Pay or Appeal DCBL Parking Fine? Know Your Rights

Have you received a parking fine from DCBL? It can feel scary and confusing, but there’s no need to fret. Each month, over 32,000 people come to this site seeking advice on tickets and fines.

In this helpful guide, we’ll walk you through:

• Who DCBL are and whether they are a legitimate company.
• If DCBL chases unpaid parking charge notices.
• Ways to avoid paying DCBL parking tickets.
• Whether you can appeal a DCBL parking fine once it becomes a debt.
• What happens if you do not pay a DCBL parking fine or if you fail to pay after a court ruling.

Our team has dealt with plenty of cases just like yours. We understand how it feels to get a parking fine and we’re here to provide the guidance you need. So, relax and read on to learn how you can handle your DCBL parking fine. We’re in this together!

Who is DCBL?

DCBL, or Direct Collection Bailiffs Limited, takes on the task of recovering unpaid debts for car park management companies. Not only are DCBL accredited enforcement officers (bailiffs), but they also trace debtors!

You may have seen the TV series ‘Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away’. Or maybe you watched the Netflix series? Well, that’s DCBL!

Is DCBL a legitimate company?

Yes, DCBL is a legitimate company regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). So, when you get a letter from DCBL, you shouldn’t ignore it, even though it could be pretty tempting to bin it!

If you disagree with the contents of a DCBL letter, get in touch with the company to discuss your issues!

Does DCBL chase unpaid parking charge notices?

Yes. DCBL chases you for an unpaid Parking Charge Notice. But the company chases debts for other sectors too. This includes unpaid loans, credit cards, outstanding utility, and even council tax arrears!

What reputation does DCBL have?

It goes without saying that clients who use DCBL to chase debtors are happy with the service they get. But, on the other hand, people chased by the company are not so pleased! The reason is that most people contacted by DCBL feel they’re treated unfairly.

DCBL often receives negative reviews on TrustPilot!

How does DCBL deal with unpaid parking charges?

Car park management companies resort to using DCBL for unpaid parking charge notices. Once DCBL is authorised to recover an unpaid parking charge notice, you’ll get letters requesting payment.

Plus, you’ll likely have to pay more fees which DCBL adds!

DCBL letters often suggest that an operator is about to take you to court if the parking charge notice remains unpaid. It could be just a ‘threat’ to scare you into paying. But it could also be a genuine intention.

It’s a risk you have to calculate, but the threat should not send you into a panic!

If an operator has won a case against you in a small claims court, DCBL could be instructed to recover the debt because the parking ticket is now a registered ‘debt’! In this instance, DCBL sends you a Notice of Enforcement letter saying you have seven days to pay.

Don’t ignore the letter because it’s in a court’s direction; if you do, DCBL could seize your belongings!

So, should you pay DCBL when they contact you?

When a court orders you to pay a parking charge notice, you’re left with no choice but to pay to avoid things escalating. It might be a good idea to pay DCBL before things get to this state! Plus, you should consider appealing the fine, which puts everything on hold.

But you must appeal the parking charge within a set timeframe, preferably within two weeks.

That said when a court orders you to pay the fine, try to pay it within two weeks to avoid further costs and stress!

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What happens when you don’t pay a DCBL parking fine debt?

Things escalate when you don’t pay DCBL over a parking ticket debt. For instance, if there’s no court order for you to pay, this may happen:

• The operator who issued the parking charge notice could take you to court
• You’ll be pestered with payment reminders (some quite threatening!)
• You may think you got away with not paying when suddenly DCBL gets in touch with you!

What happens when you don’t pay after a court rules you have to?

If you still don’t pay a parking charge notice even though a court ordered you to pay, the following typically happens:

• You’ll get a Notice of Enforcement from DCBL, and you have seven days to pay the fine. There’ll be another £75 added to the outstanding amount
• DCBL will send enforcement agents to your home to recover the ‘debt’ after seven days if you still haven’t paid. The outstanding goes up a further £235! Plus, bailiffs are authorised to seize goods which they sell to recover the amount owed. It will incur further fees!
• DCBL agents will continue to visit you until you pay off the debt in full

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Can DCBL enforcement agents force their way into your home?

No. Enforcement agents can’t force their way into your home. However, DCBL can enter a property when their agents recover assets as part of a Controlled Goods Agreement. 

But an enforcement agent cannot break into a property. Instead, they must use a qualified locksmith to gain entry.

That said, if an agent finds a door ajar when visiting your home, they could insist on entering. Many people don’t open a front door to bailiffs for this reason and talk to them through a window!

Is it too late to appeal a DCBL parking fine when it’s a debt?

It would probably be too late to appeal a parking charge notice if an operator has handed over the details to DCBL. But it’s always worth checking whether a court issued an order to pay because if it has not, you may be able to challenge the parking ticket.