Parking fines and penalty charges

Parking fines and penalty charge notices can be different, and it depends on who issued them as to how and to whom they need to be paid.

What is a parking fine?

A parking ticket and fine is given when a vehicle has broken parking rules and is illegally parked on public or private land. On public land, the local council will govern parking, with traffic wardens and parking metres, and the fines and rules will vary between councils across the UK. Private landowners will have private parking operators who issue notices and fines.

Parking fines and penalty notices are not criminal offences; they are civil matters, and you cannot be sent to prison for not paying parking fines. However, if you do not pay your parking fine within the specified time, you can be issued with court orders resulting in bailiffs at your door; parking fines do not go away; they just get more expensive. Most parking fines or PCNs offer a reduced cost of up to 50% if paid within 14 days, but, for example, if a simple £50 parking fine ends up being paid at the doorstep with a bailiff, you can guarantee you are then paying the costs of all the court fees and bailiffs.

It is common for these to exceed £500, all quite legally. If not paying a parking ticket goes this far, it will have recorded a CCJ against your credit record, impacting your future credit for at least 7 years.

What is a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)?

A penalty charge notice is issued for breaking traffic rules such as driving in bus lanes, taking a U-turn, or driving the wrong way down a one-way street. They are also issued for not paying London congestion, city centre emissions, or Dartford Crossing charges. If this PCN is not paid within 28 days, a charge certificate is issued with a further 50% added.  If the charge certificate is not paid within 14 days, a court order demanding payment can trigger bailiff action after 21 days. If you receive a PCN and believe it is wrong or any aspect is incorrect, it is vital to challenge it as soon as possible, as time is a huge constraint.

If you receive a ticket on your windscreen, then the information you need to challenge will be on the ticket; if the notification is sent through the post, the details to challenge will be found there.  If you challenge and are unsuccessful, you will lose the opportunity to pay the reduced 50% cost of the 14-day initial payment option, which is why many people pay up quickly and do not tend to challenge.

Challenging a parking fine or Penalty Charge Notice

If you believe that you have received a parking fine or PCN and it is incorrect, then you have the right to challenge it; it is important to do this as soon as possible, as time is a constraint. You will need to check the type of ticket you have been issued. If it’s left on your windscreen, then you will need to make an INFORMAL challenge with the council, and if it is received in the post, you will have to make a FORMAL challenge (also called a representation) with the issuing council.

If your challenge is accepted, you will not have to pay the charge; if it is rejected, you will have a notice on how to pay or make a formal challenge; if that is rejected, you will have to take it to the tribunal. You will have a 28-day notice to pay; if this is still unpaid, you will have late penalty fees applied.

Challenging a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN)

You will have to go to the magistrate’s court to do this. The ticket will give you information on how to challenge this, and you will be sent a formal summons to attend a local court.

Challenging a Ticket from a private company

You will need to check your ticket to find out who issued it and follow the procedure they set out. You can appeal to the independent appeals service if your challenge has been rejected. This can be:-

POPLA – Parking on Private Land Appeals – if the carpark is part of the British Parking Association

Or

IAS – Independent Appeal service – if the carpark is a member of the International Parking Community

Remember that time is short for whatever you choose to do with a parking ticket or PCN. If you do not want to pay over the odds, then get it paid quickly to avoid any excess charges and prevent bailiffs from turning up on your doorstep, causing extra stress.