Ealing pay PCN – Should you Pay or Appeal? 

Have you just been given an Ealing parking fine and not sure what to do?

You’ve found the right place to learn more about the situation. Every month, our website is visited by over 130,000 people who want to understand fines and parking tickets.

In this simple guide, we will share:

• An easy explanation of an Ealing parking fine.
• If you have to pay Ealing parking fines.
• The right way to appeal against an Ealing parking fine.
• Tips to not get a parking fine in Ealing.
• What can happen if you don’t pay the fine.

Churchill Motor Insurance reports that in 2022, UK councils issued an average of 19,631 daily parking fines, a 12% increase from the previous year.¹ So rest assured, you’re not alone.

We know that receiving a parking fine can be a big worry, but we have many helpful tips and examples to help you.

Let’s get started.

What is a PCN?

A London Borough of Ealing Penalty Charge Notice is the official name for a fine given by a local authority, most often for parking offences on council land.

They can also be given to motorists for traffic offences when caught on camera, such as driving in a bus lane. 

Therefore, an Ealing Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) is a fine issued by the council for a parking contravention or traffic offence.

They are not the same as private parking fines and should be dealt with more seriously. 

Also, a council-issued Parking Charge Notice appeal should not be confused with an Ealing Council Fixed Penalty Notice appeal.

They are different types of fines.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

How much is a parking ticket?

Ealing Council will issue a parking fine for £80 or £130 depending on whether the parking contravention is classed as a higher level or lower-level offence.

They list what is classified as lower and higher-level offences on their website.

It includes fines for not following Ealing Common parking restrictions which is a deemed a less serious offence.

For something more serious like parking on double yellow lines, the higher penalty will apply.

Do you have to pay?

You have to pay an Ealing PCN within 28 days of being served.

Otherwise, you must file an Ealing Penalty Charge Notice appeal within the same period. Plus, you can view PCN Ealing fines online via the authority’s website.

Don’t ignore the PCN and hope they will stop chasing you for payment because this never happens.

They will persist in getting the money from you and your fine will increase within that process. 

What happens if you ignore it?

People who ignore a Penalty Charge Notice in their name will receive a charge certificate after the 28-day payment deadline.

A charge certificate increases your fine by 50%, so your fine will either be £120 or £195. You are given two weeks to pay this amount or face further action. 

Further action will involve the council asking for a court order.

A judge will issue you with an order of recovery that makes it your legal responsibility to pay the fine. At this point, it has become an unpaid debt and the local authority could escalate the process of recovery to bailiffs. 

When bailiffs start chasing you for money they add their own fees to the total owed, which can cause your debt to grow significantly. 

How do I pay?

An Ealing PCN can be paid in a variety of ways.

You can pay in cash at the council’s car compound, by phone, by cheque or by using the online payment service on the council website.

In short, when you want to pay a Penalty Charge Notice Ealing Council makes it easy for you to settle it.

Full details can be found here, but paying online remains the quickest and easiest way for most people. 

When making an Ealing PCN payment you’ll need to identify your fine. This can be done by providing the Ealing PCN number as shown on your parking ticket. 

Can I appeal instead?

You don’t have to pay your Ealing PCN within 28 days if you are planning to make an Ealing parking PCN appeal.

Everyone has the right to honestly file an Ealing PCN challenge which they believe it is not correct.

But, remember challenging a Penalty Charge Notice is not done the same way as appealing a PCN on private land.

I have listed the Ealing Council PCN contact number below.

Check out what happened to one motorist who was fined for going down a road that recently changed to ‘no cars’.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Common Defenses

Understanding the defences against Penalty Charge Notices will help you avoid unjust penalties and unfair treatment.

There are a few common PCN defences that you can use if you decide to appeal your ticket.

Common PCN Defence	Explanation
You were parked correctly	By law, your ticket should be cancelled if you haven’t broken any parking laws.
Unclear, incorrect, or missing signage	It is a legal requirement that all parking areas or roads with parking restrictions have clear road markings or signage. You also have a good defence if your ticket was sent in the post, but there were no signs warning of CCTV or ANPR systems when you parked.
You had no way to pay	You can appeal your ticket if you can prove that the only available ticket machine was broken or damaged. You also won’t win your appeal if there is a sign telling you not to park if there is no way of paying.
It wasn’t you who committed the parking infraction	The ticket should be cancelled if you didn’t commit the parking infraction as someone else was driving your car.
You couldn’t get back to your car	People with some disabilities or small children are protected from discrimination by the 2010 Equality Act. Struggling to get back to your car could be legitimate grounds for appeal.
Your car had broken down	If you got a ticket whilst waiting for your car to be towed or fixed, you have strong grounds for appeal. The ticket issuer should have understood that you physically couldn’t move it.
You were only just out of time	Late by just 5 or 10 minutes? You can appeal as you are entitled to a ‘grace period’ after your parking time runs out.

How do I appeal?

The way you appeal an Ealing Council Penalty Charge Notice depends on how you were served the parking fine.

If you received it in the post you must make a formal Ealing PCN representation.

This is a written statement of why you think the parking fine should be cancelled. It should be accompanied by as much Ealing PCN evidence as possible.

It’s the first step in making an Ealing PCN dispute when you feel the fine is unfair. However, make sure you have grounds for appealing a Penalty Charge Notice.

If you received the PCN in the street, you have to make an informal appeal to the council.

It is stated how to do this on the PCN and online. If the council rejects your informal appeal, you can continue to make a representation.

In short, you can challenge Penalty Charge Notice Ealing appeal rejection when you don’t agree with the authority’s decision.

Ealing Contact Details

If you have any problems paying a fine online, there’s an Ealing Council Park a Fixed Penalty Notice contact number which is 020 8825 6565.

The number can also be used to pay and check PCN Ealing parking fines and also for appealing Penalty Charge Notice box junction fines.

If you want to file a complaint, you can do so by following the Ealing PCN complaints procedure.

Phone:	020 8825 6677
Ealing Council PCN email address:	[email protected].
Address:	Ealing Council, Perceval House, 14/16 Uxbridge Road, Ealing W5 2HL
Website:	https://www.ealing.gov.uk/

My appeal was rejected…

You don’t have to accept an Ealing Penalty Charge appeal rejection from Ealing Council.

If you still believe you’re in the right and the fine should be cancelled, you can escalate your appeal. You could contact Ealing council PCN customer service, but the better option is to escalate your appeal to an independent tribunal.

Your appeal can be sent to London Tribunals for an independent decision on the challenge. The tribunal’s decision is final. 

References

1. SkyNews – Parking Tickets Statistics