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    • further polished WS using above suggestions and also included couple of more modifications highlighted in orange are those ok to include?   Background   1.1  The Defendant received the Parking Charge Notice (PCN) on the 06th of January 2020 following the vehicle being parked at Arla Old Dairy, South Ruislip on the 05th of December 2019.   Unfair PCN   2.1  On 19th December 2023 the Defendant sent the Claimant's solicitors a CPR request.  As shown in Exhibit 1 (pages 7-13) sent by the solicitors the signage displayed in their evidence clearly shows a £60.00 parking charge notice (which will be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days of issue).  2.2  Yet the PCN sent by the Claimant is for a £100.00 parking charge notice (reduced to £60 if paid within 30 days of issue).   2.3        The Claimant relies on signage to create a contract.  It is unlawful for the Claimant to write that the charge is £60 on their signs and then send demands for £100.    2.4        The unlawful £100 charge is also the basis for the Claimant's Particulars of Claim.  No Locus Standi  3.1  I do not believe a contract with the landowner, that is provided following the defendant’s CPR request, gives MET Parking Services a right to bring claims in their own name. Definition of “Relevant contract” from the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4,  2 [1] means a contract Including a contract arising only when the vehicle was parked on the relevant land between the driver and a person who is-   (a) the owner or occupier of the land; or   (b) Authorised, under or by virtue of arrangements made by the owner or occupier of the land, to enter into a contract with the driver requiring the payment of parking charges in respect of the parking of the vehicle on the land. According to https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/section/44   For a contract to be valid, it requires a director from each company to sign and then two independent witnesses must confirm those signatures.   3.2  The Defendant requested to see such a contract in the CPR request.  The fact that no contract has been produced with the witness signatures present means the contract has not been validly executed. Therefore, there can be no contract established between MET Parking Services and the motorist. Even if “Parking in Electric Bay” could form a contract (which it cannot), it is immaterial. There is no valid contract.  Illegal Conduct – No Contract Formed   4.1 At the time of writing, the Claimant has failed to provide the following, in response to the CPR request from myself.   4.2        The legal contract between the Claimant and the landowner (which in this case is Standard Life Investments UK) to provide evidence that there is an agreement in place with landowner with the necessary authority to issue parking charge notices and to pursue payment by means of litigation.   4.3 Proof of planning permission granted for signage etc under the Town and country Planning Act 1990. Lack of planning permission is a criminal offence under this Act and no contract can be formed where criminality is involved.   4.4        I also do not believe the claimant possesses these documents.   No Keeper Liability   5.1        The defendant was not the driver at the time and date mentioned in the PCN and the claimant has not established keeper liability under schedule 4 of the PoFA 2012. In this matter, the defendant puts it to the claimant to produce strict proof as to who was driving at the time.   5.2 The claimant in their Notice To Keeper also failed to comply with PoFA 2012 Schedule 4 section 9[2][f] while mentioning “the right to recover from the keeper so much of that parking charge as remains unpaid” where they did not include statement “(if all the applicable conditions under this Schedule are met)”.     5.3         The claimant did not mention parking period, times on the photographs are separate from the PCN and in any case are that arrival and departure times not the parking period since their times include driving to and from the parking space as a minimum and can include extra time to allow pedestrians and other vehicles to pass in front.    Protection of Freedoms Act 2012   The notice must -   (a) specify the vehicle, the relevant land on which it was parked and the period of parking to which the notice relates;  22. In the persuasive judgement K4GF167G - Premier Park Ltd v Mr Mathur - Horsham County Court – 5 January 2024 it was on this very point that the judge dismissed this claim.  5.4  A the PCN does not comply with the Act the Defendant as keeper is not liable.  No Breach of Contract   6.1       No breach of contract occurred because the PCN and contract provided as part of the defendant’s CPR request shows different post code, PCN shows HA4 0EY while contract shows HA4 0FY. According to PCN defendant parked on HA4 0EY which does not appear to be subject to the postcode covered by the contract.  6.2         The entrance sign does not mention anything about there being other terms inside the car park so does not offer a contract which makes it only an offer to treat,  Interest  7.1  It is unreasonable for the Claimant to delay litigation for  Double Recovery   7.2  The claim is littered with made-up charges.  7.3  As noted above, the Claimant's signs state a £60 charge yet their PCN is for £100.  7.4  As well as the £100 parking charge, the Claimant seeks recovery of an additional £70.  This is simply a poor attempt to circumvent the legal costs cap at small claims.  