Private parking fine - court defence template

[Harold99]

Hello,




Hoping someone could help with defence please. The driver recently applied for the AOS so the driver now has 28 days to submit defence.




Fine is £275




In 2024, the driver was playing for a football club who uses the football grounds adjacent to a leisure centre/community centre to play games and train. When signing on for the club the driver provided details including vehicle registration to park in the car park in order to play and train.




Sometime in 2024/25, the driver received a charging notice from the parking company. The driver let the football club know, they said they cleared it and nothing was heard since. The driver currently does not have a record of the original notice.




The driver is living abroad now and recently came to the UK to collect post. Post included letters dated March, April 2026 from the legal team. And a May 2026 letter taking the matter to court. No other letters had been received between the incident and the letters dated March 2026.




Was hoping someone could help the driver with steps to defend the decision?




And also how to manage the process as the driver will be living abroad from June 2026 for a year?




Appreciate this group and any support!




Thanks

[des8]

As you intend defending the claim it could well be 9 to 12 months before there is a hearing date .... so you might be back in UK by then?
At one point in the process you have to state when you are unavailable for a court hearing... that's your chance to put it off until June 2027!

You could deal with the correspondence etc by email

Now all you need to do is send a Subject Access Request to the parking Company and a CPR31.14 letter to the solicitors acting for the claimant
Templates, which will need modifying for your situation are here
https://legalbeagles.info/library/gu...ccess-request/
:https://legalbeagles.info/library/gu...-of-documents/

Remember to request response by email.

Have you asked the football club about this?
Could you post up a copy of the claim form (first removing identifying details)?

[Harold99]

Thank you so much!
I’ll be back in the UK in June 2026. Will they ask me for my hearing dates after I have submitted my defence?

I will send a subject access request. Thank you.

I have asked the football club to provide a statement, do you think this would help?

claim form attached. Issue date was 19th May 2026.

[Harold99]

Sorry meant be back in UK June 2027!!

[Harold99]

Could another named driver defend the claim under the defendants name? For example writing ‘the driver…’ in the defence statement. Or is this the reason for sending the subject access request to the parking company and the solicitor.

[des8]

Ask the football club to have the charge cancelled.

What is the issue date on the claim form?

As you no longer have the original PCN you need the responses from the Parking co and solicitor to know exactly what you are defending! There is not sufficient information to prepare a full defence.

You ask "Could another named driver defend the claim under the defendants name?"
Answer: No! If the defendant wishes to be absent he can arrange to be legally represented (i.e. by a solicitor/barrister) The cost however would be prohibitive!