Hi JFollows“Tick in the box” just means mediation is a piece of bureaucracy which some people running the court service want to see observed, for these sorts of cases it’s a meaningless exercise only conducted because the process says it has to be.
Thank you for your quick reply. Forgive my confusion, but I'm a little unclear about your reference to tick someone. At what point will this apply?
Many thanks
HiMediation appointment by telephone is now mandatory. Fill it in!
For the N180 do i need to fill in the section about mediators? It kind of implies that I do.
A County Court Judgment (CCJ) does not just happen—it follows a clear legal process. If someone gets a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) from a private parking company, here's what happens step by step:1. Parking Charge Notice (PCN) Issued• The parking company sends a letter (Notice to Keeper) demanding money.
• This is not a fine—it’s an invoice for an alleged breach of contract.
2. Opportunity to Appeal• The recipient can appeal to the parking company.
•If rejected, they may be able to appeal to POPLA (if BPA member) or IAS (if IPC member).
• If an appeal is lost or ignored, the parking company demands payment.
3. Debt Collection Letters• The parking company might send scary letters or pass the case to a debt collector.
• Debt collectors have no power—they just send letters and can be ignored.
• No CCJ happens at this stage.
4. Letter Before Claim (LBC)• If ignored for long enough, the parking company (or their solicitor) sends a Letter Before Claim (LBC).
• This is a warning that they may start a court case.
• The recipient has 30 days to reply before a claim is filed.
• No CCJ happens at this stage.
5. County Court Claim Issued• If ignored or unpaid, the parking company may file a claim with the County Court.
• The court sends a Claim Form with details of the claim and how to respond.
• The recipient has 14 days to respond (or 28 days if they acknowledge it).
• No CCJ happens at this stage.
6. Court Process• If the recipient defends the claim, a judge decides if they owe money.
• If the recipient ignores the claim, the parking company wins by default.
• No CCJ happens yet unless the recipient loses and ignores the court.
7. Judgment & Payment• If the court rules that money is owed, the recipient has 30 days to pay in full.
• If they pay within 30 days, no CCJ goes on their credit file.
• If they don’t pay within 30 days, the CCJ stays on their credit file for 6 years.
Conclusion
CCJs do not appear out of thin air. They only happen if:• A parking company takes the case to court.
• The person loses or ignores the case.
• The person fails to pay within 30 days.
If you engage with the process (appeal, defend, or pay on time), no CCJ happens.
IN THE COUNTY COURTClaim No: [Claim Number]BETWEEN:
UK Parking Control Ltd
Claimant
- and -
[Defendant's Full Name]
Defendant
DEFENCE
1. The Defendant denies the claim in its entirety. The Defendant asserts that there is no liability to the Claimant and that no debt is owed. The claim is without merit and does not adequately disclose any comprehensible cause of action.
2. There is a lack of precise detail in the Particulars of Claim (PoC) in respect of the factual and legal allegations made against the Defendant such that the PoC do not comply with CPR 16.4.
3. The Defendant is unable to plead properly to the PoC because:(a) The contract referred to is not detailed or attached to the PoC in accordance with CPR PD 16(7.5);
(b) The PoC do not state the exact wording of the clause (or clauses) of the terms and conditions of the contract (or contracts) which is/are relied on;
(c) The PoC do not adequately set out the reason (or reasons) why the claimant asserts the defendant has breached the contract (or contracts)
(d) The PoC do not state with sufficient particularity exactly where the breach occurred, the exact time when the breach occurred and how long it is alleged that the vehicle was parked before the parking charge was allegedly incurred;
(e) The PoC do not state precisely how the sum claimed is calculated, including the basis for any statutory interest, damages, or other charges;
(f) The PoC do not state what proportion of the claim is the parking charge and what proportion is damages;
(g) The PoC do not provide clarity on whether the Defendant is sued as the driver or the keeper of the vehicle, as the claimant cannot plead alternative causes of action without specificity.
4. The Defendant attaches to this defence a copy of a draft order approved by a district judge at another court. The court struck out the claim of its own initiative after determining that the Particulars of Claim failed to comply with CPR 16.4. The judge noted that the claimant had failed to:(i) Set out the exact wording of the clause (or clauses) of the terms and conditions relied upon;
(ii) Adequately explain the reasons why the defendant was allegedly in breach of contract;
(iii) Provide separate, detailed Particulars of Claim as permitted under CPR PD 7C.5.2(2).
