How to Remove a Parking CCJ

TrustOnline gives public access to the official statutory Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for England and Wales. A single search of the England and Wales County Court Judgment register currently costs £6. TrustOnline also offers an £8 England and Wales multiple-register search and a £10 search across all available registers.

Search using the full name and address that would have appeared on the claim. TrustOnline searches the details entered and does not automatically connect previous names or addresses, so search an earlier address separately if the parking company may have used it. A search does not leave a footprint on the person's credit record.

The report can confirm whether a judgment is registered and show the court and judgment details, but TrustOnline does not provide the claimant's identity. Contact the court shown on the report and ask for the claim number, judgment, Claim Form and Particulars of Claim if those documents are missing. If no match appears, check the spelling and address before concluding that no judgment exists.

There are two ways a registered judgment can disappear from the public register: full payment within one month of the judgment date, or a court order setting the judgment aside. They are different processes and should not be confused.

Paid Within One Month

GOV.UK confirms that a judgment paid in full within one month can be removed from the register. Send proof of payment to the court. If formal proof is needed, Form N443 can be used to request a certificate of cancellation. The current HMCTS fee for a certificate of cancellation or satisfaction is £19.

Paid After One Month

Full payment after one month does not normally remove the CCJ. The court can mark it as satisfied, showing that the judgment has been paid, but the entry usually remains on the register for six years. Form N443 can be used to request a certificate of satisfaction, again subject to the current £19 fee.

Set Aside by the Court

Setting aside means the court cancels the judgment so the underlying claim can be dealt with again. It is relevant where default judgment was entered incorrectly or where the defendant has a proper basis for asking the court to reopen the claim. It is not a way to erase a correctly entered judgment merely because the entry is inconvenient.

A set-aside application begins with the reason judgment was entered. CPR Part 12 governs default judgment, which can be entered without a trial when the required response to a claim was not filed in time. A judgment entered after a contested hearing may require a different application or appeal.

CPR 13.2 requires the court to set aside a Part 12 default judgment if it was wrongly entered. This may apply where the response period had not expired, a valid response had already been filed or the whole claim had been paid before judgment.

CPR 13.3 gives the court discretion to set aside or vary default judgment where the defendant has a real prospect of successfully defending the claim or there is another good reason to reopen it. The court must also consider whether the application was made promptly. That makes both the explanation for the missed claim and the substance of the proposed parking Defence important.

An old address can be central to the application, but it is not an automatic guarantee. CPR 6.9 deals with service at an individual's usual or last known residence and the steps required where the claimant has reason to believe the address is no longer current. The application should therefore explain the address history with dates and documents, not simply say that the Claim Form was never seen.

Act promptly. Record the exact date and circumstances in which the judgment was discovered, then contact the court for the documents needed to understand it. Ask for the claim number, judgment date, amount, claimant's name, address used for service, Claim Form and Particulars of Claim.

Build a dated chronology covering:

• the parking event and correspondence received;
• every address occupied during the relevant period;
• when the vehicle registration and driving licence addresses were changed;
• whether any letter was returned or redirected;
• when the claim or judgment first became known;
• when the court and claimant were contacted; and
• what action was taken after discovering the CCJ.

Keep the emails sent to the court and claimant, proof of address, tenancy or council-tax records, credit-report alerts and the first enforcement correspondence. These documents show what happened and when. They are more useful than a general statement that the CCJ was discovered recently.

The court needs to understand both why the default judgment should be removed and what would happen if the original parking claim were reopened. A strong application connects the procedural history to a proposed Defence based on the actual Parking Charge.

The set-aside evidence may address:

• why the Claim Form was not received or answered;
• whether the claim was served at the correct address;
• whether default judgment was entered before the response deadline;
• whether the claim had already been paid;
• how quickly the defendant acted after discovery;
• whether the signs created the contract alleged;
• payment, permit or authorised-parking evidence;
• keeper liability under Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012;
• Equality Act 2010 facts where disability is relevant;
• the claimant's authority to operate on the land;
• the cause of action stated in the Particulars of Claim; and
• any amount added to the original Parking Charge.

Not every point belongs in every case. The proposed Defence should answer the claimant's actual allegations and rely on evidence that can be produced, rather than reproduce a generic list of parking arguments.

The witness statement is the defendant's evidence in support of the N244 application. It should read as a clear account of what happened, why the judgment was not answered and why the court should set it aside. Each factual assertion should come from the defendant's own knowledge or identify its source.

