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    • 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?  
    • urm......exactly what you filed .....read it carefully... it puts them to strict proof to prove the debt is enforceable, so thus 'holds' their claim till they coughup or not and discontinue. you need to get readingthose threads i posted so you understand. then you'll know whats maybe next how to react or not and whats after that. 5-10 threads a day INHO. dont ever do anything without checking here 1st.
    • I've done a new version including LFI's suggestions.  I've also change the order to put your strongest arguments first.  Where possible the changes are in red.  The numbering is obviously knackered.  See what you think. Background  1.1  The Defendant received the Parking Charge Notice (PCN) on the 06th of November 2020 following the vehicle being parked at Arla Old Dairy, South Ruislip on the 05th of December 2019.  Unfair PCN  4.1  On XXXXX the Defendant sent the Claimant's solicitors a CPR request.  As shown in Exhibit 1 (pages 7-13) the solicitors helpfully sent photos of 46 signs in their evidence all clearly showing a £60.00 parking charge notice (which will  be reduced if paid promptly).  There can be no room for doubt here - there are 46 signs produced in the Claimant's own evidence. 4.2  Yet the PCN affixed to the vehicle was for a £100.00 parking charge notice (reduced if paid promptly).  The reminder letters from the Claimant again all demanded £100. 4.3        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.   4.4        The unlawful £100 charge is also the basis for the Claimant's Particulars of Claim. No Locus Standi 2.1  I do not believe a contract exists with the landowner that 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.  2.2  The Defendant requested to see such a contract in the CPR request.  The contract produced was largely illegible and heavily redacted, and the fact that it contained no 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 “No Parking in Electric Bay” could form a contract (which it cannot), it is immaterial. There is no valid contract. Illegal Conduct – No Contract Formed  3.1 At the time of writing, the Claimant has failed to provide 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.  3.4        I also do not believe the claimant possesses this document.  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 the parking period instead only mentioned time 20:25 which is not sufficient to qualify as a parking period.   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. Interest 6.2  It is unreasonable for the Claimant to delay litigation for four years in order to add excessive interest. Double Recovery  7.1  The claim is littered with made-up charges. 7.2  As noted above, the Claimant's signs state a £60 charge yet their PCN is for £100. 7.3  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. 29. 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 practise 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.” 30. 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 recoverable 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...'' 31. In the persuasive case of G4QZ465V - Excel Parking Services Ltd v Wilkinson – Bradford County Court -2 July 2020 (Exhibit 2) the judge had decided that Excel had won. However, due to Excel adding on the £60 the Judge dismissed the case. 7.7        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.  7.8        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. 
    • Scottish time bar: Scottish appeal court re-affirms the “harsh” rule (cms-lawnow.com)  
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Son being sued by letting agent for rent arrears


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Hi Caggers

 

My son has got himself into another mess....

 

He had a joint tenancy (AST 6 month contract). He was unemployed for a while, we gave him money for his rent which he decided not to use for that purpose. The net result was that he ended up at the end of the tenancy with about 4 months of rent arrears; his flatmate also did not pay for at least the final month.

 

The letting agent has now issued a court claim for the rent arrears and a load of other charges (and is of course withholding the deposit - which we paid).

 

Some problems I have spotted:

1. Can the letting agent sue for the rent arrears - surely only the landlord can do this?

2. No LBA was received prior to the papers from MCOL.

3. The figure in the claim has no breakdown, but appears to include the rent arrears from the joint tenant.

4. My son agreed a payment plan with the agent, and made the first payment on this plan. The claim form states that no plan was put into place (we have an email trail showing it did).

 

The claim was only received today, so we have a few days to respond.

 

Any advice on a suitable response (note my son owes some money - but not the total stated on the claim; he is in a position to pay off the arrears in installments).

 

Many thanks

 

Bacon

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All joint Ts are liable for full rent owing

Your son app agreed to a payment plan which he then defaulted on

AFAIK LA can now issue Court proceedings on behalf of their client

 

 

IMO your son is taking you for granted (deposit etc). Tell him to 'grow a pair' and honour his primary responsibilities.

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All joint Ts are liable for full rent owing

Your son app agreed to a payment plan which he then defaulted on

AFAIK LA can now issue Court proceedings on behalf of their client

 

 

IMO your son is taking you for granted (deposit etc). Tell him to 'grow a pair' and honour his primary responsibilities.

 

:-) My son has been taking me for granted for the past 24 years!

