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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.  
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direct auto charges


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Hi, having a bit of a problem with Direct Auto. I am completely up to date with my monthly payments, however, a couple may have been a few days late. They are now sending me letters at £15.00 a time to tell me my account is in arrears. Surely these fees for letters carry the same principle as bank charges and are penalty charges, not enforcable in consumer contracts. Just wondering if anyone has challenged these £15.00 fees and what the outcome may have been. Not sure whether to pay now to stop the threats then pursue these unfair charges, or write now to say I won't pay their unlawful charges.

 

Grateful for any advice.

Paul

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Hi,

 

I'm in the same position, was late with one payment couple of months ago and they are sending me about 2 letters every week charging me £15 a time. I've told them to bolt, these charges are unlawful and I won't be paying them!!

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Hi,thanks for the quick responses. I now have another letter dated 21/6 (and another £15.00 fee of course). This letter says "Do not ignore this final attempt to allow us to prevent further action being taken". Out of interst Cazpoppies, what was their response to your refusal to pay?

 

Paul

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Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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HI Paul,

 

Can't say that I've had any response really, I called them and told them and they said they would put a note on my account but I've now had 6 from them and 3 letters I've sent them saying that I'm not paying them.

My account is now up to date as far as paying for the car is concerned and I'm going to ignore there charges. I no longer accept their telephone calls. (average of 6 to house and 6 to mobile every day)

 

I'm not sure that burying my head in the sand is the right way to go about this but the way I see it is that they are charging me for being in arrears but it is their charges that have put me in this position.

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Have just sent them a letter stating their charges are unlawful and requesting for all charges to be removed. Now I will await their response.

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Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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Two letters received today from Direct Auto. The first one I opened as follows;

 

Thank you for your letter received today.

In accordance with our terms and conditions (section 5 Indemnity) fees are charged for each letter sent relating to an overdue payment. However as a gesture of goodwill in this instance we have removed one of the charges.

 

Well, in my opinion, the fact that their charges are in accordance with their terms and conditions doesn't make them lawful. Oh, and the second letter I received today? Another arrears letter and another charge! So much for their goodwill!

Alliance & Leicester, £2944.66 settled in full, donation made!!!

 

Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Having received a reply from Direct auto stating that their fees are in accordance with their terms and conditions, I have written back quoting their terms and conditions to them.

 

Section 5 indemnity 5.2 costs REASONABLY incurred by us in preparing and sending reminders, termination and demand letters, default notices, statements of account, copy documents, settlement quotations or otherwise...

 

I await their reply, and more reminder letters to add to the amount that they already claim that I owe.

Alliance & Leicester, £2944.66 settled in full, donation made!!!

 

Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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Be interesting to hear their response to that.

Must admit I haven't heard anything more from them since I told them to get lost and to stop calling me but I'm sure that they will still pursue me for the charges they have applied.

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  • 2 months later...

Well after a couple of months of continued £15.00 charges, maybe it's time to start the same process as we are using for our bank charges. I haven't paid any of these charges, so could send a preliminary request for removal of charges, rather than repayment.

Has anyone else challenged these charges yet, and what has been the response. The only response I have received to my communications is 'in accordance with our terms and conditions'.

They are also phoning several times every day.(I don't answer!) Can I ask them not to contact me by phone, am I right in thinking they're are breaking a law if they then continue to do so?

 

cheers, Paul

Alliance & Leicester, £2944.66 settled in full, donation made!!!

 

Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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Thanks bakedalasker, I now have two letters ready to go, a request for removal of charges (adapted from 'refund' letter, as I've not actually paid any of their £15.00 charges, despite their threats!) and also a demand for telephone calls to stop.

 

cheers, Paul

Alliance & Leicester, £2944.66 settled in full, donation made!!!

 

Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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Have received a response to my letter regarding phonecalls, however it just says that Mr. Plowman is out of the office until mid-October and my letter has been passed on to the Chief Operations officer, Mr Gilhooley who will respond to me direct.

 

Paul

Alliance & Leicester, £2944.66 settled in full, donation made!!!

 

Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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Hi all, the following letter arrived today, a little worrying at first but on checking back, I found that I received exactly the same letter on 4th July.

 

Dear saddler10,

current arrears £310.00

 

Despite recent reminders, payment on your account remains overdue. We now require immediate payment of the arrears.

