Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Private parking tickets => Topic started by: sace321 on June 23, 2026, 05:51:25 pm
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will do thanks
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No, but search the forum for "N180" which will result in your finding advice on completion of your Directions Questionnaire, which you need to do when the court sends you the paperwork or when your MCOL account shows that it's been sent to you.
Your form will say that you request a hearing in person at a court local to you and your wishes will override those of the claimant.
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here an update. i sent a response denying the claim on the MCOL website and got a letter in the post saying we are waiting for a response from the claimant. Earlier this week i got another letter from civil enforcement with a copy of the " directions questionaire" and also confirming they have sent another copy to the court. The questionaire has a box checked that says they agree that the small claims track is appropriate for this case and also checking the box that says they agree that the claim is suitable for determination without a hearing. apart from that they requested the gearing be conducted remotely. All other boxes are checked no. Is there anything else i need to do at this point?
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Worth noting that this is even more vague than many we see, in that they don't state at all in what capacity they are seeking to recover from the OP.
One could assume they're seeking to do so as the driver, but only insofar as that would be the default party to any contract and they don't make any claims to the contrary in their PoC.
I agree 100% and hopefully a decent Judge will pick up on that immediately especially if he or she is familiar with such private parking issues.
The POC does specifically mention the word "Drivers" in their preamble so we can use that under the guise of reasonable assumption when trying to interpret the vague particulars.
I think there's enough in the vague POC to be able to use that against them if the matter progresses.
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thank you all for the responses. I will wait a till Monday to see if i get a reply from the subject access request to see if i can get some more information about the original PCN. if i haven't gotten an reply by then i will send the skeleton defense. I've been doing a bit of research and it seems CEL have a notoriously bad reputation with adding fake charges on PCNs. ill send an update when i hear anything back.
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Worth noting that this is even more vague than many we see, in that they don't state at all in what capacity they are seeking to recover from the OP.
One could assume they're seeking to do so as the driver, but only insofar as that would be the default party to any contract and they don't make any claims to the contrary in their PoC.
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You could submit this skeleton defence just so you appear to be jumping through the hoops.
Nothing to worry about at this stage - the chances of you having to pay anything is minimal.
Obviously you need to put in the correct reg number.
CEL Defence
1. I am defendant named on the Claim Form and I completely deny the allegation that any money is owed by myself to the Claimant.
2. The Claimant's Particulars of Claim (POC) are extremely vague which makes responding in the correct manner difficult given that the alleged debt stems from an alleged contract breach which they claim occurred some years ago.
3. The Claimant's POC fail to state the nature of the contract breach on which their claim is based.
4. Not withstanding the above, I will press on and offer a 'skeleton defence' - I request that the Court note the vague nature of the claim since I may need to add additional points at a later point in time.
5. It is acknowledged that I was the Registered Keeper of vehicle AB12 CDE at the material time.
6. The vehicle driver is not known to the Claimant and the Claimant has offered no evidence of the drivers identity.
7. That there is no legal requirement for a vehicle keeper to provide driver details to an unregulated parking operator and therefore I will not be providing such driver details under any circumstance since the law simply does not demand it.
8. That no inference can be drawn from my refusal to provide such driver details as I am simply exercising my right to say nothing.
9. That the Claimant is not pleading any further keeper liability (on my part) under Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (POFA) and I therefore ask the Court to note this fact in case they attempt to breach protocol and add such an additional plea at a further point in time.
10. That with the driver unknown and no plea under POFA, the Claimant has absolutely no legal route by which they can hold me liable for the alleged debt.
11. The debt is therefore denied in its entirety.
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okay i have sent an email to CEL with the subject access request. Will update when i get a response
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do i have to send the subject access request by email or does it have to be by post?
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You can obtain the original PCN with a Subject Access Request to CEL. It may be important to help you construct your defence.
However it is unlikely you will receive this original PCN in time for you to construct your defence.
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can you recommend me a good defense to use?
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Yes, you have to file a defence by 4pm on 14 July.
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okay heres a new screenshot with only person info redacted
https://files.catbox.moe/7whsm0.jpeg
i have[/i] done the acknowledgement of service but i only have a couple days left to respond
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Please post up the claim form redacting only personal info and password.
You have gone overboard and obscured more than this.
Especially the dates.
https://www.ftla.uk/private-parking-tickets/read-this-first-private-parking-charges-forum-guide/ says 3. Post the notice(s) you have received – as well as providing important context, the notices may contain/omit details that can be used to help you successfully fight the charge. Upload photos of any and all notices you have received from the parking company. You should show us all pages of the notice(s), remove personal details (name/address, PCN reference number, Vehicle Registration Mark), but show us all dates and times. Details that you think are trivial could help you win, so don’t leave anything out.
You only know these - you have 14+5 days from the date on the form which you obscured to file a defence or Acknowledgement of Service. If you file AoS you have a further 14 days to file a defence.
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hello have you been able to look at the screenshot?
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here is a link to the claim form. sorry for lateish reply had to get home from work to snap the picture
https://files.catbox.moe/s7hf8r.jpeg
i redacted the name of the car park its called "the old ship inn"
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Who is the parking operator?
Please post up the claim form redacting only personal info and password.
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thanks for reply. i dont have the original PCN anymore. Like i said it was 3 years ago and assumed i wouldn't have to pay it
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Post up the original PCN.
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Hello, i have a claim form from a parking charge i got almost 3 years ago. i vaguely remember the details, i was visiting a friend and parked at the pub car park for just under an hour. When i received the parking charge my friend told me i shouldn't pay it as the pub wont peruse the ticket. I think i received a few other letters regarding it which i stupidly ignored and got the claim form a couple weeks ago. After browsing through this forum for a while i am now realizing this wont go away and i am trying to deal with it in the best way possible as the charge has gone up significantly with all the fees they have added on. I can't remember exactly because it was so long ago but i don't remember seeing any signs on the car park saying i had to pay and this was at 9pm at night during winter so it was pretty dark and also most car parks in my area are free at that time.
The claim form says "Claim for money relating to a Parking Charge for breaching of contract terms/conditions for parking in private car park managed by claimant. Drivers may only park pursuant to TCs of use displayed in CP and agreed upon entry/parking. ANPR cameras or manual patrols monitor vehicles entering/exiting the CP and breaches". The original ticket was during winter of 2023
I have logged into the MCOL system and acknowledge service of the claim although it is worth mentioning that due to my poor timing i have done it the day after the final day of the 14 day window. not sure if that affects anything but ill add it just incase.
Please anyone with any advice on how to proceed and what would be the best steps. I am currently in the process of moving out due to some family issues and really cannot afford the extra pressure of a massive parking fine even though it is my fault for ignoring all the parking charge letters. Thanks in advance for any advice.