Update, please see the defence, I have removed 2 and any wording that identifies the driver
Defence
1.The Defendant denies that the Claimant is entitled to the relief claimed, or to any relief whatsoever.
2.The Claimant is put to strict proof of full compliance with the mandatory requirements of Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (“POFA”). In the absence of such compliance, the Claimant is unable to transfer liability from the driver to any other party. The Claimant is therefore put to strict proof as to the identity of the driver.
3.It is denied that the Claimant has established that any legally binding contract was formed between the Claimant and the driver. The Defendant avers that the signage at the site was inadequate to form a contract, being unclear, insufficiently prominent, and incapable of conveying the alleged terms in a transparent or intelligible manner.
4.The Claimant is put to strict proof that the signage at the location clearly and prominently communicated any requirement for a “valid parking reservation” in relation to the use of disabled bays. The Defendant avers that no such requirement was clearly displayed or reasonably capable of being understood by a motorist.
5.The vehicle was parked in a clearly marked disabled bay due to disability and reasonable necessity. The use of the disabled bay was reasonable in the circumstances.
6.Further, pursuant to the Equality Act 2010, service providers are under a statutory duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons. The issuing of a parking charge in circumstances where a disabled bay was used due to disability and reasonable need may amount to a failure to comply with those statutory duties.
7.The Defendant denies that the Claimant has suffered any loss or damage. The parking charge is penal in nature, excessive, and unconscionable, and does not represent a genuine pre estimate of any loss.
8.The Defendant disputes the additional sum added to the original parking charge. The purported “debt recovery”, “damages”, or similar costs are not recoverable and represent an attempt at double recovery. Such practices have been widely criticised by the courts and are unsupported by statute, common law, or the Supreme Court decision in ParkingEye Ltd v Beavis.
9.The Claimant is put to strict proof of its legal standing to bring the claim, including evidence of a valid, contemporaneous contract with the landowner that expressly authorises the Claimant to issue parking charges and to pursue litigation in its own name.
10.In the alternative, which is denied, if any contract were found to have been formed, the Defendant avers that the terms relied upon are unfair and unenforceable pursuant to the Consumer Rights Act 2015, due to lack of transparency and a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations.
11.For the reasons stated above, the Defendant respectfully requests that the claim be dismissed.
________________________________________
Statement of Truth
The Defendant believes that the facts stated in this Defence are true.
Signed: __________________________
Name: __________________________
Date: __________________________
________________________________________