 

If you are unable to make this payment, you should contact us as a matter of urgency on the number above.

 

May we remind you that continued failure to make payment on your account will lead to us taking further action, and may result in your vehicle being repossessed.

 

Please do not ignore this reminder, it is not in your interests to do so.

 

Well the £310.00 is all charges so I won't be paying. When they sent the same letter in July they took no further action, will they now?

 

Paul

Alliance & Leicester, £2944.66 settled in full, donation made!!!

 

Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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Saddler10,

 

My fear here is that they will start the process to take action. DAF are trying their best to bring to a close the YCC saga. Its been Providents, the owners of DAF, biggest mistake and they want rid. We are hearing of the smallest reason to repossess clients cars and from that we are assuming they want it all bringing to a quick end.

 

I'm afraid they will try and repossess your car, chase you for the remaining amount of your agreement then after a very short time when they have got nowhere with you will sell the debt on to a low life DCA. I say low life because anyone gaining from the YCC saga is just that. Thats my opinion.

 

Also the fact that you feel you have a claim regarding these charges DAF will not look at it that way and will put the emphasise on you to prove it. Expect a default notice through the letter box then the process has started.

 

My advice to you is to seek legal advice on this. It is not clear how long you have had the car with DAF or what you took out with them. So its difficult to give you a rough idea how much they would chase you for. If you are an average case it could quite easily be in the thousands.

 

Not too sure if you have studied our site www.saynotoyes.co.uk but we have loads of cases just like yours. We also know we have the right channels to advise our users to go down. A majority of our users who have taken our advise have had their debts "set aside" or at least a vast reduction to pay to what DAF chase for.

 

Hope to see you there.

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cheers Bakedalasker, I have visited your site. I have already used youtr template for intended court action, the deadline for which expires shortly. You also have a letter there for 'formally putting the account in dispute'. Should I use that to prevent further action by them. I have had the car (from Yes car credit) since April 2004.

 

Paul

Alliance & Leicester, £2944.66 settled in full, donation made!!!

 

Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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Hi Saddler10,

 

You have not received a default notice or any official dispute letter. At present all you have received is a "warning" letter.

 

Preparation is the word here in case you are forced to go down this road. As this is not a matter of urgency yet my advice to you hear is to seek legal advice from the CAB. You took out the contract with YCC when the way they executed their agreements where wrong. If you ask to speak to a specialist advisor at the CAB they will be able to inform you if you have a case if the need arises.

 

DAF might refund your charges or they might default you or do nothing. Best to be prepared for the worse case scenarios which in this case would be the default.

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  • 2 months later...
Hi guys - is there any progress on this? I have a friend who is having problems with DAF. We would liketo make a claim - thinking of sending a LBA.

 

 

Hi Steven, I sent a request for removal of charges at the end of September as well as a demand for telephone calls to stop. Up until this point they had been adding £15.00 charges to my account on a regular basis, totalling £310.00. Since requesting the removal of charges and many letters telling them that their charges are unlawful, I have not had any additional charges added to my account and have not been chased for the £310.00.

 

Their response regarding the charges being unlawful was 'in accordance with our terms and conditions (section 5 indemnity).

 

"Section 5 indemnity 5.2 costs reasonably incurred by us in preparing and sending reminders, termination and demand letters, default notices, statements of account, copy documents, settlement quotations or otherwise..."

 

The key word here is 'reasonably'. I asked them to demonstrate how £15.00 represents costs reasonably incurred, and, of course, they could not.

 

Cheers, Paul

Alliance & Leicester, £2944.66 settled in full, donation made!!!

 

Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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Thanks. Do you intend to claim the unlawful charges back?

 

 

Hi Steven, I never actually paid the charges as i was aware that they were unlawful, therefore when I wrote to them i was for the removal of charges from the account rather than refund. If I had paid them and then discovered they were unlawful, I would certainly be claiming them back.

 

Paul

Alliance & Leicester, £2944.66 settled in full, donation made!!!

 

Capitol One (Partner), £475.01 settled in full, donation made!!!

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Did you check if they were calculating interest on your unlawful charges?

I bet they were whether you paid them or not.Personally I think a S.A.R Request is the best avenue and also request how they have calculated the interest on your account and whether it has included the penalties.

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