Parking
Charge Notice Information
Parking
tickets issued by this company are called Parking Charge Notice
or PCNs. They do not result
in a criminal record or points on a driving licence. They are
separate from Fixed Penalty Notice, issued for criminal offences
by the Police and Traffic Wardens.
Parking Charge Notice
are issued when a driver parks a vehicle in contravention of
the Terms and Conditions stated onsite via warning signs.
What should I do if I get a Parking Charge Notice?
Unpaid Parking Charge Notice ?
How can I pay a Parking Charge Notice ?
How much will a Parking Charge Notice cost ?
I am a blue badge holder, do I have to pay ?
What happens if I dispute a Parking Charge Notice? Can I Appeal ?
What are
grounds for appeal against a Parking Charge Notice ?
Can I come to your office to discuss my appeal ?
Can I sort this dispute over the telephone ?
I have received the court order but want to dispute the Parking Charge Notice
now. Can I do this ?
I've been contacted by the Bailiffs. Can I dispute the Parking Charge Notice
now ?
Other Bailiff queries
Guidelines and you will hopefully avoid getting a Parking Charge
Notice
! What
should I do if I get a Parking Charge Notice?
Details
of how to pay and what to do next will be shown on the Parking
Charge Notice (PCN). If you ignore the notice you will lose
the option to pay at the reduced rate.
DO
NOT IGNORE A PARKING CHARGE NOTICE - IT WILL NOT GO AWAY!
All
vehicles issued with a Parking Charge Notice are photographed and the registered
owner's details are checked with Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Authority (D.V.L.A)
Once
the Parking Charge Notice is issued it cannot be cancelled by a parking attendant.
Threatening behaviour, verbal or physical abuse towards attendants
will not be tolerated, and will be reported to the police. Although
we appreciate that you may be upset or annoyed at receiving
a Parking Charge Notice, we will only cancel a ticket when it is justifiable and
valid to do so.
! Unpaid
Parking Charge Notice
Failure to pay your Parking Charge Notice will result in action taken under the
relevant legislation to recover the charge, so what
action will be taken?
After
14 days
You
lose the right to pay at the discounted sum after 14 days starting
with the date on which the Parking Charge Notice was issued.
After
a further 14 days
A
£100 Notice to Owner will be issued.
After
a further 14 days
The
debt will be registered with our debt recovery company and an
administration fee of £40 will be added to your charge.
After
a further 28 days
The debt will be registered with County Court and a registration
fee of £50 will be added to your charge.
After
a further 21 days
The County Court my issue a Warrant of Execution for the unpaid sum. This can then be passed to approved bailiffs
who will take over the debt and will add on their own recovery
fees (i.e. administration, sending bailiffs to your address,
wheel clamping/removal of your vehicle, removal of goods for
auction etc.)
As you can see, the severity and cost of the Parking Charge Notice can increase
rapidly if nothing is done with a £70 fine increasing to £190
and being registered at court within only 3 months. The Parking Charge Notice
could have been discharged for £40.00 (if payment was received
within 14 days starting on the date the penalty charge was issued).
Therefore you should not ignore any correspondence sent to you
with regards to the Parking Charge Notice, and should read it carefully, it is
in your best interests to do so.
Please remember it is your responsibility to ensure payment
is received within the specified time period.
Do
not ignore it!
? How can I pay a Parking Charge Notice?
Details of how to pay and what to do next will be shown on the
Parking Charge Notice. You can pay through the post by sending the
payment slip and a cheque, postal order or by credit/debit card
information (Mastercard, Visa, Maestro, Electron, Solo, Delta
or Switch - unfortunately we cannot accept Diners Card or American
Express) to the address shown. Please
do not send cash, bank notes or blank postal orders as responsibility
cannot be taken for loss.
Always include details of the Parking Charge Notice
number and your address with any payment. Please write the Parking Charge Notice
number and your address on the reverse of the cheque/postal
order. Please note that if you require a receipt, you will need
to send a stamped self-addressed envelope with your payment.
£ How much will a Parking Charge Notice cost?
For all contraventions the cost is £70, which is reduced to
£40 if the notice is paid within 14 days of issue. If the payment
is not received after 28 days, we will send a Notice to Owner for £100. If this payment is
not made then the scale of charges escalates with extra charges
for administration fees, Debt Recovery Company fees, court cost
and Bailiffs fees.
I am a blue badge holder, do I
have to pay?
