Parking Awareness Services Ticket – Do I Pay or Appeal?
Did you get a Parking Awareness Services ticket, and now you are not sure if you should pay or appeal it?
You’re not alone. Every month, over 130,000 people come to our website to learn about fines and parking tickets. The DVLA reports that over 11 million parking tickets were issued last year, which is up by 29% year on year!1
In this article, we’ll give you clear and easy information about:
- What Parking Awareness Services is
- If you must pay Parking Awareness Services fines
- How to appeal a Parking Awareness Services ticket
- How much a Parking Awareness Services ticket can cost
- Tips on how to avoid getting a Parking Awareness Services ticket
We know that getting a private parking fine can make you feel upset. But don’t worry; we have lots of good advice and examples to help you know what to do next.
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.
Should I pay them?
You should pay Parking Awareness Services if you want to guarantee that no further action will be taken and you won’t be made to pay more. There is a chance that you could get away without paying, but it’s considered risky. Here’s the full explanation.
You aren’t obligated to pay Parking Charge Notices until a court has instructed you to pay. This is because Parking Charge Notices are more comparable to an invoice than a legitimate penalty fine.
If a company wanted you to pay an unpaid invoice, they would have to make you pay by going to court first. The same applies here. Parking Awareness Services will need to take court action to make you pay, but if they do start litigation, the expense you incur could be greater.
So the real question is: Will Parking Awareness Services take you to court? Maybe; however, there are some considerations. I was recently featured in The Sun about parking tickets, where I encouraged everyone to check whether the ticket was issued by a member of a trade association. If they aren’t, then they probably can’t get your details from the DVLA to pursue you.
Will they take you to court?
You have no way of knowing with absolute certainty that Parking Awareness Services will or won’t take legal action. Sometimes they might take people to court and at other times they might not.
Even when they don’t plan on taking legal action, they could still send you legal threats, such as a Letter Before Action. They might even get debt collection businesses to send these on their behalf. Either way, they might just be designed to so afraid that you pay.
Instead of risking it by ignoring them, you could submit an appeal.
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.
Appeal process
Parking Awareness Services encourage people to appeal so they can identify when Parking Charge Notices are mistakenly issued. You’re allowed to appeal directly to the company in writing and they must respond within 56 days, during which time you shouldn’t be asked to pay.
Accepted appeals result in the ticket being cancelled, and if they don’t respond within 56 days you also won’t have to pay. But if the appeal is rejected, you can escalate it to an independent appeals tribunal called the Independent Appeals Service (IAS). The service is free to use.
Here’s a quick table summarizing the standard appeal process.
| 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. |
Join thousands of others who got legal help for a £5 trial
Getting the support of a Solicitor can take a huge weight off your mind.
Reviews shown are for JustAnswer.
Reviews and complaints
As is usually the case, this car park enforcement company has negative reviews online. Many people get angry after receiving a private parking ticket and show their frustration in an online review.
Sometimes it’s justified, as the RAC found that the number of parking tickets being issued is up by nearly 30%! The report also found that misleading and deliberately confusing signage in private car parks is part of the problem.2
Here are some examples:
“Not compassionate not very nice people to deal with and I will not be paying you”
- Alan Robinson (Google review)
“Absolute nightmare to deal with. Viewed ‘evidence’ but the photo online is obscured and unable to make out the vehicle. This company will not listen only [threatens] to pay up or go to court.
See you in court. I will not pay if you cannot provide the correct evidence.”
- P C (Google review)
With so many reviewers declaring that they won’t be paying Parking Awareness Services, it raises the common question…
Parking Awareness Services contact number
Parking Awareness Services doesn’t list a contact number on their website. They do allow you to get in touch with them via an online contact form, which can be found here.
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.
Try it below
In partnership with Just Answer.
References
