A County Court Judgment (CCJ) is issued for a number of reasons, but we often speak to individuals about parking CCJs. Often this is because a PCN (Penalty Charge Notice) is sent to the owner of the vehicle before the CCJ is issued, and this is either ignored or sent to the wrong address so it will never be collected
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals Trust have been found to have been involved in 58 CCJs related to parking in a twelve month period.
A number of nurses have commented on their CCJs, with some choosing to fight them in court. It’s also likely that patients have been issued CCJs, as they will also use car parks at the hospitals the trust manages.
The trust did say that “Whilst we empathise with their situation, there are at least six opportunities to pay or appeal a PCN before it gets to CCJ stage.”
CCJs related to parking are not limited to NHS car parks, anyone in the UK could be open to a CCJ being issued against them if they use a car park, and then for whatever reason a PCN is issued, and then this goes unpaid. The situation is worse if the PCN is issued to the wrong address, as it means that the CCJ itself will be issued to the wrong address.
It is entirely possible for someone to have a CCJ on their credit report, and to have never received any paperwork on it.
I’ve helped thousands of motorists with CCJs that relate to parking fines. Don’t suffer in silence – give myself and my team a call, and we can offer you advice at no cost.
Luke Memory F.Inst.Pa, Director of External Affairs at CCJ Removal Services CIC
CCJs from Penalty Charge Notices are some of the most frustrating, as they often start out as small fines, which then increase based on non-payment. Even when they reach the CCJ stage, they are usually a lot less than a CCJ related to a loan or credit card debt, but the impact they have on an individual’s credit report is significant. In many cases, people will only become aware of the CCJ when they apply for credit and a financial services company carries out a credit check, such as when someone applies for a mortgage, a loan or a credit card.
What to do if you have a CCJ related to a parking fine:
- Assess the CCJ: Get professional advice on your parking CCJ. Those experts will tell you if there is an opportunity for you to remove it from your credit report.
- Appoint a CCJ Removal expert: Removing a CCJ can be complicated. Instead hand over the removals process to an expert, who understands the process and how to achieve the best outcome.
- Await the outcome: The process of removing a CCJ is not instant, but it should be able to be completed in a sensible period of time.