Yes. The blue badge scheme privileges are for parking on-street
only and are not applicable on private land. A booklet is supplied
with every blue badge giving details of correct usage.
? What happens if I dispute a Parking Charge Notice? Can I Appeal?
You should not ignore the notice placed on the vehicle, as the
charge will increase if you don't pay within 14 days; instructions
on what to do will be shown on the parking ticket. If you wish
to contest the issuing of the Parking Charge Notice, you should write to the address
given on the ticket explaining your reasons for dispute.
? What are grounds for appeal against a Parking Charge Notice?
If
you wish to appeal, do so immediately!
The grounds for appeal against the issue of a Parking Charge Notice are strictly
limited and must fall into one of the following categories.
You should aim to do this within 7 days of receiving the Parking Charge Notice
if you want to preserve the right to pay at the discount rate.
State your case clearly and simply in writing. If you have evidence
to support your claim such as receipts or witness statements,
send these in. (We recommend that you always send copies only
and hold on to the originals). You will receive a written response
within 21 days of the receipt of your appeal, either accepting or rejecting your appeal. If
you have written within 7 days of receiving the Parking Charge Notice and we reject
your appeal, you will be offered the chance to pay at the
discounted rate for a further 7 days.
These are the grounds on which you can make your appeal:
1.
The alleged parking contravention did not occur.
This may include where a Parking Charge Notice was allegedly issued too early
or where a vehicle was allegedly displaying a valid permit,
ticket, disabled badge etc. (Please note that, to be used as evidence, all vehicles have several digital
photographs taken to confirm that the contravention has taken
place. CCTV evidence may also be used)
2.
I was not the owner at the time the alleged parking contravention
occurred
If you
make representations on this ground, please supply the name and address of the person to whom the vehicle
was disposed of (or from whom it was acquired, as the case may
be). The law requires that the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Authority is kept informed about the current keeper.
If you sell a vehicle and fail to complete the relevant part
of the vehicle registration document ('log book') you may receive
Parking Charge Notice arising out of actions from the new owner.
3.
When the vehicle was parked it had been taken without my consent.
This ground
for representation covers stolen vehicles and vehicles used
without the owner's consent but which were not stolen. The latter
category could apply, for example, to a vehicle taken by "joy
riders". You will normally be expected to supply us with
a Crime Reference Number if you use this ground for representations.
4.
We are a vehicle hire firm/finance company and have supplied
the name and address of the hirer.
This ground for representation covers hire vehicles where the
hirer has signed a formal agreement accepting liability for
any Notices issued during the period of hire. You will be expected
to supply details of the hirer's name and address, ideally along
with a copy of the signed hire agreement.
The following
are examples of reasons that will NOT be accepted:
You did not see the signs
The parking restrictions were unfair
The vehicle was only parked for a short time
The vehicle was not causing an obstruction
There was nowhere else to park
You have a permit but did not display it
My blue disabled badge allows me to park anywhere I like
There were hardly any other cars in the car park
The permit fell off the windscreen
I did not realise that my permit had expired
I'm not from this area and am unfamiliar with the signs
? Can I come to your office to discuss my appeal?
No. Challenges
to the issuing of a Parking Charge Notice can only be dealt with formally in writing,
as it is a legal matter. You will receive a written response
within 21 days.
? Can
I sort this dispute over the telephone?
No. You must write, stating the grounds of your dispute as we
are unable to accept appeals made over the telephone for legal
reasons.
Unpaid Parking Charge Notice's are referred to our debt recovery company and on
to the local County Court, through the civil justice system
were it will be registered as a debt. The Court may issue a
CCJ and/or authorise warrants to be issued for recovery of these
debts by bailiffs.
? I've
been contacted by the Debt Recovery Company. Can I dispute the Parking Charge Notice now?
No, it's too late. Please speak directly to the debt recovery
company.
? I
have received the court order but want to dispute the Parking Charge Notice now. Can I do this?
No. Please read the court papers carefully. You can make a Statutory
Declaration if the grounds shown in the court papers apply.
This may enable you to have the opportunity of presenting your
case. You can't make a declaration if none of the grounds apply.
? I've
been contacted by the Bailiffs.
Can I dispute the Parking Charge Notice now?
No, it's too late. Please speak directly to the Bailiff or seek
legal advice or contact the Citizens Advice Bureau
! Other Bailiff queries
You must contact the Bailiffs. They will tell you about their
complaints procedure. You can also ask your local county court
to access the charges if you think they are excessive, but you
may have to pay for this.
