Debt collector letters and court claims

Debt collector letters

If you don't pay or appeal, the company may pass the charge to a debt collector, who adds up to £70. Debt collectors can't take you to court themselves, and they can't send bailiffs without a court judgment. Your dispute is still with the parking company.

Letter before claim

Before going to court, the company should send a 'letter before claim'. Don't ignore it: you normally have 30 days to reply, and replying properly matters if it does go to court.

Court papers

If you get a claim form from the County Court (in England and Wales, often from Northampton), you usually have 14 days to respond, or 28 if you acknowledge it first. The deadline runs from when the claim counts as served, which for claims from Northampton is normally 5 days after the issue date printed on the form. Check the dates on your form. If you ignore it, the company can get a judgment against you, which can hurt your credit record.

We don't handle court claims. Get free advice straight away from Citizens Advice or the MoneySavingExpert forum, which has a lot of experience with parking claims.