DCBL threatening to take mentally very ill mum to court for private parking ticket

[Marymac]

Backstory is that in September last year my very distressed and unwell mum (multiple mh diagnoses including bipolar disorder, adhd and emotionally unstable personality disorder) was on the run from an abusive domestic situation (she makes poor relationship choices a lot). She booked a cheap hotel room, got lost and mistakenly parked in a private office car park on a Sunday evening. She moved it within 20 minutes having found the hotel. She was in a total crisis state which frankly she hasn't been much out of since.

She is building up a nice big mountain or debt and cant cope at all with paperwork or emails so I'm trying to sort all this out for her.

I appealed to uk parking control, ending reams of her mental health information regarding mental confusion, panic attacks, suicide attempts, addiction issues and inability to cope with basic administration and daily life, thinking even they would leave off her when they got that. How naive of me...

It's been ignored, referred to zzpz debt recovery and now dcbl limited who have sent her a final demand saying she can't appeal again (as far as i can tell she never got anything stating how to appeal officially, or that her appeal had been refused, and was just told repeatedly to pay up). They are saying she will be sent a solicitors letter if she doesn't pay.

She's suicidal, agoraphobic and has no means of payment. I also have to go abroad soon so not sure I can accompany her to court which is so, so worrying. She won't cope herself and won't know how to answer the questions. I am trying to make sure I can be here for longer but it's very difficult.

My question is, will solicitors and/or County Court judges seriously allow this prosecution of a seriously ill person on the edge of suicide (with plenty of medical evidence that this is the case) to go ahead? Do they take notice of serious health issues like this? Or will it just be a case of strict liability, pay up even though you've just lost your job and have no capacity to work and are fighting (well, we are on her behalf) to get benefits.


She just keeps saying she's better off dead and is terrified of the court and even of leaving the house.

I don't know what to do and am so sad and furious it's come to this over 20 minutes in an empty car park. I am a student and cannot pay her debt myself although I've thought of trying.

Many thanks for reading. Any personal experiences or advice welcome. I can't find much online about how these claims work out legally for people as sick as she is.

Mary

[Marymac]

Dear all, I don't know if my post below was missed or if people really don't know what to respond to it but my mum is in serious mental health difficulty and this issue is not helping. I've got exams (law incidentally!) and don't have the time I would like to help her out right now.

She has already admitted to being the driver by email to the enforcement agents zzpz (I know, she should not have, but in her mental state she doesn't know how best to help herself). The latest is that she has emailed DCBLtd in a panic saying they are trying to kill her, she's going mad etc. Then she got a more sensitively worded email which must be the one they use for the real 'crazies' :/ but they still haven't withdrawn the action. They say they are going to send the 'information' she has sent them to their solicitors. I suppose then we will have to see if they still bring the action or try to trick her into getting a judgement in default (this is my big fear for her. She's scared enough of bailiffs as it is).

What I'm really asking is, given the state she is and the reams of medical information on how sick she is would they have any chance at all of getting their judgement made against her if we manage to turn up and provide a defence (which she isn't capable of doing herself, I'll have to do it)

[DE DOGS]

We have a grandson suffering from. Bipolar Disorder, Adhd. I am surprised that the DHSS has not made her financial payment for her living expenses, and payment for a carer to assist her, you would be wise to contact her Doctor requesting a letter for the Court, that carries more weight than just saying your mum has these problems, also advise the XXXXXX a copy of the letter and that you will be disputing the charge in Court, this is a terrible disease and, not many people have experienced it, I totally understand as my wife has Deminta, and that is similar. Good luck but try and let your Mum know you are helping.

[tesla6518]

Hi I am saddened to hear of your mothers problems, however I would be careful how you proceed, The court could question if your mother was fit to drive and had she reported her medical problems to her insurance company, can you see where I am going. Your mother was not wrong in admitting she was the driver as she would have had even more paperwork to put up with, if she had not.
If the parking fee is not too high I would pay it. You could, as someone has already suggested get a doctors note. However this could be a two edged sword. Parking companies are merely worried about getting Money. Therefore they could used the doctors note as evidence that she should not have been driving and therefore liable for the fee. One possibility is, Contact the company whose property it was, try getting to the person who deals with the contract for parking and appeal to them giving them the full details, could also be worth writing to the managing director.

[charitynjw]

Could ypu post up a redacted copy of any PCNs received (front & rear if applicable, leave all dates & times visible), plus legible photos of the parking site signs?