Private Parking Solutions hammered in court

Private Parking Solutions (London) Ltd v Ms B D0GF1A8R Brentford. DDJ Chohan 22 Nov 2017

PPS wished to charge Ms B, a resident, for parking in her own space while not displaying a permit in her courtesy car.

Ms B retorted that she had been a resident for 20 years, that she had the right to park in her own space, and that PPS had no rights to issue charges to her.

PPS disagreed and so instructed the famously incompetent Gladstones Solicitors to file a claim on their behalf. As can be expected if you hire joke solicitors, things did not turn out well for them.

Gladstones did not bother to follow the directions the court issued, and did not bother to file a bundle until after the hearing had actually started. When they did, it was their usual template nonsense, shoddily thrown together and worse than useless.

The bundle promised to include an agreement from the landowner authorising parking management, but did not.

The parking attendant, Jakub Gajewski, who is also the sole director of PPS issued two witness statements, one of which claimed that he made physical or verbal contact with the driver. This was incorrect.

During the hearing, PPS were represented by Mr Wogan. Ms B was represented by counsel.

DDJ Chohan was suitably unimpressed by the way Gladstones had conducted the case, finding that they had not complied with the directions previously issued. The claim was dismissed and costs of £350 were awarded under the unreasonable behaviour rule, 27.14(2).g.

Prankster Note

Jakub Gajewski has previously been blogged about due to the underhand and devious tactics his operators use. He was kicked out of a car park in Ashford, but continues to file claims, although he has lost all reported cases. There is now a civil restraining order being sought against him.

In this newspaper article he claims to operate 300 car parks, although this seems to be unlikely, particularly as he acts as one of his own car park attendants.

In short then, he appears to be a rogue. As such he is in good company employing Gladstones Solicitors, and their rogues gallery of Will Hurley, John Davies, Jamie Ashford and Helen Cook. None of these five seem to have the faintest idea of the law surrounding parking.

It is a strange world that we live in, given that these people are directors of parking companies, directors of parking trade associations and solicitors specialising in filing claims for parking charges.

PPS are now £350 worse off, plus the cost of their own representative, the court costs of £75 and the costs of instructing Gladstones. When you employ a firm of solicitors who appear blissfully unaware of the requirements of the court process, let alone the issues surrounding parking claims, this is what happens.

This is not an isolated incident - Gladstones are a byword for incompetence and shoddiness.

PPS, you've been Gladstoned!

Happy Parking

The Parking Prankster