7.5 Since 2019, many County Courts have considered claims in excess of £100 to be an abuse of process leading to them being struck out ab initio. An example, in the Caernarfon Court in VCS v Davies, case No. FTQZ4W28 on 4th September 2019, District Judge Jones-Evans stated “Upon it being recorded that District Judge Jones- Evans has over a very significant period of time warned advocates (...) in many cases of this nature before this court that their claim for £60 is unenforceable in law and is an abuse of process and is nothing more than a poor attempt to go behind the decision of the Supreme Court v Beavis which inter alia decided that a figure of £160 as a global sum claimed in this case would be a penalty and not a genuine pre-estimate of loss and therefore unenforceable in law and if the practice continued, he would treat all cases as a claim for £160 and therefore a penalty and unenforceable in law it is hereby declared (…) the claim is struck out and declared to be wholly without merit and an abuse of process.”  7.6 In Claim Nos. F0DP806M and F0DP201T, District Judge Taylor echoed earlier General Judgment or Orders of District Judge Grand, stating ''It is ordered that the claim is struck out as an abuse of process. The claim contains a substantial charge additional to the parking charge which it is alleged the Defendant contracted to pay. This additional charge is not recoverabl15e under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4 nor with reference to the judgment in Parking Eye v Beavis. It is an abuse of process from the Claimant to issue a knowingly inflated claim for an additional sum which it is not entitled to recover. This order has been made by the court of its own initiative without a hearing pursuant to CPR Rule 3.3(4)) of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998...''  7.7 In the persuasive case of G4QZ465V - Excel Parking Services Ltd v Wilkinson – Bradford County Court -2 July 2020 (Exhibit 4) the judge had decided that Excel had won. However, due to Excel adding on the £60 the Judge dismissed the case.  7.8        The addition of costs not previously specified on signage are also in breach of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, Schedule 2, specifically paras 6, 10 and 14.   7.9        It is the Defendant’s position that the Claimant in this case has knowingly submitted inflated costs and thus the entire claim should be similarly struck out in accordance with Civil Procedure Rule 3.3(4).   In Conclusion   8.1        I invite the court to dismiss the claim.  Statement of Truth  I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true. I understand that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes, or causes to be made, a false statement in a document verified by a statement of truth without an honest belief in its truth.   
    • Well the difference is that in all our other cases It was Kev who was trying to entrap the motorist so sticking two fingers up to him and daring him to try court was from a position of strength. In your case, sorry, you made a mistake so you're not in the position of strength.  I've looked on Google Maps and the signs are few & far between as per Kev's MO, but there is an entrance sign saying "Pay & Display" (and you've admitted in writing that you knew you had to pay) and the signs by the payment machines do say "Sea View Car Park" (and you've admitted in writing you paid the wrong car park ... and maybe outed yourself as the driver). Something I missed in my previous post is that the LoC is only for one ticket, not two. Sorry, but it's impossible to definitively advise what to so. Personally I'd probably gamble on Kev being a serial bottler of court and reply with a snotty letter ridiculing the signage (given you mentioned the signage in your appeal) - but it is a gamble.  
    • No! What has happened is that your pix were up-to-date: 5 hours' maximum stay and £100 PCN. The lazy solicitors have sent ancient pictures: 4 hours' maximum stay and £60 PCN. Don't let on!  Let them be hoisted by their own lazy petard in the court hearing (if they don't bottle before).
    • Thanks for all the suggestions so far I will amend original WS and send again for review.  While looking at my post at very beginning when I submitted photos of signs around the car park I noticed that it says 5 hours maximum stay while the signage sent by solicitor shows 4 hours maximum stay but mine is related to electric bay abuse not sure if this can be of any use in WS.
    • Not sure what to make of that or what it means for me, I was just about to head to my kip and it's a bit too late for legalise. When is the "expenditure occured"?  When they start spending money to write to me?  Or is this a bad thing (as "harsh" would imply)? When all is said and done, I do not have two beans to rub together, we rent our home and EVERYTHING of value has been purchased by and is in my wife's name and we are not financially linked in any way.  So at least if I can't escape my fate I can at least know that they will get sweet FA from me anyway   edit:  ah.. Sophia Harrison: Time bar decision tough on claimants WWW.SCOTTISHLEGAL.COM Time bar is a very complex area of law in Scotland relating to the period in which a claim for breach of duty can be pursued. The Scottish government...   This explains it like I am 5.  So, a good thing then because creditors clearly know they have suffered a loss the minute I stop paying them, this is why it is "harsh" (for them, not me)? Am I understanding this correctly?  
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Housing Benefit overpayment


