Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
The gov's court finder site suggests that's the right email address.
If the money is in your account, then here are two emails you should send, one to DCB Legal and one to the court:QuoteDear Mr Kirby,
I acknowledge receipt of the £104.50 in full and final settlement of my costs, as per your offer and my conditional acceptance dated 28 June 2025. The condition of cleared payment has now been satisfied, and the matter is therefore concluded.
For the record, your client’s failure to pay promptly — and your silence for over a week following my acceptance — was entirely unreasonable. It necessitated further correspondence and caused unnecessary delay, all of which could have been avoided had your client acted with basic procedural courtesy and professionalism.
I will notify the court that the costs have now been settled and that I no longer require the hearing on 2 September 2025. That notification will make clear that the hearing was only necessary due to your client’s failure to notify me of the discontinuance and the subsequent delay in honouring the agreed settlement.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
And you must send this to the court:QuoteSubject: Claim No. [Insert Claim Number] – Costs Hearing on 2 September 2025
Dear Sir/Madam,
I write in relation to the above matter. I confirm that the claimant has now paid the agreed sum of £104.50 in full and final settlement of my costs, as per my conditional acceptance dated 28 June 2025.
Accordingly, I no longer require the costs hearing listed for 2 September 2025 and am content for it to be vacated.
For the record, the hearing was necessitated by the claimant’s failure to notify me of the discontinuance and their subsequent delay in honouring the agreed settlement. I was not served with a copy of the N279 Notice of Discontinuance, contrary to CPR 38.3(1)(b).
Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Contact Details]
This has been an awesome thread to read - and brought a huge smile to my face with every update. Well done for sticking to your guns.
And @b789 - you are an absolute legend.
Never mind, I see it's 2nd September. Email DCB Legal with the following:QuoteSubject: Final Notice: Immediate Payment Required – Costs of £104.50
Dear Mr Kirby,
I refer to my email of 28 June 2025, in which I accepted your offer of £104.50 in full and final settlement of my costs, expressly conditional upon receipt and clearance of payment. Despite the passage of eight days, you have neither paid the agreed sum nor offered any explanation for your continued delay.
Your conduct is now plainly unreasonable. You have wasted my time, ignored clear correspondence, and failed to honour a settlement you proposed. This is not only discourteous but also a further abuse of process following your earlier failure to notify me of the discontinuance — the very issue that necessitated the costs hearing in the first place.
Let me be clear: unless cleared funds in the full amount of £104.50 are received by 4:00 PM on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, I will notify the court that your client has failed to comply with the agreed settlement. The hearing on 2 September 2025 will proceed, and I will seek:• The full amount of my original costs claim;
• Additional costs for the time wasted in corresponding with you since 28 June;
• My costs of attending the hearing;
• An order under CPR 27.14(2)(g) on the basis of your unreasonable behaviour.
No further extensions will be granted. If your client wishes to avoid further liability, I suggest you act immediately.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
What is the date of the hearing?2 September 2025 at 10:45am, it’s quite hard to find above I agree.
Reply #95 has it.
Damn it! Should have gone for the £200.
Shows you how they are desperate hagglers. I suggest you respond with the following:QuoteDear Mr Kirby,
I acknowledge your offer of £104.50 in full and final settlement of my costs and confirm my agreement in principle, subject to receipt and clearance of the payment in full.
Once payment has been received, I will notify you accordingly, at which point you may inform the court that the matter is resolved and request that the upcoming costs hearing be vacated.
For the avoidance of doubt, this acceptance is conditional, and I reserve all rights in respect of the conduct of the claim and any associated proceedings.
Bank details are as follows: [Insert Account Name] [Insert Account Number] [Insert Sort Code]
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
QuoteDamn it! Should have gone for the £200.Maybe it's because it's Friday, but I'd consider it £104.50 gained rather than £95.50 lost
Damn it! Should have gone for the £200.
Shows you how they are desperate hagglers. I suggest you respond with the following:QuoteDear Mr Kirby,
I acknowledge your offer of £104.50 in full and final settlement of my costs and confirm my agreement in principle, subject to receipt and clearance of the payment in full.
Once payment has been received, I will notify you accordingly, at which point you may inform the court that the matter is resolved and request that the upcoming costs hearing be vacated.
For the avoidance of doubt, this acceptance is conditional, and I reserve all rights in respect of the conduct of the claim and any associated proceedings.
Bank details are as follows: [Insert Account Name] [Insert Account Number] [Insert Sort Code]
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Maybe just leave it as it is but respond to the DCB Legal inadequate counter offer with this instead:QuoteSubject: Re: [Claim Number] – Costs Hearing
Dear Sirs,
I note your latest correspondence and the revised proposal.
As previously stated, my original claim for costs of £104.50 remains. I consider this a modest and proportionate sum, and it is disappointing that your client continues to avoid settling such a straightforward matter.
Please be advised that your repeated low offers and the unnecessary correspondence they have generated have not gone unnoticed. Should this behaviour continue, I reserve the right to amend my costs schedule to reflect the additional time and inconvenience caused.