 

He has not defaulted on the payment plan.

 

Unless the law of agency does not apply to landlord & tenant, then an agent cannot sue on a debt owed to its principal (in its own name).

 

/b

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OK maybe my bad, but you did state son made one payment, without revealin the terms of the offer. A single missed/late payment can mean the full amount is due.

LA's can initiate claims on behalf of their clients, but only claimant or Solicitor can speak at Court.

I await the Particulars of Claim and details of the agreed repayment plan.

Otherwise stay stum until son receives Offciial Court papers.

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Here are details of the claim:

 

The claimant is the letting agent.

 

The claim is:

 

"Outstanding rent totalling 5525.00 for an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement at XXXXX. 10 x late payment charges totalling 350. The Tenant has acknowledged the debt and offered a payment plan that he has not followed up. He has made one payment of 200.00"

 

The claim is signed by the letting agent as claimant.

 

The claim is date 20 April.

 

The payment plan was for £200 pm with a lump sum payment of £2000 in the future. The repayment plan commenced on 28/3/15 with a £200 payment, a second payment will be made tomorrow.

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Some further info....

 

An LBA was not received - the court claim came out of the blue, as my son assumed that, provided he kept up the payment plan, all would be well.

 

Please note. I do not condone my sons actions and I have stressed to him that he must pay the arrears. However, I do not think the letting agent comes out of this well.

 

Why did he wait for months before chasing for the rent arrears?

Why has he reneged on the payment plan?

 

It looks to me as if he is using the court claim as a debt collection mechanism - leaving aside the whys and wherefores, this is not what the courts are for.

 

bacon

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I doubt that the letting agent is entitled to sue. S/he cannot, for instance, bring possession proceedings (Chester Accommodation Agency Ltd v Ababrese 1997 Times, 28 July, CA).Statute law on housing normally always uses the word "landlord" and this has a specific meaning in a given statute.If a successful objection was made on this point the claim could simply be brought again, this time in the landlord's name.There might be something in the contract between the landlord and letting agent enabling the agent to initiate proceedings but such a clause could be void.

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Any thoughts as to how to approach replying to the claim.

 

Simply deny any liability for the amount on the basis that the rental agreement is with the landlord and not the agent?

 

(Reading these forums it seems to be quite common that agents disclaim any liability on the basis that they are not the landlord, so this is simply using the same argument).

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that the agent may have been so incompetent that they did not notice the arrears, and have continued to pass on the rent to the landlord. In which case I doubt the landlord will sue! However, my objective is to get a proper repayment agreement in place and make sure my son sticks to it - and that means stopping this court action.

 

Bacon

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LBA prob not required as son should have been aware of consequence if payment plan was not followed (full amount becomes due).

The total amount claimed is £5875,though Judge may throw out the late payment charges.

Anyone can use the Court to claim for perceived monies owed. LA may be providing this service to LL under their Agreement with LL.

With a £5875 debt it is unusual that anyone would accept an initial payment of £200 and a final payment of £2K, seems back to front. Are you certain initial payment should not have been £2K? Certainly this would explain the present Court action.

A rent debt of £5525 at £200 pcm would take over 2yrs to pay off. IANAL

 

 

Please keep us informed of outcome.

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IANAL either - but I am aware of CPR. Lack of an LBA means no opportunity to agree a settlement without recourse to court proceedings.

 

I agree with your analysis of the payment plan - it does seem a bit lopsided. However, my son gets lump sums of commission hence the £2k payment. If the opportunity arises to agree a 'proper' repayment plan then it is more likely to be based on the original rental (£425pm for my son's share).

 

You are correct - anyone can lodge a claim. However, if you are claiming for money due from a contract (letting agreement) then you have to be a party to the contract. If my son responds that there is no contract with the agent, and that the claim should be struck out, the only way this can continue is for the agent to show that he has some sort of agreement from the landlord that he can pursue legal claims on his behalf. I have never used a letting agent, so I don't know if this is likely - the landlord lives abroad so it is possible.

 

What I don't know is the right form of words to use when acknowledging service of the claim.

 

/b

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I have read 19.3 - some of the claimed rent arrears are for the joint tenant. I was going to ask that he be joined as a defendant. However, I don't think that 19.3 covers a claimant who has no locus standi (ie a new claim is required; you can't just substitute the landlord for the agent).

 

He is a salesman - he gets a basic wage plus commission based earnings on top. He tends to get lumps of commission every 3 months or so.

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