All claimants request their own home court in their DQs. It's in the forlorn hope that one day someone will assign it that way.
CPR 26.3 applies:
Transfer of money claims within the County Court
26.3.—(1) This rule applies where the claim is for an amount of money in the County Court, specified or unspecified.
(2) If at any time a court officer considers that the claim should be referred to a judge for directions, the court officer may send the proceedings to the defendant’s home court or the preferred hearing centre or other County Court hearing centre as may be appropriate.
(3) Subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), if the defendant is an individual and the claim is for a specified sum of money, at the relevant time the claim must be sent to the defendant’s home court (save that where there are two or more defendants, one or more of whom are individuals, the claim must be sent to the home court of the defendant who first files their defence).
(4) Subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), in any other claim to which this rule applies, the court must, at the relevant time, send the claim to the preferred hearing centre.
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), if, on their directions questionnaire—
(a) a defendant under paragraph (3) has specified a hearing centre other than the defendant’s home court; or
(b) a claimant under paragraph (4) has specified a hearing centre other than the preferred hearing centre,
the claim must be sent to that other hearing centre.
(6) At the relevant time, the claim must be sent to the County Court at Central London if—
(a) the claim is started at the Civil National Business Centre;
(b) a court officer provisionally decides, pursuant to rule 26.4, that the track which appears to be most suitable for the claim is the multi-track; and
(c) either—
(i) in respect of a defendant under paragraphs (3) and (5)(a), the home court (or the home court of the defendant who first files their defence) or the hearing centre specified on the directions questionnaire; or
(ii) in respect of a claimant under paragraphs (4) and (5)(b), the preferred hearing centre or the hearing centre specified on the directions questionnaire,
is one of the hearing centres listed in Practice Direction 26 at paragraph 19.
(7) The relevant time for the purposes of this rule is when—
(a) all parties have filed their directions questionnaires;
(b) any stay ordered by the court or period to attempt settlement through mediation has expired; or
(c) if the claim falls within Practice Direction 49D—
(i) the defence is filed; or
(ii) enforcement of a default judgment other than by a warrant of control is requested,
whichever occurs first.
I will take bets now that as long as the N180 DQ is completed and the mediation call is "attended" with a £0 offer that this claim will be discontinued before the trial fee has to be paid. Any takers on £100?
You can defend any claim issued by DCB Legal with any old rubbish or waffle. DCB Legal will always discontinue any defended claim. They rely on the ignorance and fear of the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree to pay up out of ignorance and fear before the trial fee has to be paid.
If you take this advice and stand your ground, you won't be paying a penny to DCB Legal or their client.
Here's the advice on how to complete your own N180 DQ:
Having received your own N180 (make sure it is not simply a copy of the claimants N180), do not use the paper form. Ignore all the other forms that came with it. you can discard those. Download your own here and fill it in on your computer. You sign it by simply typing your full name in the signature box.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673341e779e9143625613543/N180_1124.pdf
Here are the answers to some of the less obvious questions:
• The name of the court is "Civil National Business Centre".
• To be completed by "Your full name" and you are the "Defendant".
• C1: "YES"
• D1: "NO". Reason: "I wish to question the Claimant about their evidence at a hearing in person and to expose omissions and any misleading or incorrect evidence or assertions.
Given the Claimant is a firm who complete cut & paste parking case paperwork for a living, having this case heard solely on papers would appear to put the Claimant at an unfair advantage, especially as they would no doubt prefer the Defendant not to have the opportunity to expose the issues in the Claimants template submissions or speak as the only true witness to events in question.."
• F1: Whichever is your nearest county court. Use this to find it: https://www.find-court-tribunal.service.gov.uk/search-option
• F3: "1".
• Sign the form by simply typing your full name for the signature.
When you have completed the form, attach it to a single email addressed to both dq.cnbc@justice.gov.uk and info@dcblegal.co.uk and CC in yourself. Make sure that the claim number is in the subject field of the email.