Horizon Parking Fine – Should you Pay or Appeal? 

Have you received a Horizon Parking fine and are wondering what to do? This is the right place for you. Every month, over 130,000 people visit our website looking for guidance on parking fines. 

Which? found that unclear rules and various payment methods in private car parks are partly to blame for an increased number of fines.¹

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the process, don’t worry. This article will provide simple and straightforward information on:

•  Who Horizon Parking is.
•  If you need to pay Horizon Parking fines.
•  How to successfully appeal a Horizon Parking fine.
•  When and why you might receive a Parking Charge Notice.
•  How a parking fine can be enforced.

We know that getting a private parking fine can cause stress. But don’t worry; we’re here to help you understand your parking fine and what steps you can take next.

Should You Pay or Appeal?

You should pay a Horizon Parking fine if you think it is justified. However, you have the right to contest the fine when you feel it is not.

Never ignore a fine you get on private land, and never ignore any letters you get about a Horizon Parking fine either!

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.

When can you appeal a Parking Charge Notice?

You can appeal the parking charge as soon after receiving the fine as possible. You have 28 days to contest it, but the sooner you do, the faster the matter is resolved.

Note: Make sure you follow Horizon Parking’s online appeal process when you challenge the ticket.

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

Appeal Process Steps

We’ve put together this table that explains the steps you should take to appeal your PCN. If you’d like to learn more or requite further advice, make sure to check out our specialized 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.

Keep in mind that if the operator rejects the appeal, they must tell you. In addition, Horizon Parking must provide advice on how to appeal to POPLA!

Note: Appeals are free when you challenge a parking fine on private land

How to write an effective parking fine appeal letter

The more evidence you can provide, the stronger your appeal will be. However, how you word your appeal letter is also essential.

As such, we’ve included a link to our parking ticket appeal letter template for you to use.

How successful are Parking Charge Notice appeals?

We’ve included details of the POPLA published success rate for 2021/2022.

Source: POPLA

Challenging a parking ticket on private land

We would challenge the Parking Charge Notice if:

• The parking penalty was sent by post to a home address over 14 days after the alleged parking infringement occurred
• No rules were broken, and the vehicle was parked correctly
• No road markings and signs were apparent in the car park
• Payment machines were not working
• The fine was over £100
• There was a good reason for not getting back to the car on time. For instance, you had a young child with you, disabled or pregnant. It is against the law for you to be discriminated against in the UK
• Your car broke down. You were waiting for assistance
• You returned to your vehicle 5 or 10 minutes late, but a fine was still issued
• You got the fine in the post, but no signs saying that CCTV was in operation were evident in the car park

These are reasons for challenging a Parking Charge Notice you could use when disputing a Horizon Parking fine.

What is a 10-minute grace period?

Horizon Parking is a member of the British Parking Association, and therefore, the operator must follow their Code of Practice.

They must also follow the British Parking Association’s 10-minute grace period when you return to your car.

This is mandatory!

Say you get a ticket, and you were just 5 minutes late. We suggest that you contest the fine. Horizon Parking should accept your appeal and cancel the ticket because they broke the BPA guidelines.

Horizon Parking Contact Details

We’ve included contact information for Horizon Parking in the table below.

Address:	Horizon Parking Ltd Finitor House, 2 Hanbury Road, Chelmsford, CM1 3AE
Phone:	01245 392 289
Appeal online:	www.horizonparking.co.uk appeal
Website:	https://horizonparking.co.uk/

References

1. Which? – The rise of private parking fines