Ellie05
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Hi All,

 

 

I need help and advice after finding I have been overpaidlink3.gif housing benefit £22kk!

 

 

My husband of 22yrs left me & started divorcelink3.gif after 3 wks same time dad was terminally ill with cancer

& passed away after another 4 wks(worse time ever).

 

Also found out I was anaemic (levels a 1/3 of normal)also on extra sedatives for panic attacks and anxiety.

Got letter about hsing overpaymentlink3.gif, appealed and lost.

 

Council admitted clerical error,

judges comments were "no particular skills required to notice this mistake that stood out like a sore thumb!"

Also on notes he said that council must be wary of overestimating what might be reasonable to expect of 1st time claimant. Is this conflicting?

 

I only learnt shortly b4 appeal I should of been paid the rent I pay,

so I didn't raise this at appeal but regret it now.

i did say though had I known of error I would of acted,

but judge made no note of this.

I know this May sound obvious but they input my monthly amount as wkly.

 

I also failed to notify of annual rent increases(shared ownership home) but they also failed in responsibility to award correct amount.

Felt like I was on trial with no representative to help & beating myself up not preparing more.

 

Now I want to know how and if I have a case to take this to upper tribunal or anyone else

(mp was useless, tried appeal to UT & refused,no explanation)

as I don't think they even had a dr understand the stress & effects of anaemia.

would u believe rep said after appeal this mistake easily happens!

 

It's been 7 months now and I'm still depressed and hacked off I'm in debt all because I had to claim HB.

 

Been signed off work by atos for depression etc. Sorry if long & thanks for reading

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Go see a welfare rights agency to see if you have a case - it would depend on the statement of reasons you received from the judge and whether an error of law was made.

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office ~ Aesop

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Go see a welfare rights agency to see if you have a case - it would depend on the statement of reasons you received from the judge and whether an error of law was made.

 

Thankyou for your reply,I have tried a law firm and didn't find anything unlawful,can u tell me if the judges comments seem to contradict themself

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Thankyou for your reply,I have tried a law firm and didn't find anything unlawful,can u tell me if the judges comments seem to contradict themself

 

Without seeing the arguments of the council, it's hard to tell if it's contradictory or not.

We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office ~ Aesop

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Hi,

 

Why the overpayment & on what grounds are you appealing?

 

On the grounds that this was a clerical error that I could not have reasonably of known about. They admit that the mistake was caused by inputting monthly amount as weekly.

