Dzhihan Dzhafer, 29, says he was named as the driver of a car that received a £60 parking ticket despite him never having owned or driven the vehicle, leaving his family without a home
A father-of-one claims a £60 parking fine for a car he had never driven resulted in his family losing their home after the dispute escalated into two County Court Judgments (CCJs). Dzhihan Dzhafer, 29, a private hire and Uber driver, alleges another motorist falsely identified him as the driver responsible for a parking charge, despite Dzhihan never having owned or driven the vehicle in question.
The disagreement started when the £60 parking fine was issued in April 2024. Dzhihan later received demands for £170, with the sum eventually escalating to £285.
He contested the charge and secured written confirmation from the DVLA that he was not the registered keeper of the vehicle, which he submitted to the parking company. However, the dispute persisted and ultimately led to a CCJ being recorded against him.
Dzhihan, who shares his experiences and daily life as an Uber driver on YouTube under the alias 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.”
Resolved to challenge the judgment, Dzhihan paid £313 to request the court to overturn it and represented himself after receiving advice from Citizens Advice. Then, just days before his court appearance, Dzhihan received paperwork indicating that another motorist had named him as the driver of the vehicle, reports Stoke on Trent Live.
The first CCJ was subsequently set aside but then, 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, reports The Mirror.
According to Dzhihan, the same person had once again provided his details as the driver. While the second CCJ remained unresolved, the family’s tenancy for their home came up for renewal in October 2025.
Dzhihan says their landlords had been willing to renew the tenancy, but the letting agency’s insurer would not provide cover due to the CCJ appearing 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 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.”
The family have since been reunited and are presently staying with Dzhihan’s in-laws, but they still lack 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 started as a £60 parking charge for a car he claims 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.”