DCBL court claim

[JJHoops]

Hi,

We have received a claim letter from DCBL for an unpaid parking ticket dating back to 2021. We never received the PCN, we moved house 2 weeks after it was issued. We requested to see the original PCN but were told it had already been sent via email and would not be sent again. We explained we had not received this and were met with the same response. Next we received a letter from the small claims court. We rung DCBL demanding they send the original documents which they finally did, this stated ‘failure to display a valid ticket’ and had photos of our vehicle along with the timings.
We revisited the site of the parking ticket and photographed all the signage showing 1 hour free parking, our ticket stated we stayed for 42 minutes. We then contacted DCBL to ask why a PCN had been issued. They simply said their client wished to proceed with court action. We sent back the letter of acknowledgment and a clear defence including the photos of signage and how DCBL had failed to supply relevant information. We contacted DCBL to question why they were proceeding and they instructed they would request clarification from their client.
We then received a directions questionnaire from the court so filled this in and returned.
Today DCBL have emailed with photos of the site showing 30 minutes of free parking (apparently the signage changed since PCN was issued). We are now feeling less confident in going to court. We would have paid the original PCN should we have received it and are now facing charges over £300.
Can anyone advise on how best to proceed?

Many thanks

[des8]

Unfortunately as you have filed a defence your options are limited

Could you please post up a copy of the claim form, your defence as filed and your witness statement (redact all three so your identity is not exposed, but leave in all dates & times)
Also a fully legible copy of the sign they are relying on please.

[JJHoops]

Thank you for your reply, please find attached our defense and supporting emails and photos as well as the claim form and claimants photo of signage.
Hopefully they are clear enough to read, I had to resize them in order to attach.
Many thanks.

Our photos of signage.pdf Email 2.jpgEmail 1.jpgClaim form.jpgDefence.pdf Claimants photos of signage.jpg

[des8]

Sorry for delay in responding, but having problems accessing posts.

If your defence is that you haven't seen the original PCN, you probably won't be successful

If your defence is that the signs were for 1 hour free parking (and you have the photo) and you can convince the judge, oh joy.

Have you got a court date yet? If not it might be possible to file an amended defence, altho' that could cost.
The other way of perhaps getting your version across is in your witness statement.
Have you written that yet?

When you post up, please let me know via private message otherwise I'll probably miss it!