A £60 parking ticket for a car he says he never drove led to two County Court Judgments (CCJs), the loss of the family home, and months of separation from his wife and young son, according to a Stratford-based Uber driver.
Dzhihan Dzhafer, 29, a private hire and Uber driver in east London, said another motorist named him as the driver responsible for a parking charge, despite him having never owned or driven the vehicle. The dispute began with the £60 charge issued in April 2024. Dzhihan later received demands for £170, with the amount eventually rising to £285.
He disputed the charge and obtained written confirmation from the DVLA that he was not the vehicle’s registered keeper, which he provided to the parking company. The dispute continued and eventually resulted in a CCJ being recorded against him.
Court challenge and second CCJ
Dzhihan, who documents his experiences as an Uber driver on YouTube under the name Mr Shark, said: "You start thinking that all of this began with a £60 parking ticket connected to somebody else, yet somehow my own family was paying the consequences."
Determined to challenge the judgment, he paid £313 to ask the court to overturn it and represented himself after receiving guidance from Citizens Advice. Just days before his court appearance, Dzhihan received paperwork showing that another motorist had identified him as the driver of the vehicle.
The first CCJ was subsequently set aside, but rather than bringing the situation to an end, Dzhihan later discovered a second CCJ relating to another parking charge, which he believes involved the same vehicle and location around a week later. According to Dzhihan, the same person had again provided his details as the driver.
Family loses home
While the second CCJ remained unresolved, the family’s tenancy for their home in Stratford came up for renewal in October 2025. Dzhihan says their landlords had been open to renewing the tenancy, but the letting agency’s insurer would not provide cover because of the CCJ showing on his credit file. On October 20, the family lost their home.
"That was when it really became clear to me that this was no longer just a parking dispute or a credit issue," Dzhihan said. "It was affecting whether my family could have a home."
With nowhere secure for the family to live together, Dzhihan’s wife and young son returned to Bulgaria while he stayed with a friend in London so he could continue working as an Uber driver and supporting them. He said: "That was probably the hardest part of everything. The money and court process were stressful, but being away from my wife and especially my young son made it feel completely different. I was still working in London and trying to sort everything out, but coming back and not having my family there was difficult."
Credit file impact
The family have since been reunited and are currently staying with Dzhihan’s in-laws, but they still do not have a secure home of their own. Meanwhile, the second CCJ remains visible on Dzhihan’s credit file despite an agreement being reached and a consent order being signed in an attempt to resolve the matter.
For Dzhihan, what began as a £60 parking charge for a car he says he had never driven has therefore become a dispute lasting more than two years, involving two CCJs, hundreds of pounds in court and parking-related costs and, most significantly, months spent separated from his wife and young son.
Dan Aston, Brand and Communications Executive from Checkmyfile, which allows consumers to view credit information from multiple UK credit reference agencies in one place, said: "Dzhihan’s experience is an extreme example of how information on your credit file can have consequences far beyond simply applying for credit. A CCJ can affect your ability to access financial products, but as this case shows, it can potentially cause problems when trying to rent a home too. It’s important to check your credit report regularly and make sure you recognise what’s recorded against your name. If something doesn’t look right, investigate it as early as possible rather than discovering it when you need to apply for credit or pass a rental check."
"It’s also worth remembering that information can vary between credit reference agencies, so checking your credit history across multiple agencies can give you a more complete view of what’s being recorded about you. If you receive correspondence about a debt or court claim you don’t recognise, don’t ignore it. Keep records, challenge it and seek appropriate advice as early as possible."
