Parking Eye Court Claim Issued

[modface]

Hello,
I have received a court claim from Parking Eye. I have sent an acknowledgement of service and have until 09/03/2024 to submit my defence.
On the day in question 19/09/2023 I was being supervised and trained in my new role as a price collector for the ONS. My supervisor and myself gave our car registrations to a staff member at Aldi so we would have an exemption from the time limit imposed by Parking Eye who manage the car park.Unfortunately on 04/10/2023 my supervisor and myself received parking charges from Parking Eye. On 12/10/2023 my supervisor went back to the Aldi store with the copy of her parking charge to get it cancelled which presumably it has been because she has heard nothing since.
Fortune has not smiled so favourably upon myself. On 17/10/2023 I took in my parking charge notice to Aldi to have it cancelled and also be added to an exemption list because I would be collecting data there every month. The duty manager duly took my notice into the office with him and emerged a few minutes later to inform me that the fine had been cancelled.
On November 5th I return home after a week away to find another letter from Parking Eye informing me that I now oweŁ100 with no discount available.I take this new letter and the original with me to Aldi on 14/11/202. The manager and duty manager apologise that the parking charge has escalated and spend over half an hour in the office with my notices entering details into their computer. When they emerge I am assured that the charge has now been cancelled and to ignore any letters that are subsequently issued because they will just be already automated.I accept all this in good faith and assume the matter has been dealt with.
Just under 3 months later on 09/02/2024 I am somewhat shocked to receive a court claim. I would very much appreciate any advice on how best to proceed.

Thank you.

[des8]

Write complaining to Aldi, and telling them to ensure the claim is discontinued by Parking Eye.
Tell your employer, and ask them to write to Aldi in a similar manner

you need to get written confirmation from Aldi that they have instructed PE to discontinue the claim

[des8]

Thinking about this overnight (i know..sad!)

I don't use Aldi, but I think the parking sign will state "customers only" or some such.
You were not a customer as you weren't there to purchase goods so the signs do not apply to you.

Try and get the claim discontinued, but if it fails complain to your employer and tell them that whilst you will defend the claim, if you lose you expect them to cover any award as an expense

[modface]

I did take the court claim form into Aldi last Tuesday 13/02/2023 to explain the situation to them in the hope of receiving a letter I could duly pass onto the court in my defence and the duty manager who doesn't drive passed me onto the assistant manager who gave me her name and told me that parking charges are an ongoing problem and you need to keep inputting exemptions into the computer system She gave herself as an example: She has been working there since June and her vehicle is exempt from the time limit regulations yet she was still issued with a fine by Parking Eye last month. She said she would input my details again but considering how for myself this has progressed so far and how far along the process is now, I am not confident in this as a solution.

I will combine your advice with that of my supervisor's and write to Aldi regional HQ to and ask them to contact Parking Eye to ensure the fine is discontinued and to provide myself with written confirmation of such.

My supervisor will be contacting our regional line manager as well.