NCP Appeals – Should You Pay or Appeal?
Are you concerned about an NCP parking fine you’ve got? You’re not alone! More than 130,000 people like you visit our website each month, seeking advice on fines and parking tickets.
This article will provide you with simple, easy-to-understand information on:
- Whether you must pay NCP parking fines
- How to make an NCP appeal
- Important steps to follow when appealing a parking ticket
Research from Which? revealed that although 78% of members consider private parking fines unfair, many don’t challenge them due to doubts about the success of their appeal.1
If that’s your case, and you’re wondering if you should pay or appeal your NCP parking fine, don’t worry. We’re here to help you make the right choice!
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.
Chat below to get started with JustAnswer
*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.
What to do with an NCP fine?
The only way of avoiding NCP fines is to familiarise yourself with the operator’s T&Cs.
Appealing is a good idea if you have a good and honest excuse – and the required evidence when needed.
It’s also free to make your appeal to NCP or POPLA.
However, keep in mind that appealing will likely cause you to miss out on the 40% discounted rate.
So there is a decision to be made. The decision will likely come down to your confidence in getting the parking ticket overturned.
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
Appeal Process Steps
As mentioned above, you can appeal an NCP Parking Charge Notice if you believe the parking fine is unjust or you have a good reason why it should be cancelled.
While unfair parking fines can be challenged, you must have supporting evidence and grounds to appeal.
I’ve put together this quick table that will help you better understand the appeal process. If you want to learn more about the steps you should take, please read 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. |
You can appeal an NCP parking ticket via the official NCP website.
You’ll need to enter:
- Your parking ticket number
- Provide good reasons (and possibly evidence)
NCP cannot respond over the phone.
Remember that if you win your NCP appeal then the parking fine will be cancelled and you won’t have to pay.
» 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 for parking at NCP?
Anyone who doesn’t pay the required parking ticket in an NCP car park will be served a parking fine called a Parking Charge Notice.
The fine might be stuck to your windscreen by NCP staff, or it could be sent in the post if the contravention was seen on camera.
These private car parking fines aren’t the same as Fixed Penalty Notices issued by the police or similar-sounding Penalty Charge Notices by local councils.
As such, an NCP parking violation should not be dealt with in the same way.
What happens if you don’t pay?
The implications of ignoring parking fines could be far-reaching.
A number of things could happen if you ignore an NCP Parking Charge Notice, such as:
- NCP may send reminders
- NCP may threaten court action
- NCP may ask a debt collection company to chase you for payment
- NCP might stop chasing you for the money
It’s most likely that you will receive threats of court action. These legal threats might be genuine, or they could be part of scare tactics to get you to pay quickly.
If NCP takes you to court and wins, the judge will order you to pay and there could be additional court costs if it gets this far – and even more, if you ignore the judge!
But before you pay to prevent court action, there’s something else you need to know.
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Getting the support of a Solicitor can take a huge weight off your mind.
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Are the fines enforceable?
NCP parking fines can become enforceable if the operator takes you to court and wins.
But before this stage, they aren’t considered proper fines. A Parking Charge Notice is more identical to an invoice you receive from a business than a real fine.
However, NCP has the right to send you a “fine” if you have ignored NCP parking regulations as set out in their T&Cs.
Common mistakes when making an appeal
I’ve listed common mistakes when appealing a parking charge that often results in rejection:
- Missing the appeal deadline
- Not providing adequate supporting evidence
- Failing to follow the correct appeal process
My NCP appeal got rejected
NCP might reject your Parking Charge Notice appeal.
But that doesn’t have to be the end of your parking ticket challenge.
All NCP appeals can be escalated to an independent and unbiased service for a final decision. Plus, escalating the appeal is free.
The independent service you must use when fighting an NCP fine is called Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA).
NCP Contact Details
| Website: | https://www.ncp.co.uk/ |
| Tel number: | 0345 050 7080 – customer service |
| Web chat: | www.ncp.co.uk |
| Complaints: | https://www.ncp.co.uk/help-centre/contact-us/ |
| Pay or Appeal online: | www.gaparking.co uk/pcn |
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
