Britannia Parking Fine – Should you Pay or Appeal? 

Have you received a Britannia parking fine, and you’re unsure whether to pay or appeal? You’re not alone! Every month, over 130,000 people come to our website to get guidance 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 Don’t worry; we’re here to help you navigate through this confusion.

This article will give you simple and clear information on:

•  Why you might get a Britannia parking fine.
•  Whether you need to pay Britannia parking fines.
•  How to appeal against a Britannia parking fine.
•  Tips on avoiding Britannia parking fines.
•  Where to find Britannia parking contact details.

Whether you’re confused about private land rules or worried about a court case, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive into the details and help you make the right decision about your Britannia parking fine.

Why would you get a Britannia parking PCN

Standard rules you might break when using a private car park include:

• You forgot or omitted to pay the car park fee
• You overstayed the time you are allowed to park
• You did not park in an allotted bay
• You parked the vehicle in a disabled or families with infants bay

You should challenge the fine when you know that you broke no rules, yet you still got a Parking Charge Notice.

But if you committed a parking violation, you could be better off settling the amount within 14 days.

You have the right to appeal the parking ticket in the Private Parking Code of Practice².

Appeal Process Steps

As mentioned above, if you think the Parking Charge Notice is wrong or unfair and want to file an appeal, you have the right to do so. However, you must appeal the fine in writing within 28 days of the Parking Charge Notice issue date. Complete the appeal form and send it to Britannia Parking.

Include all the information and evidence to support your appeal when you challenge a Britannia Parking Charge Notice.

Here’s a quick table that will help you better understand the steps you should take to file an appeal. For more information, please read our detailed guide.

When the operator upholds your appeal, the Parking Charge Notice should be cancelled in a day. However, if they reject the appeal, you could take the matter to POPLA, which could take 2 to 3 months!

Can you get a CCJ for not paying a private parking ticket?

Despite concerns from the RAC Foundation, there’s still no law to cap parking charges or prevent excessive fines.³ This absence of regulation might lead you to consider ignoring the fine. However, it’s important to keep in mind that if you receive any official court papers about a parking fine, you should never ignore them. If you do, things quickly spiral out of control.

The impact of parking fines on credit history when you don’t pay or appeal could be significant.

Once you have a CCJ on your credit history, you’ll find it hard to borrow money in the future. The record remains on your credit file for up to 6 years.

When you get a Britannia Parking fine, first check whether the notice was given to you correctly. If it is not, you have the right to appeal the Parking Charge Notice. However, when the operator follows all the rules and the ticket is correct, you may not have any choice but to pay the fine if you know you broke Britannia Parking rules and regulations.

What is a good excuse to get out of a parking ticket?

As mentioned, accredited private parking operators must abide by the Code of Practice. When they don’t, you could have grounds to appeal a Parking Charge Notice.

We’ve listed some reasons why you could make parking fine dispute:

• You received the Parking Charge Notice over 14 days after you parked a vehicle in the private car park
• You parked your vehicle correctly in the right bay
• The car park signs or bay markings were not visible
• The operator gave you a Parking Charge Notice over £100
• You were not driving at the time the Parking Charge Notice was given
• You were unable to get back to your car due to a disability, had a young child with you, or because you were pregnant. This falls under the Equality Act 2010, which states nobody can be discriminated against and must be treated fairly with ‘understanding’
• You broke down and were waiting for roadside assistance to fix your vehicle or tow it away
• You were only 5 to 10 minutes late getting back to your vehicle which means the operator did not give you the 10-minute grace period!

Note: You could have grounds to appeal if you received the fine in the mail, yet there were no signs saying there was ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) parking enforcement in operation.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

Britannia Parking Contact Details

What is a reasonable grace period for parking?

Private car park operators must allow you a 10-minute mandatory grace period before issuing a Parking Charge Notice. When you park correctly in a designated bay, the operator should not issue a ticket unless the 10-minute grace period has expired.

If you get a Parking Charge Ticket and are not given the grace period, you could have grounds to challenge the fine by appealing it!

Also, it’s free to make a POPLA appeal which you must do before you file an appeal with an independent trade association.

As we previously mentioned, in this instance it would be the Parking on Private Land Appeal Service (POPLA) because the operator is a British Parking Association (BPA) member.

References

1. Which? – The rise of private parking fines
2. GOV.UK – Private Parking Code of Practice
3. RACF – Private Parking: Public Concern