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the judge's comments do not appear contradictory in themselves

 

basically the judge is stating that the mistake the Council made was so obvious that you could reasonably have been aware that there was an overpayment, and therefore the overpayment is recoverable from you

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the judge's comments do not appear contradictory in themselves

 

basically the judge is stating that the mistake the Council made was so obvious that you could reasonably have been aware that there was an overpayment, and therefore the overpayment is recoverable from you

 

Agree but just want to clarify. Was the Housing Benefit paid directly to you or directly to your landlord?

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Hi Ellie. So sorry to hear of the awful time you've been having. I don't know if I can help much but a few questions spring to mind and if you would answer them it might help us all try and sort this.

 

1. How long were you overpaid?

 

2. Was the whole overpayment after your ex-husband left?

 

3. Does your ex still have any share in the property?

 

4. Have you now notified HB of the increase(s) in rent and all other changes in circumstances during the relevant period?

The Consumer Action Group is a free help site.

Should you be offered help that requires payment please report it to site team.

Advice & opinions given by Caro are personal, are not endorsed by Consumer Action Group or Bank Action Group, and are offered informally, without prejudice & without liability. Your decisions and actions are your own, and should you be in any doubt, you are advised to seek the opinion of a qualified professional.

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you cannot appeal to the Upper Tribunal just because you disagree with the FtT judge's decision

 

you can only appeal on points of law, for example, if the FtT failed to apply the law correctly

 

the law in relation to recoverability of HB overpayments is very harsh, the starting point is that all HB overpayments are recoverable

 

however the exception is that if the following 3 conditions are all met, the overpayment is not recoverable

1) the overpayment was caused by a error made by Council/DWP/HMRC

2) you or the person receiving payments (or anyone acting on your behalf) have not contributed to the error

3) you or the person receiving payments (or anyone acting on your behalf) could not have reasonably been aware that there was an overpayment

 

from the limited information you have provided, it sounds like you met the first 2 conditions, but the judge has decided you not not meet the 3rd as the error was so obvious

 

without knowing all the ins and outs of the case, it is difficulty to tell whether you have any grounds to appeal to the Upper Tribunal

 

as others have suggested, you should consider seeking professional advice from an experienced Welfare Benefits adviser

 

how long ago was your appeal heard?

how long ago did your receive the Statement of Reasons?

have you asked the FtT judge for leave to appeal?

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Perhaps others could advise whether increases in rent which the OP also failed to advise HB about or mention in her appeal. I realise it probably wouldn't make a massive difference to the amount owed but could it be additional evidence that could justify a further appeal?

The Consumer Action Group is a free help site.

Should you be offered help that requires payment please report it to site team.

Advice & opinions given by Caro are personal, are not endorsed by Consumer Action Group or Bank Action Group, and are offered informally, without prejudice & without liability. Your decisions and actions are your own, and should you be in any doubt, you are advised to seek the opinion of a qualified professional.

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caro

 

it would really depend upon the grounds of the appeal and the outcome decision

 

the judge is unlikely to be under an obligation to consider an issue that has not been raised by either party - this is unlikely to constitute an error of law

 

if the appeal and decision only covered recoverability and not the amount - there may be a possibility to consider underlying entitlement (assuming this has not already been applied)

 

if the appeal and decision covered the amount as well as recoverability issue, then the OP may be too late for underlying entitlement

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Thanks for that id. :)

The Consumer Action Group is a free help site.

Should you be offered help that requires payment please report it to site team.

Advice & opinions given by Caro are personal, are not endorsed by Consumer Action Group or Bank Action Group, and are offered informally, without prejudice & without liability. Your decisions and actions are your own, and should you be in any doubt, you are advised to seek the opinion of a qualified professional.

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On the grounds that this was a clerical error that I could not have reasonably of known about. They admit that the mistake was caused by inputting monthly amount as weekly.

 

So were you being paid full rent? Ie was the HB you were getting more than your actual rent?

Please do not ask me for advice via PM as I will not reply.

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