

                        3) if the claimant fails to submit a compliant claim, then they will be in default and the claim will stand dismissed without further order.

                        4) the set-aside has been granted and the claimant ordered to pay my application costs of £255 in 14 days ( is that from today and can the claimant appeal this?).

                        Quick question - In terms of the CCJ, will it now be removed from my credit file (by the court) or not until a new claim is made (and either won or lost by me?) How does that process work (to remove the CCJ) and how long does it take?

                        Grateful for any further advice and insight please.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

                          Well done on getting the judgment set aside and struck out Did you get assistance on your application or did you do it yourself?

                          The CCJ should be removed from your credit file as the claim is set aside and in fact struck out so the original judgment has been removed completely. The Judge seems to have given permission to file and serve a new claim though, if he didn't mention the time then it would normally be considered 14 days from today. In terms of getting it removed, the Court should liaise with the Registry Trust who administer the database for CCJs and fines, but you can be proactive and contact the court for a copy of the Order - I would wait about a week first before contacting them as Courts are not the fastest. Once you have it, you could email the Registry Trust and explain your situation and request to confirm the removal of the CCJ, you could also contact the Credit Reference Agencies at the same time, though they may say that they follow the Registry Trust records.

                          As for your application costs it's 14 days from the date of the judgment which will be today. They can appeal it, but it might be unlikely that they will since the courts will not generally overturn a decision based on the judge's discretion (costs is at the judge's discretion).
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                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please!

                            Originally posted by R0b View Post
                            Well done on getting the judgment set aside and struck out Did you get assistance on your application or did you do it yourself?
                            I used a combination of the examples on this site and the Money Savings Expert forum too - and then lots of very helpful and knowledgeable advice from lots of lovely people on both sites :-). Not out of the woods yet as CEL may file a new claim but they'll have to be a) quick b) be much more focussed on constructing a better quality claim that meets the CPR and c) able to prove who was driving. TBH the judge seemed more than a little ticked off how the claim got through in the first place given it was so rubbish.

                            I'm going to post on here the Order when I get it and the docs I used for the set-aside application and the hearing in case they can benefit someone else. Would be great if payment of the set-aside application fee became the rule not the exception - might stop the likes of CEL doing this in the future *crosses fingers and toes.

                            Thanks for replying :-)

                            x

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: CEL Set Aside - Advice on Statement Content please! - won

                              Look forward to them. Will assist the others who have been shafted just like you.

                              Great result.

                              M1

                              Comment

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