MET Parking services

[des8]

I would not pay them, but that is a choice not everyone would make.
People's circumstances are different
Being retired I have the time to dispute with them, and a day in court is a day out

Others anticipate the court hearing will be stressful (it isn't really that bad ... just the anticipation)
You don't have to attend court, but really leave yourself at a great disadvantage by not attending

It is a varied picture
Sometimes parking companies realise they will lose in court so give up
Other times, especially if it has been passed to debt collectors, they will continue to court.
I think this might be because the debt collectors (DCB) have an inhouse firm of solicitors (DCB Legal) and their business plan is issue as many claims as possible as the winning instances produce an overall profit. Many people pay when a claim is issued, rather than defend it.

[Shazwall]

Ok, I will have think about it. Don’t like idea of going to court but also of paying a fine which is not valid.
Thankyou for your responses and help.

[Shazwall]

Can I ask, if it did go to court would they ask who the driver of the vehicle was at the time? I am the registered keeper but have not stated that I was the driver.

[des8]

Any response to your question has to be taken as "general" as small claims track hearings are informal.
The court can use any method it considers fair and usually the judge hears both sides & then asks questions before making a decision.
Whether or not the parties question each other is down to the judge.
Bearing in mind at least one of the litigants in your hearing will be a lay person and not familiar with the court protocols or used to questioning other parties, they will be at a disadvantage and so the judge probably will not allow such questioning.
If perchance you are asked directly by the claimant if you were the driver, you could respond that you are not required to identify the driver and no assumptions can be made from that refusal.
Of course if asked by the judge (and I doubt that would happen) you would need to give a direct truthful answer.

But even if the court decides you were the driver and hence should pay the parking charge, there will almost certainly be other defences which can be raised.

Here are a coupe of links to publications you might find useful. Not all of the contents apply to small claims track cases, but you might find them useful
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/...+web+FINAL.pdf
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/..._in_Person.pdf

[langdon22]

Hi Sharon,
It sounds frustrating to deal with unexpected fines, especially when you didn't receive prior notice. Have you considered gathering any evidence to support your case? Contesting it based on non-receipt of the first letter might be worth a try. What do you think your next steps will be?

[HandyAndy]

What do you think your next steps will be?

Whatever they might have been, they are almost certainly long gone. This thread is a year old.

Is there any particular reason why you have chipped into it?

[Shazwall]

So I’ve finally received this letter and not sure how to proceed or what to put on the form. It seems to be asking to settle in small claims court but I don’t really want to do this as parking fine should not have been served in the first place due to incorrect parking information & timings. Any help on this appreciated. Thankyou.

[des8]

As a court claim has been issued and you have defended it the matter passes initially to mediation.
Mediation is carried out via phone through a third party (court appointed mediator). You do not speak directly with the claimant.
If successful that is the end of the matter

I would anticipate the claimants accepting the original £100, but would hope you hold out for zilch.

The case then proceeds to court, but with your strong defence I would not be surprised if the claim is discontinued after a few more attempts to persuade you to cough up

Regarding form completion tick yes to small claims track and yes to a court hearing, as there are factual matters and points of law to be decided

[Shazwall]

Ok. Thankyou for this response. I just hope the claim is discounted. Fingers crossed eh! Thanks again for your help.