Notice to the Keeper – Everything You Need to Know
Did you receive a ‘Notice to Keeper’ from a private parking firm, and now you’re unsure what to do? This article is here to help.
Every month, over 130,000 people visit our website looking for guidance on fines and parking tickets. We’re experts at simplifying these confusing matters.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- What a ‘Notice to Keeper’ is.
- Why a ‘Notice to Keeper’ is sent.
- What you need to do when you receive one.
- If you must pay the fine or if you can appeal.
- How to spot a fake parking ticket.
The DVLA report that over 11 million parking tickets were issued last year, which is up by 29% year on year!1. So, you’re not alone in this situation.
Receiving a private parking fine can be frustrating. But don’t worry; we’re here to help you figure things out.
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 feeds, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.
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*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.
What Is a Notice to Keeper?
A notice to keeper, is sent to you by a private parking firm. It is to let you know that there is a parking charge being levied against you.
If your vehicle is tagged as having been parked illegally in a private parking facility, the private parking firm may be able to get your details from Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA).
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.2
Under the Protection of Freedoms Act3, the registered keeper of a vehicle can be contacted and may be responsible for paying the parking charge. Basically, you have three choices at this stage.
- Pay the parking charge.
- Provide details of the driver of the vehicle if it was not the keeper.
- Dispute the parking charge.
Must You Pay?
Where you might be able to get out of a formal Parking Charge Notice, such as avoiding paying a bus lane penalty notice by following the rules and regulations in place for doing so, a notice to keeper has no standardised process for challenging it.
The process for refuting the notice to keeper can and does differ across different private parking firms.
Private parking firms love to try strong-arm tactics to get you to pay up. As they know that the chances of them taking you to court and getting the payment that way are not very high. Better to get you to pay something now, even at a reduced rate, than risk the expense of losing legal proceedings.
This puts quite a bit of power in your hands. You can and should contact the parking company, and try to have the parking notice overturned, or make them an offer for settlement.
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.
What Do You Need To Do With a Notice to Keeper?
Firstly, understand that the keeper of the vehicle will likely be held responsible if the notice is simply ignored.
If you were not the driver at the time of the parking offence, you need to let the parking firm know, and provide them with the contact details of the person who was driving.
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
If you were the driver, don’t just ignore the notice. You should either pay it, or contact the private parking firm to challenge it. Remember, this is just a bill asking to pay a parking charge, this is not a legally binding document. You can negotiate with the parking firm.
You Must Identify the Driver
If a notice to keeper ends up in a court case, and you were not the driver, you may actually be breaking the law. This is because it is illegal to take responsibility for another person’s legal problems.
And in some cases, it can also be deemed illegal not to provide the name of the driver. Although this usually applies to a penalty charge notice and may not be the case for a notice to keeper.
However, if you were not driving, why would you not inform the parking firm of this? The driver should be paying the parking fee.
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The Anatomy of a Notice to Keeper
When you receive a notice to keeper, it will contain certain information, some of which is a legal requirement. The information it could contain includes:
- The licence number of the vehicle it relates to.
- Other vehicle info, such as make, model and colour.
- Where the car was parked.
- The time the parking offence took place.
- Inform the keeper that they are liable to pay the parking charge, and tell them how much.
- Make it clear whether the notice to keeper was attached to the vehicle or sent by post.
- Give a total of the parking charge and any other applicable fees.
- Ask the keeper to give information about the driver, if it was not them.
- Clearly show which company is managing the parking fee and notice to keeper.
- Details of any prompt payment incentive.
- A warning of the repercussions of not paying the notice.
- Details of the way to challenge the parking fee.
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.
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