Myparkingcharge – Should I Pay or Appeal?

Have you got a private parking fine from Myparkingcharge and are wondering if you should pay or fight it?

You’re not alone. Each month, over 130,000 people visit our website for help with understanding fines and parking tickets.

In this article, you’ll learn about:

•  If you need to pay Myparkingcharge fines.
•  How to appeal a Myparkingcharge fine.
•  Tips on avoiding a Myparkingcharge fine.

Research from Which? found that the rise in fines can be attributed in part to unclear rules and the variety of payment methods offered in private car parks¹. 

Don’t worry; we’re here to help you navigate through this confusion and make the best choice about your Myparkingcharge fine.

Do you have to pay a Myparkingcharge fine?

Private companies are within their right to issue Parking Charge Notices to motorists who don’t follow their parking rules.

When you enter a private car park, you should read signs telling you that by using the car park you agree to their Terms and Conditions². 

One of these conditions will be that you’ll pay the correct amount. So if you don’t pay or overstay (by more than ten minutes!), they can issue a fine.

A private parking fine isn’t considered to be a fine.

You should view these tickets as invoices for a service you received. As such, you can only be forced to pay when you’re ordered to do so by a judge.

It would require them to take you to court over the matter and win the case.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

What happens if you don’t pay?

If you don’t pay the Excel parking fine at Myparkingcharge.co.uk within 28 days, you will receive further communications from Excel.

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.

You might receive a Letter Before Action, which is essentially a letter that tells you to pay or expect to be taken to court.

Sometimes these letters are only sent to put fear into you and so you give up and pay.

But there’s also a chance that the legal threat is real and you will be subsequently summoned to court for not paying. 

If you were to lose in court or not defend yourself, a court order will be issued stating you must pay the parking fine.

Ignoring a court order can result in enforcement action, such as bailiffs. You’ll also be the one to cover bailiff fees in this scenario.

How do you pay the parking fine?

You must visit myparkingcharge.co.uk to make an online parking fine payment. To make the payment you must first identify your vehicle and the fine you will be paying.

You’ll need:

• Your vehicle registration number
• The PCN reference number 

An alternative way to pay the fine is to call Myparkingcharge on 0845 226 9138. This is an automated payment line which is open 24 hours per day. 

Possible grounds for appealing a Parking Charge Notice

Possible grounds to appeal a parking ticket on private include:

• The charge arrived in the mail more than 14 days after you used the car park
• You parked your vehicle correctly
• The car park signs were unclear, or the road markings were faded
• You couldn’t pay because the machines were not working
• The operator overcharged you
• Someone else was driving when the ticket was issued
• You have a valid reason for not getting back to your vehicle in time
• You were broken down and waiting for assistance
• The ticket was issued before the 10-minute grace was up

Provided you can prove any of the above, you could dispute the Parking Charge Notice and ask the operator to cancel it.

Appeal Process Steps

Here’s a quick table that will help you better understand the appeal process.

If you require further advice or want to learn more about the stages involved, be sure to 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.

Key timelines to appeal a Parking Charge Notice

We’ve listed the key timelines to appeal a Parking Charge Notice here:

• The initial appeal to a car park management company must be made within 28 days
• Appeals to an independent appeal service must be made within 28 days (POPLA appeal) or 21 days (IAS appeal) from when you receive a notice of rejection

How do you talk to someone at Excel parking?

You can talk to someone at Excel Parking Services by calling 0114 261 7111.

If your query is about a court summons or a CCJ, you must instead communicate in writing and only contact them at [email protected]. 

References

1. Which? – The rise of private parking fines
2. Citizens Advice Scotland – Parking tickets on private land