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NSGL Parking – Should you Pay or Appeal?

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By
Scott
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Scott Nelson

Managing Director

MoneyNerd’s founder, Scott Nelson, has a decade of financial industry experience, including 6 years in FCA regulated loan and credit card companies. Troubled by a lack of conscience in the industry, he founded MoneyNerd to give genuine advice to those in debt and struggling financially.

Learn more about Scott
&
Janine
Janine Marsh Profile Picture

Janine Marsh

Financial Expert

Janine Marsh is an award-winning presenter and a valuable member of the MoneyNerd team. With a wealth of experience as a financial expert, she's been featured on BBC Radio 4, BBC Local Radio, and BBC Five Live, and is a regular on Co-op Radio.

Learn more about Janine
· Mar 4th, 2024
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Did you get an NSGL Parking fine and feel unsure about paying it or making an appeal? You’ve come to the right place. Each month, over 130,000 people visit our website looking for guidance on fines and parking tickets.

This article will offer you simple and clear guidance on:

  •  Who NSGL Parking is.
  •  The matter of paying NSGL Parking fines.
  •  The process of appealing a Parking Charge Notice.
  •  Understanding private parking fines and their enforcement.

Which? found that even though 78% of its members consider private parking fines unfair, many don’t contest them due to low confidence in appeal success.1

Don’t worry! Whether you’re thinking of paying the fine or making an appeal, we’re here to provide you with the information you need.

Let’s get started!

Do You Have to Pay?

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.

Chat below to get started with JustAnswer

In partnership with Just Answer.

NSGL Parking – Should You Pay or Appeal?

When you get a ticket on private land, you should pay the fine or appeal it.

However, don’t think you have to pay the fine straight away. First, find out whether the operator issued it correctly.

If you think the penalty was given unfairly, I suggest you appeal the fine. But make sure you do so promptly!

Do NOT ignore the fine or any correspondence you get from NSGL parking.

The situation can turn nasty quite quickly. Debt collectors may get involved, or the operator could start proceedings against you. There’s no guarantee they won’t!

Can a private parking fine be enforced?

A private parking fine is only enforceable when a court orders you to pay it.

Unlike a Penalty Charge Notice, an operator cannot legally ask you to pay it. They can threaten court action, and they can refer your details to a debt collection agency, though!

I highly recommend you don’t let things get that far.

Either pay the fine because it is justified or appeal it by contacting NSGL within 28 days. Or contest it! Of course, the earlier you appeal, the sooner the matter is resolved!

Remember, you should never ignore a fine issued on private land, and don’t ignore official court letters either. Things can get very messy when you do! You’ll have to pay when there’s a court ruling to pay the fine. 

Plus, you’ll have a county court judgement (CCJ) on your credit history for 6 years!

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

How do you argue a parking ticket?

Get in touch with NSGL within 28 days. Sooner if you can.

The deadline is 28 days, but the sooner you get an appeal to the operator, the quicker a decision is made.

First, however, you must have a good excuse for the appeal, which could be any of the following:

  • No surveillance signs were in the car park, yet you received the fine in the mail
  • You got the fine in the post, only it was over 14 days after you allegedly committed a parking infringement
  • You did not break any rules
  • No signs or road markings are in the car park. They were hidden or faded and therefore not clear
  • You got back late because you are pregnant, had a young child with you, or are disabled. It is against the law in the UK for anyone to be discriminated against!
  • The fine was over £50 – this is the maximum a private operator can charge!
  • Payment machines were out of order
  • You were waiting for a vehicle recovery truck because your car had broken down
  • You got the ticket, but you were less than ten minutes late getting back to the car park – more on this below!

If you can provide proof to support an appeal, your case will be stronger. However, you are not obliged to provide evidence. It just makes for a stronger appeal.

The sort of things you could provide are:

  • All correspondence and receipts relating to the parking fine
  • Photos of where you were parked, the payment machine, the signs and road markings and the ticket you got
  • Statements from witnesses if there were any

You can appeal online or appeal in writing to the operator. But you cannot appeal over the phone or in person.

Also, you’ll need to provide the number of the parking fine and your car details. 

Appeal Process Steps

Here’s a quick table that explains the appeal process. If you’d like to learn more about your parking ticket or the steps you should take to make an appeal, be sure to read our detailed guides.

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.

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.

Get legal help

In partnership with Just Answer.

What is a 10-minute grace period?

All BPA members must abide by the Code of Practice which includes giving motorists a ten minute grace period.

If a fine is issued 5 minutes after your time on a meter is up, the operator must cancel the penalty. This is a mandatory requirement!

What happens if you don’t pay private parking ticket UK?

The fine you receive is not a Penalty Charge Notice, even though it’s designed to look like one!

Also, a parking ticket you get on is not a criminal issue.

It is an invoice from the operator telling you to pay a fine to avoid being taken to court. It is a civil matter between the operator and a motorist.

Getting the support of a Solicitor can take a huge weight off your mind.

Get started

Reviews shown are for JustAnswer.

How do you appeal a Parking Charge Notice?

The first thing to do is contact NSGL and appeal your ticket. You have 28 days to do so.

If the operator rejects the appeal, they must tell you. They must also provide details on how to appeal to POPLA. 

Note: It costs you nothing to appeal to the operator and POPLA.

Should you pay an NSGL fine?

Before paying an NSGL fine, make sure it is yours and that it was given correctly.

Never assume the fine must be paid until you are totally satisfied it is justified.

Do this as soon as possible and within 14 days. That way, you pay the reduced amount rather than the total amount!

NSGL Parking Contact Details

Address: NSGL Parking, Unit 17, Twigworth Court, Tewkesbury Road, Gloucester, GL2 9PG
Phone: 03333 201 858
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.nsglparking.co.uk/

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

Get started

In partnership with Just Answer.

References

  1. Which? – The rise of private parking fines
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The authors
Scott Nelson Profile Picture
Author
MoneyNerd’s founder, Scott Nelson, has a decade of financial industry experience, including 6 years in FCA regulated loan and credit card companies. Troubled by a lack of conscience in the industry, he founded MoneyNerd to give genuine advice to those in debt and struggling financially.
Janine Marsh Profile Picture
Appeals Expert
Janine Marsh is an award-winning presenter and a valuable member of the MoneyNerd team. With a wealth of experience as a financial expert, she's been featured on BBC Radio 4, BBC Local Radio, and BBC Five Live, and is a regular on Co-op Radio.