Issuing a Money Claim Online

Issuing a Claim with Money Claim Online (MCOL)

If you’re a landlord in the UK who’s owed money, you may need to take steps to recover it. One of the most effective ways to do this is to issue a claim with Money Claim Online (MCOL).

This guide will explain how to do this, the fees involved, and the crucial steps to take before submitting your claim.

What is Money Claim Online (MCOL)?

MCOL is an online service that allows individuals and organisations to issue a claim in the County Court of England and Wales. It enables the claimant to submit their claim and pay the associated court fees quickly and easily.

The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be used to recover money owed to you for unpaid rent, service charges, and other debts.

What are the 8 Steps to Issuing a Claim?

1. Guidance – Read through the onscreen notes and familiarise yourself with the guidance material. You must confirm you’ve read the guidance before you can issue your claim.

2. Claimant Details – Enter your details, including your correspondence address, reference (optional), and any other necessary information.

3. Correspondence Address – If your address is outside of the UK, enter it here.

4. Defendant Details – Enter the name, address, and any other necessary information for the person or organisation you’re claiming against.

5. Claim Particulars – Provide a statement of your claim, including the amount you’re claiming and whether you want to reserve the right to claim interest.

6. Summary and Statement of Truth – Read through the summary carefully and make sure the information is correct.

7. Payment Details – Enter your payment details and provide an email address for the receipt to be sent to.

8. Confirmation – Confirm that you’ve read the guidance and that the information is correct.

What are the Benefits of Issuing a Claim with MCOL?

Using MCOL to issue a claim has several benefits, such as:

• It’s quick and easy to use – you can submit your claim and pay the court fees in a few simple steps.

• It’s secure – your data is stored securely, and your payment details are encrypted.

• It’s cost-effective – you can view a list of court fees before you submit your claim.

• It’s convenient – you can issue your claim anytime, anywhere.

What are the Risks of Issuing a Claim with MCOL?

Although issuing a claim with MCOL is a convenient and cost-effective option, there are some risks to be aware of.

• Once you’ve paid the issue fee, the claim can’t be cancelled or amended – so make sure the details are correct before submitting your claim.

• Claims are not checked by court staff before issue – so you must make sure the information you provide is accurate and complete.

• Amendments after issue can be time consuming and may incur additional fees – so consider carefully who is responsible for the debt when adding a defendant.

• Court staff are not legally trained and cannot provide legal advice – so if you’re unsure whether you have grounds to issue a claim, you should seek legal advice.

Serving Additional Particulars of Claim

If during step 5 you stated that you will serve additional Particulars of Claim, you must send the additional particulars to the defendant(s) within 14 days of your claim being issued. You must also send a covering letter to the defendant clearly advising that these are the extra particulars referred to in your claim form and quoting the claim number.

You must then file an N215 Certificate of Service with the court within 14 days of the claim being issued. This certificate confirms to the court that you have sent the documents to the defendant. You can file the certificate by post or preferably by email to ccbc@justice.gov.uk. Include the claim number in the subject line of the email.

The second page of the N215 explains how to calculate the ‘date of service’. If the date of service is different to that of the claim form, then you should consider the later date to be the date of service for the claim. For further information, see Civil Procedure Rule 7E.6.

The court does not require copies of the additional documentation you wish to serve upon the defendant at this time.

Issue of the Claim

Once you have submitted the claim, it will be issued by the court within two working days. You will be posted a notice confirming the issue date. You can also check the issue date by logging into your MCOL account and accessing the ‘Claim Overview’.