Claim form - parking tickets - dcb legal

[Lowkey1331]

Hi everyone

i have received a claim form from DCB legal over 3 ‘unpaid’ parking tickets which i actually paid for. I pay for monthly parking tickets at a car park near my work. 9 days before my ticket expired the car park changed ownership and i wasnt directly notified nor informed that my current ticket is now invalid. As a result i was issued 3 parking tickets and soon as they was received i purchased a new monthly ticket with the different car park company. This meant that i actually paid for 2 tickets per day for a period of 5 days of where my old monthly ticket crossed over with my new monthly ticket between the 2 organisations. I obviously refused to pay the PCN’s and now after 2 years they have sent me a claim form stamped by the courts requesting £751 for the 3 PCN’s they sent me. I have sent my defence and since received a phone call from DCB legal trying to settle for £600. I rejected their proposal and they said they are going to take me to court. Any advice on how i can deal with this situation is appreciated, i spoke to a specialist firm who deals with this and they wanted £240 what i am not paying.

any help appreciated.

[des8]

To be able to assist we will need to see copies of the original notices, the claim form and your defence.


It might not be easy if you have already filed and served a defence which needs amending.

[Lowkey1331]

Please see attached my defence and claim form

[des8]

You should emphasise the lack of very prominent notices at the car park bringing the change of car park management to driver's notice.
I doubt ownership of the carpark changed.
It will just be that a different car park operator has taken over

There might have been other defences e.g I note the claim form states the reason for the charge is "unauthorised vehicle".
If the signs stated something like "No unauthorised vehicles" you could have argued that as your vehicle was unauthorised you could not have contracted to park there as it is not possible to contract to do something that is forbidden,
In that case the offence would have been one of trespass and only the landowner (not the parking company) could pursue you, and then only for his losses (which presumably would have been nil)

However you have filed and served your defence.
You could apply to amend your defence, (but we need to see original PCNs and signs at the car park to confirm that) and that costs £275

[Lowkey1331]

How can i request to see the original sign on the car park? Who i need to contact?

[des8]

You send a CPR31.14 to DCB Legal
You send a Subject Access Request to the parking company

There are templates for these documents in the SHORTCUTS panel on the right. They will need modifying for your circumstances.

Send them first class with free certificate of posting from Post Office.