Bank Park – Should You Pay or Appeal?
Have you received a Bank Park parking fine and are unsure whether to pay or appeal? You’ve come to the right place. Each month, our website is visited by over 130,000 people seeking guidance on fines and parking tickets, which comes as no surprise, as over 19,000 parking fines are issued each day in the UK.1
This article will provide simple and clear information on:
- What Bank Park is.
- Whether you need to pay Bank Park parking fines.
- How to appeal a Bank Park ticket.
- The chances of Bank Park taking legal action.
- How to spot a fake parking ticket.
We know that getting a private parking fine can be very annoying, but there’s no need to worry. We’re here to help you learn more about Bank Park parking fines and what your options are.
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.
Do you have to pay private parking fines (UK)?
Private parking tickets don’t have to be paid unless a court has ordered you to do so. This is because they are not considered genuine fines, but rather, they’re comparable to an invoice. Therefore the company must take you to court to force you to pay.
How much is a ticket?
Bank Park is restricted in what they can charge by Parking Charge Notice caps. The current cap of £100 is going to be halved to £50 in most cases. This change will be in place at some point in time during 2023.
Private car park operators must also give drivers a discount if they pay within 14 days of the alleged contravention. The discount offered must be at least 40%.
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.
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.
Will they take legal action?
So, if you can only be made to pay Bank Park if you lose to them in court, the big question is will they take legal action against you for ignoring them?
This question can’t be answered because nobody knows exactly what they will do. Some car park management companies do take legal action and others don’t. Some begin litigation in some cases and in other cases don’t. It’s a bit of a lottery.
You might receive a letter saying they will take court action if you don’t pay. This letter could be a genuine legal threat, or it could simply be an intimidation tactic, hoping you pay because you’re scared.
If you want to avoid legal action, the only way to guarantee this is to pay the parking ticket.
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
Can you appeal it?
You’re within your legal rights to appeal a private parking ticket from Bank Park or any other company. Appeals usually have to be lodged within 28 days of the alleged parking breach, and they must be made in writing.
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
Some companies allow you to appeal online, but there is no suggestion this is possible on the Bank Park website.
Your appeal should state all the reasons you think the ticket shouldn’t have been issued. You probably need to attach evidence to support claims. Bank Park must respond to the appeal within 56 days, or the appeal is accepted.
To learn more about the process to appeal a parking ticket, please check out the table below.
| 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. |
Your appeal was rejected – now what?
You can take your appeal to an independent panel if Bank Park rejects your first appeal. They must provide instructions on how to do this at the time of the initial rejection.
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.
Customer reviews – a slippery operation?
Most car park operators receive a lot of negative reviews online due to drivers getting angry that they’ve received a parking ticket. But there was a trend of negative reviews about Bank Park, which all discussed a similar topic. Take a look:
“Like an alarming amount of others, I popped into Tesco in a previously free car park. It said there was a 15 minute window to get a free ticket – I took 9 minutes and now have a £100 fine for a “free parking period”.”
- RB (Trustpilot review)
“Got a £60 parking fine for not “obtaining a free parking session” in a car park which wasn’t previously managed by these guys […]”
- Anthony C (Trustpilot review)
“I parked at one of the locations which previously was completely free but now is operated by this company where you get 30 minutes free but you have to take a ticket from a machine.”
- Stainless (Trustpilot review)
These reviewers are referring to a practice where the driver must take a free ticket and display it in their window. This system is usually in place to stop people parking in the free car park but going elsewhere, such as parking in Tesco but not shopping in Tesco.
However, as the reviews above illustrate, it can catch people out who aren’t aware. Signs should be clear about this.
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