(iv) The court further observed that, given the modest sum claimed, requiring further case management steps would be disproportionate and contrary to the overriding objective. Accordingly, the judge struck out the claim outright rather than permitting an amendment.
5. The Defendant submits that the same reasoning applies in this case and invites the court to adopt a similar approach by striking out the claim for the Claimant’s failure to comply with CPR 16.4.
Statement of truth
I believe that the facts stated in this Defence are true. I understand that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth.
Signed:
Date:
Dear Sirs,
Re: Letter of Claim dated [date]
I refer to your Letter of Claim.
I confirm that my address for service at this time is as follows, and I request that any outdated address be erased from your records to ensure compliance with data protection obligations:
[YOUR ADDRESS]
Please note that the alleged debt is disputed, and any court proceedings will be robustly defended.
I note that the sum claimed has been increased by an excessive and unjustifiable amount, which appears contrary to the principles established by the Government, who described such practices as “extorting money from motorists.” Please refrain from sending boilerplate responses or justifications regarding this issue.
Under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, I require specific answers to the following questions:1. Does the additional £70 represent what you describe as a “Debt Recovery” fee? If so, is this figure net of or inclusive of VAT? If inclusive, I trust you will explain why I, as the alleged debtor, am being asked to cover your client’s VAT liability.
2. Regarding the principal sum of the alleged Parking Charge Notice (PCN): Is this being claimed as damages for breach of contract, or will it be pleaded as consideration for a purported parking contract?
I would caution you against simply dismissing these questions with vague or boilerplate responses, as I am fully aware of the implications. By claiming that PCNs are exempt from VAT while simultaneously inflating the debt recovery element, your client – with your assistance – appears to be evading VAT obligations due to HMRC. Such mendacious conduct raises serious questions about the legality and ethics of your practices.
I strongly advise your client to cease and desist. Should this matter proceed to court, you can be assured that these issues will be brought to the court’s attention, alongside a robust defence and potentially a counterclaim for unreasonable conduct.
Yours faithfully,
[YOUR NAME]
They will eventually send you a Letter of Claim (LoC) through DCB Legal, their bulk litigator of choice. Don't confuse any debt recovery letters from their sister company, DCBL.
If/when you receive the LoC, let us know and we'll advise on how to respond. In due course, you will receive an N1SDT Claim Form from the CNBC. We will again advise on deadlines and how to Acknowledge service and file the defence.
This is all normal and to be expected. As I have said here and many times elsewhere, as long as the claim is defended, they will eventually discontinue.
Don't confuse any debt recovery letters from their sister company, DCBL.Continue to ignore debt collectors.
Data Rectification Notice
[Your Name]
[Your Current Address]
[Date]
Data Protection Officer
UK Parking Control Ltd
By email to dpo@ukparkingcontrol.com
Dear Sir/Madam,
Subject: Data Rectification Notice Under Article 16 & Article 17 of the UK GDPR
I am writing to request the rectification of my personal data under Article 16 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). I instruct UK Parking Control Ltd to update your records to reflect my current address for service:
[Your Current Address]
Additionally, I request that you erase any other address or addresses you may currently hold for me in compliance with Article 17 of the UK GDPR.
It has come to my attention that a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) may have been issued and sent to an address that is now out of date. To ensure compliance with data protection laws and to avoid any further miscommunication, I require you to rectify this issue by updating your records accordingly.
Furthermore, if my personal data has been shared with any third parties, I instruct you to ensure that they also rectify their records and erase any incorrect or outdated address information. Under Article 19 of the UK GDPR, it is your responsibility to notify such third parties of the rectification or erasure of personal data.
To verify my identity and current address, I am providing a copy of my V5C document. This document serves as sufficient evidence for data verification purposes.
Please confirm in writing that:1.My address has been updated in your records.
2. All other addresses held have been erased.
3. Any third parties with whom my data has been shared have been notified to rectify or erase my data.
Failure to comply with this notice within the statutory timeframe of one calendar month will result in a formal complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Yours faithfully,
[Your Full Name]