Bailiffs CCJ

[Namechangeccj]

Name changed. Please help. I’ll try to be concise.
I have received a letter from a legal firm, addressed to my son. I’ve opened it as he is living overseas. It is entitled Notice Of County Court Judgement. The legal firm are trying to recover an outstanding debt for parking fines from 2021, a CCJ was issued against my son in February 2025 according to the letter. If no response is received by the end of January they will send bailiffs.

My son has checked his credit file - no CCJ showing. The last communication he had from anyone was early 2022 when his appeals for the fines was rejected. He lived overseas from late 2022 for 2 years. He came back and moved to a different address in the City he previously lived at. He’s now moved overseas again. So we assume any communications, including Court proceedings have gone to his last known address in the UK, probably while he was out of the country.

So 2 things -

1. What should I do? Email/write to the legal firm telling them my son is not living in the UK? Anything else?
2. What should my son do from overseas?

well if his appeals for the fines were rejected he's ought to pay the fine, no? and that will be the end of it.
or is your/his idea that he will be forever trying to avoid by living overeseas - is this really worth it?

How much is it for? If you can afford it I’d pay it as a CCJ will badly affect his credit rating. If you can’t afford it I’d send them his new address overseas.

Ive just done a quick google and the advice is to contact the enforcement company and tell them of his new circumstances.

Ps. If any bailiffs do show up do not let them into your home. They are not permitted to take your goods for your ds’s fine.

You seriously think he’s moved overseas to avoid a fine here? 😵‍💫😵‍💫

Looks like you need to gather evidence that he has moved overseas and send it to them.

The fine is just under £700, obviously accrued fees etc. Parking tickets were issued when he was parked in his own residents gated parking area. His permit slipped down the dash, making it half visible. They put 3 tickets on in 1 week. So no, he didn’t think the fines were valid originally, hence not paying them.

How old is he? He should really be dealing with this himself. Why can’t he contact them?

He’s overseas for a minimum of 3 years. Depending in his time and job out here, he could be away permanently. The CCJ is not showing on his credit file. It has not affected him in the last 11 months (he secured a tenanted flat, overseas visa, mobile contract). He’s not in a permanent address overseas yet, he’s travelling for a couple of months before his job starts.

Get him to pay it OP and they then put some sort of pause/flag on it for a couple of years and it shouldn't affect his credit rating too much. Same happened to my DD when she kept moving student digs at uni. Came out one morning and her car was clamped .. that was the first we knew about the fines. Still got no idea how they found her car there though.

We paid it for her and she applied for a mortgage a year or so later without any problems.

No, but why wouldn't he a pay fine now?

He is also dealing with it. There’s a 13 hour time difference to contend with too. I’m asking advice on the best way forward, the legalities of the best thing to do next. The fact that he’s had no knowledge of this escalating further, never mind to a CCJ being issued - which bizarrely isn’t showing on his credit file.

If it’s not showing on his credit file it sounds like it could be a scam.

I’d maybe contact Citizens Advice Bureau. Would he be able to prove he had a parking permit at that time?

But you said he knew back in 2022 that the appeals were rejected. What did he think would happen if appeal was rejected?? if the appeal is rejected the only option is to pay it.

Because of the original circumstances. The fact he was never given any paperwork regarding any further developments. The fact he’s had no communication of Court Proceedings. The fact he has no knowledge of a CCJ being issued against him. Just to name a few 🤷🏻‍♀️

No it’s actually not the only option.

I tried Citizens Advice today but they didn’t have any slots available. I’m trying again tomorrow first thing. Yes he could prove about the permit, he did at the appeal stage but they weren’t interested, just money grabbing like most parking firms 🤷🏻‍♀️

He needs to contact the creditor and set up a payment plan for the fines. If he doesn't, further enforcement action may be taken and the debt will continue to grow.

https://nationaldebtline.org/get-information/guides/county-court-judgements-ew/

If there is a CCJ against him I would expect it to appear on his credit file. You can check through TrustOnline: Search the Official Register of CCJs & Fines, but there is a fee of £6 to do so. That will confirm if there is a CCJ or the debt collectors are simply making it up.

If a CCJ has been entered against him without his knowledge he can apply to have it set aside. However, that doesn't make the debt go away. It simply removes it from his credit record. He would still have to defend the case or pay up.

Note that, if there is a CCJ, it will remain on his credit record for 6 years unless he gets it set aside. It would have been removed if he paid within one month of it being issued. If he pays now it will be marked as "satisfied" but will remain on his credit record.

Thank you. I’d previously read all this and remain unsure of the best course of action. It’s not on his credit record, he’s requested a credit report from a different company to be sent to my home as a paper copy. If there is actually a CCJ, then it has definitely been issued without his knowledge, and I know he can apply to get it set aside. I realise this still leaves the debt in place which then needs to be managed/disputed. Him now living overseas complicates this.

lol ok. good luck.

Make sure he applies to have it set aside or instead pays the thing. You really do not want bailffs turning up at your door.

If they do turn up do not let them in - and they have absolutely no right to take your goods for a fine that isn’t yours. Ring the police if they get aggressive or threatening.