Please stop referring to these PCNs as "fines." They are nothing of the sort. These are simply invoices issued by an unregulated private parking company for an alleged breach of contract by the driver.
As already mentioned, it is crucial to review your lease or AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy) agreement. This will tell you what it says about parking, permits, and whether a third party like VCS is mentioned or permitted to issue charges if the terms and conditions are breached. Equally important is what your lease/AST
does not say about parking—if there’s no mention of a third-party parking company, that could work in your favour.
So, no "fines" and no "offences" have occurred—this is purely a matter of civil contract law.
About the landlord not owning the garage space they agreed to rent to you: Is this property managed by a management company? It sounds like there’s a disconnect between what the landlord can provide and what they are actually offering you. You may want to ask your landlord for a copy of the ‘head lease.’ This could be useful in understanding how parking is defined and controlled.
Regarding your question on timing:
"If they issue a judgment, is that the time to respond?"
No, there is no judgment until a judge has made one.
You do want a claim to be issued, as that’s your opportunity to fight this in court. The county court process will allow you to present your defence, and only a judge can decide whether you owe VCS any money.
Defences available to you:You have numerous defences here. The landlord’s failure to provide access to the space you were paying for, their assurance that the "fines" would be "dealt with," the confusion over bay ownership, and the fact that you had paid for parking during the relevant timeframes all work in your favour.
Have you received one Letter of Claim (LoC) covering multiple PCNs, or separate LoCs for each PCN? This will impact how you respond.
DCBL vs. DCB Legal: If you’ve been dealing with
DCBL (the debt collection arm), it’s worth noting that they have no legal authority to make decisions about the claim. You do not must not engage with them. However,
DCB Legal is the firm that can issue claims on behalf of VCS. It’s important to distinguish between the two, and check who issued the Letter of Claim.
Concern about a CCJ:In the unlikely event that you lose the case, a County Court Judgment (CCJ) will only affect your credit file if you fail to pay in full within 28 days. As long as the full amount is paid within that timeframe, it will not appear on your credit record at all. It is completely expunged from the record.
Potential court costs:Even if you are unsuccessful in your defence, the total amount would likely be reduced. Judges commonly disallow the additional £70 added to each PCN, as this is often seen as an abuse of process. Furthermore,
if VCS is trying to litigate each PCN separately—for the same vehicle, in the same location, and for essentially the same reasons—that is also an abuse of process. All PCNs should be bundled into one single claim, and if they don’t, the principle of
cause of action estoppel can apply to prevent multiple claims.
