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Fortunately, you are dealing with a firm of utter incompetents and you can guarantee that any claim issued will fail to comply with CPR 16.4(1)(a) which means that it is likely to be struck out.

Whilst it would be a push to try and drag this out to January 2026, it is feasibly possible especially as this firm is so incompetent. For example, their Letter of Claim (LoC) is deficient. As long as we know the date it was re-issued, a response pointing out their deficiencies should be sent to them on day 29 which will force them to reissue the LoC again, with a 30 day deadline as per the PAPDC and then, assuming they have issued it correctly, again, on the 29th day a 30 day debt advice hold can be requested. There's 3 months gone before they can even issue a claim.

An LoC that omits the identity of the Claimant is defective under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims and potentially misleading. Under Paragraph 3.1(a) of the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims (PAPDC), the Letter of Claim must include:


This means that Gladstones are obliged to state clearly who the creditor is (i.e., the private parking company pursuing the alleged debt). A vague reference to "our client" is non-compliant. It fails to identify who you are allegedly in dispute with and prevents you from verifying the claim or checking their authority (including contracts, signs, and ATA membership).

This omission could be grounds to delay the case or strike out any eventual claim if they issue proceedings based on a defective pre-action process.

Once we know the actual date of the re-issued LoC you received, we can calculate the very last day that you can respond with the following by email to enquiries@gladstonessolicitors.co.uk and you CC in yourself:

Dear Sirs,

I acknowledge receipt of your Letter of Claim dated [insert date], under reference [insert reference number, if provided].

It is astonishing that a firm of solicitors purporting to act professionally in civil recovery matters has issued a Letter of Claim without naming the Claimant. This is a clear and fundamental breach of Paragraph 3.1(a) of the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, which requires the full name and address of the creditor to be stated. It is not optional.

Without such basic information, I am unable to assess the nature of the alleged debt or respond meaningfully. It is unclear how your client expects a fair and transparent resolution when even this most essential detail has been omitted.

Please confirm whether you intend to withdraw this defective Letter of Claim and reissue it in compliance with the Protocol. Should you choose to proceed on the basis of this non-compliant letter, I will reserve the right to bring this procedural failure to the attention of the court.

Furthermore, should there be any repetition of such elementary errors, or any pattern of non-compliance with the pre-action protocol obligations, I will consider the matter appropriate for referral to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, given your professional obligations under the SRA Code of Conduct.

Yours faithfully,

[Your Name]

So, what is the date that this re-issued LoC was issued?

So, what is the date that this re-issued LoC was issued

Please ensure you answer the above before we move onto any new questions.

Hello all

Thanks for the assistance.

I just recently come back from holiday and got this  letter in the post. I think this would answer the questions as above. The LoC I believe is 25th April 2025.

I have sent the above quote to Gladstones but if there is anything else to send I can do that also.

Thanks in advance!

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

This was emailed over to them yesterday 19th so only a few days in terms of time ejection. I will respond here once I get something back. Thanks for the assistance!

What deadline for a response to what? The LoC is dated 25th April. Their 30 day deadline for you to pay has passed. They can issue a claim any time from now on. However, should they fail to issue a claim within three months of the original LoC, they should issue a new LoC.

The PAPDC doesn’t set a fixed expiry for a Letter of Claim, but paragraph 6.4 implies that if a creditor delays issuing proceedings, they must send an updated LoC and comply with the protocol afresh. While the only specific timeframe mentioned is 6 months (for reusing documents), legal best practice suggests that if more than 3 months have passed without action, a fresh LoC should be issued to ensure the debtor has a fair opportunity to respond to the current state of the claim.

So, if they've not issued a claim by 25 July, you can then write to them with the following:

Subject: Re: Your Letter of Claim dated 25 April 2025

Dear Sirs,

As of today, more than three months have elapsed since your Letter of Claim dated 25 April 2025. In accordance with the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, any proceedings issued now without a fresh Letter of Claim would constitute a breach of the protocol.

If you still intend to pursue this matter, please issue a new Letter of Claim in compliance with the PAPDC. I will respond accordingly within the prescribed timeframe.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name]

If they do that, then on day 29 after the date of the new LoC you can send an email requesting another 30 days whilst you seek debt advice. Remember we are trying to string this out for as long as possible.

Court proceedings, so papers initiating such, can not be started after 6 years.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58/section/5

An action founded on simple contract shall not be brought after the expiration of six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued.

Some of these parking companies appear to have a “hoover up” process in which they revive claims getting towards the deadline in a last ditch effort to squeeze more money out of people.

Payment will only be made when the court decides on the case in favour of the claimant, which may be some time after 6 years.

Hi all,

Thanks for the assistance on this matter.

I still haven't heard from Gladstone's in any way. Nothing via post or via email.

Anything to send to them or just wait for something to come and then update you guys?

Thanks,
Kamran