This remains a final opportunity to resolve the matter without further cost or embarrassment to your client.
Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]
Maybe just leave it as it is but respond to the DCB Legal inadequate counter offer with this instead:QuoteSubject: Re: [Claim Number] – Costs Hearing
Dear Sirs,
I note your latest correspondence and the revised proposal.
As previously stated, my original claim for costs of £104.50 remains. I consider this a modest and proportionate sum, and it is disappointing that your client continues to avoid settling such a straightforward matter.
Please be advised that your repeated low offers and the unnecessary correspondence they have generated have not gone unnoticed. Should this behaviour continue, I reserve the right to amend my costs schedule to reflect the additional time and inconvenience caused.
This remains a final opportunity to resolve the matter without further cost or embarrassment to your client.
Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]
Question though, why are they able to inflate costs without having to justify time and reasonability?They aren't - the £70 they add on as spurious 'debt collection' fees are routinely thrown out by judges as attempts at double recovery.
And remember, as b789 said, remain credible with your estimates - bearing in mind what bits you've done yourself, and what bits this forum has done for you.
I am not advising you increase your costs application for the sake of it. I am suggesting that you can do so if you want and it will give DCB Legal an even bigger headache. It is not required unless you have actually spent more time on this. Considering I'm doing most of your legwork, maybe you shouldn't. It's up to you.
If you do, judges appreciate when litigants-in-person are proportionate and honest. If you’re claiming £200, it needs to reflect genuine and clearly justifiable time and expenses, especially since you originally claimed £104.50.
Here’s a realistic breakdown that could support a £200 claim without it appearing inflated:
Suggested costs breakdown (reasonable and defensible)
1. Time spent (litigant-in-person rate: £19/hour under CPR 46.5)• Reviewing the claim and preparing initial response: 1.5 hours = £28.50
• Researching CPR 27.14 and preparing your initial costs application: 1.5 hours = £28.50
• Time spent contacting the court to discover discontinuance: 0.5 hour = £9.50
• Responding to DCB Legal's correspondence (4+ letters/emails): 1.5 hours = £28.50
• Preparing and finalising witness statement and costs schedule: 1.5 hours = £28.50
• Preparing for the hearing, reviewing CPR, drafting order, and documents: 2 hours = £38.00
• Printing, collating, and document prep for court bundle: 0.5 hour = £9.50
Subtotal for time: 9 hours = £171.00
2. Disbursements (direct out-of-pocket expenses)• Printing and postage: £5.00–£10.00 (reasonable estimate)
• Travel to/from court (if applicable): e.g. £10.00–£15.00
(Can be claimed as mileage at 45p/mile or standard-class public transport)
Total disbursements: £15.00 (adjust as needed)
Total = approx. £186.00 – £200.00
This is a solid and justifiable range for a self-represented person in a case that’s gone through:• Claim issue,
• Discontinuance (without notice),
• Costs application,
• Ongoing correspondence,
• Hearing preparation.
Stay credible:
[/indent]• Round conservatively (e.g. say 8.5 or 9 hours, not 10 or 11).
• Avoid double-counting tasks.
• Be specific in your witness statement — say what you did and why it was necessary.
• Include receipts if you claim travel, or specify the mileage and rate.[/indent]
Let me know your final figure and I can draft your updated costs schedule and revised witness statement to reflect the £200 claim, but make sure you are not over inflating your request.
Regarding the "without prejudice", I was referring to your correspondence that has been sent to DCB Legal. As your correspondence is not marked "without prejudice" it can be referred to and shown to the judge before any decision is made.
You can just ignore it or have fun with their puny minds and reply saying that the original amount is not sufficient anymore as you've now had to expend even more time and effort dealing with their pathetic attempts to wriggle out of their responsibilities and the amount you will be seeking in full and final settlement is now £200 (or whatever sum you think is reasonable for your endeavours).
Here is a suggested response:QuoteSubject: Re: [Claim Number] – Costs Hearing
Dear Sirs,
I note your latest correspondence and purported offer. Unfortunately, due to the further time and effort I have now had to spend responding to your repeated, inadequate proposals and unnecessary correspondence, my position has changed.
The amount of £104.50 initially claimed is no longer sufficient to cover the total costs I have now incurred as a direct result of your client’s conduct, and I will be amending my costs schedule to reflect this. I will now be seeking £200 in full and final settlement, which represents the total time, effort, and expense incurred in this matter, including preparation for the upcoming hearing.
This revised figure is not a negotiating position. It is a final opportunity to resolve the matter without further cost or inconvenience. If this is not agreed within 7 days, I will proceed to the hearing and seek the full amount, plus any further expenses incurred in attending.
Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]
Notes:• It’s not marked “without prejudice” so you can show it to the judge.
• It justifies the higher amount — not as punishment, but as compensation for further time spent.
• It makes you look assertive, but not unreasonable.
• It turns the tables — you are now making the final offer.
Let me know if you’d like to attach a revised costs breakdown or want to prepare a short addendum to your statement to reflect the increased claim.