A parking CCJ witness statement should normally include:

1. Court and parties. Use the same court heading, claim number, claimant and defendant names shown on the judgment.
2. Identity and purpose. State that the maker is the defendant and that the statement supports an application to set aside the default judgment.
3. Judgment details. Identify the judgment date, amount and how judgment was entered, as far as the court record shows.
4. How the CCJ was discovered. Give the exact discovery date and explain whether it appeared through TrustOnline, a credit report, a finance application or enforcement correspondence.
5. Service history. Set out the addresses and dates relevant to service, when the defendant moved and when records were updated. Exhibit supporting documents.
6. Reason the claim was unanswered. Explain factually why no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence was filed. Do not speculate about documents that have not yet been obtained.
7. Prompt action. List the dates on which the court and claimant were contacted, documents requested and the N244 application prepared.
8. Applicable rule. Explain whether the application relies on CPR 13.2, CPR 13.3 or both, and connect the evidence to the relevant test.
9. Proposed Defence. Summarise why the underlying Parking Charge claim has a real prospect of being defended and refer to the attached draft Defence.
10. Order requested. Ask for the specific orders set out in the accompanying draft order, including any required Defence deadline and costs request.
11. Exhibits. Identify each document by exhibit reference and explain what it proves.
12. Statement of truth. End with the current statement of truth, signature and date. The defendant must check that every fact is accurate before signing.

The witness statement should not say that Parking Mate UK was instructed as proof of promptness. The relevant evidence is what the defendant did after discovering the judgment: contacting the court, obtaining the claim documents, asking the claimant for information and preparing the application. Parking Mate UK prepares the document pack from the customer's records, but the customer gives the evidence, signs the statement of truth, files the application and attends the hearing.

Form N244 is the application notice used to ask the court to set aside or vary the judgment. It should be filed with the evidence and documents needed for the judge to understand the application, not sent as a stand-alone form with a short explanation.

A complete pack will normally include the N244 Application Notice, supporting witness statement, draft order, proposed Defence and numbered exhibits. The draft order states precisely what the court is being asked to do. The proposed Defence explains why reopening the original parking claim would serve a practical purpose. The exhibits prove the chronology and factual statements.

The current HMCTS N244 guidance explains that Question 3 states the order requested and why, Question 9 identifies the party to be served, and Question 10 identifies the evidence relied upon. Most applications require a hearing. The form and statements of truth must be checked and signed by the customer before filing.

Send the pack to the court dealing with the judgment, following that court's filing and payment instructions. Include enough copies for the court and every party to be served, and retain the submission email, payment receipt and court acknowledgement. Filing an N244 does not automatically stop enforcement; any request to suspend enforcement must be placed before the court for a decision.

The HMCTS civil court fee schedule currently lists £321 for a general application made on notice and £126 for an application made by consent or without notice. A contested application to set aside a parking default judgment will normally be made on notice. If the claimant consents, confirm with the court which fee and filing process apply; the claimant's consent does not itself remove the judgment because the court must make the order.

These court fees are separate from Parking Mate UK's £49.99 document-preparation service. The £6 to £10 TrustOnline search fee and the £19 N443 certificate fee are also separate charges for different services.

How the HWF Code Works

Help with Fees can reduce or remove an HMCTS court fee for an eligible individual. Eligibility depends on savings, specified benefits, income and household circumstances. It does not cover the TrustOnline search, Parking Mate UK's service or other third-party charges.

Apply through the GOV.UK Help with Fees service before filing, or submit paper Form EX160 with the N244. An online application produces a reference in the format HWF-XXX-XXX. Put that reference on or with the N244 instead of paying the full court fee at filing.

The HWF code confirms that a Help with Fees application has been made; it does not itself confirm that the fee has been waived. HMCTS assesses the application and may grant full help, require a contribution, request evidence or refuse it. Each separate court fee requires its own Help with Fees application.

HMCTS guidance published in 2026 says the HWF reference must reach the court within 28 days or it may be rejected and a new application required. If the fee has already been paid, a refund application may be made within three months where the applicant was eligible at the time of payment.

Most N244 set-aside applications are decided at a hearing. The judge will consider how judgment was entered, whether the application was made promptly, the explanation for the missed claim and whether the proposed Defence has a real prospect of success or another good reason supports reopening the case.

The customer should be ready to take the judge through the chronology, service evidence, relevant CPR ground, strongest Defence points and order requested. The parking company or its solicitor may consent, oppose the application or attend and make submissions. The court may set judgment aside, refuse the application, impose conditions or make directions for the original claim.

If the judgment is set aside, the CCJ is removed and the original parking claim normally becomes active again. Read the sealed order immediately because it may set a short deadline for filing the Defence or taking another step. Setting aside the judgment does not automatically cancel the Parking Charge claim.

If the application is refused, the judgment remains in force unless the court orders otherwise. The refusal order should be checked for reasons, costs, payment terms and any separate deadline that applies.