National Parking Enforcement – Should You Pay or Appeal?
Have you got a parking fine from National Parking Enforcement and are not sure what to do next? This is the right place to find out. Every month, more than 130,000 people visit our website for advice on fines and parking tickets.
Which? found that unclear rules and various payment methods in private car parks are partly to blame for an increased number of fines.1
It’s common to feel overwhelmed by the process. If that’s your case, don’t worry. In this easy-to-understand article, we’ll tell you:
- What National Parking Enforcement Ltd is.
- If you need to pay your National Parking Enforcement fine.
- How to appeal a National Parking Enforcement fine.
- What happens if you don’t pay your National Parking Enforcement fine.
- How much a National Parking Enforcement fine might cost.
We know that getting a private parking fine can make you feel upset and confused. But you’re not alone, we have lots of useful tips and examples to guide you.
Most Ticket Appeals Succeed
In some circumstances, you might have a legitimate reason not to pay your parking fine.
It’s a bit sneaky, but the last time I needed legal advice, I paid £5 for a trial to chat with an online solicitor called JustAnswer.
Not only did I save £50 on solicitor fees, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.
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*According to Martin Lewis, 56% of people who try to appeal their ticket are successful and get the charge overturned, so it’s well worth a try.
National Parking Enforcement – appeal or pay?
Should you pay or appeal against National Parking Enforcement? Even though appealing is free, this decision is made more difficult because of the 40% (minimum) Parking Charge Notice reduction if you pay within the first 14 days.
If you haven’t got a good excuse to appeal, then taking advantage of the reduced fee might be a good option. But if you’re confident in the strength of your appeal, it could be better to proceed with the appeal.
But how do you know whether you have a good reason to appeal?
Do you have to pay them?
National Parking Enforcement has a right to issue a Parking Charge Notice for contractual parking breaches on privately-owned land. Thus, you should pay the fine if you were in the wrong and have no excuses for the supposed parking contravention.
However, you can appeal the Parking Charge Notice instead of paying it if you have a genuine reason why the parking ticket is unfair.
Appeal Process Steps
As mentioned earlier, you can appeal a National Parking Enforcement Parking Charge Notice.
You’ll need to lodge your appeal by the deadline. You should not pay and then appeal because paying is seen as admitting liability.
Your appeal must be made in writing and clearly explain your reason(s) against the parking ticket and any evidence. If you can add relevant photos or videos you’ll have a stronger appeal and a better chance of getting the ticket overturned.
National Parking Enforcement will respond to the appeal in writing within 28 days.
I’ve created this table to help you better understand the appeal process. If you have any doubts or want to learn more about the steps you should take, be sure to check out our detailed guide.
| Process: | Steps you should take: |
|---|---|
| When you receive the ticket… | You should gather as much evidence as you can to support your appeal claim and prove that the ticket was unfairly issued. |
| If you were given the ticket in person/attached to your car… | You must make an informal appeal (sent to the local authority/council that issued the PCN) within 14 days. This should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given. |
| If it was posted to you… | You will be given 21 days to submit an informal appeal (from the day you received the letter). Your informal appeal should be a letter with the evidence proving why the ticket was incorrectly given. |
| If the informal appeal is rejected… | You will receive a Notice to Owner and will have 28 days to respond to this with a formal appeal. You can conduct the formal appeal online or via paper form. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal can send you one of these forms. |
| If the formal appeal is rejected… | You will receive a Notice of Rejection. From here, you are free to challenge the council’s verdict at an independent tribunal. |
| If the independent tribunal disagrees with your appeal… | You should pay the ticket within 28 days of the tribunal rejecting your appeal. If you don’t, the fine will be increased by 50%. If you don’t have the money to pay the fine, you should contact Citizens Advice or another debt charity. |
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
Successful Appeal Case Study
Situation
| Initial Fine | £100 |
| Additional Fees | £171 |
| Total Fine | £271 |
The Appeal Process
Scott used JustAnswer, online legal service to enhance his appeal. The trial of this cost him just £5.
| Total Fine | £271 |
| Cost of legal advice | £5 |
JustAnswer helped Scott craft the best appeal possible and he was able to win his case.
Scott’s fine was cancelled and he only paid £5 for the legal help.
In partnership with Just Answer.
What happens if you don’t pay?
Janine Marsh, our financial expert, says not to ignore private parking tickets as it leads to escalating issues like constant letters and debt collectors’ visits. If you dispute the ticket, appeal directly to the parking company.
Keep in mind that if you don’t pay the National Parking Enforcement parking ticket, they can also increase the amount owed with late fees and charges. Lastly, they could threaten legal action.
Will they send a letter before claim?
A National Parking Enforcement letter before claim (LBC) is a letter to encourage you to pay or expect court action.
The company can take you to court and ask a judge to issue an instruction for you to pay, which could increase the money owed due to court fees. Ignoring a judge’s order could then result in the use of bailiffs.
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
National Parking Enforcement is only supposed to suggest that court action will be taken if they genuinely will take legal action. In other words, they cannot make empty threats. But often these types of companies do make empty threats despite sending an LBC. It could be incorrectly used as a scare tactic.
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National Parking Enforcement appeal rejected – next step!
When National Parking Enforcement inform you that your appeal has been rejected, they must also provide information on how to escalate the appeal.
As a member of an Accredited Trade Association (ATA), you can send your appeal to the Independent Appeals Service (IAS).
This is a free service that will decide whether National Parking Enforcement was right or wrong to reject your appeal. The IAS can overrule National parking Enforcement if they side with your arguments, which will mean you won’t have to pay.
National Parking Enforcement Contact Details
| Address: | National Parking Enforcement Ltd, PO Box 3710, Norwich, Norfolk, NR7 7BT |
| Phone: | 0333 0066292 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| Website: | https://www.parkingprotection.co.uk/ |
Hire a Parking Solicitor for less than a coffee.
If you’re thinking about appealing your parking ticket then getting some professional advice is a good idea.
Getting the support of a Solicitor can make your appeal much more likely to win.
For a £5 trial, Solicitors from JustAnswer can look at your case and help you create an airtight appeal.
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References
