NSL Parking – Should I Pay or Appeal?
If you have received a private parking fine from NSL Parking and are not sure if you should pay or appeal, this is the perfect article for you.
Each month, over 130,000 people visit our website for guidance on fines and parking tickets, so rest assured, you are not alone in this.
This article will provide easy-to-understand information about:
- Who NSL Parking is.
- Whether you need to pay NSL Parking fines.
- How to appeal an NSL Parking fine.
- What could happen if you don’t pay NSL Parking.
- Tips to beat NSL 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
But don’t worry; we’re here to help you navigate through this confusion and guide you through the process.
56% of 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. In partnership with Just Answer.
Do you have to pay an NSL PCN?
NSL has the right to serve Parking Charge Notices to drivers who don’t pay for parking or break other conditions of using the car park.
When you enter one of the car parks they manage, there should be signage to explain that you automatically agree to their terms and conditions by using the car park.
Thus, not paying means you have broken an unwritten agreement with NSL Parking.
However, a Parking Charge Notice is not considered a real parking fine. They are considered to be more like an invoice.
You’ve received an invoice from NSL for a service they provided, which costs more than it otherwise would have if you paid beforehand.
You are only forced to pay the PCN if you’re subject to a court order telling you to do so. Does that mean NSL Parking will take you to court if you don’t pay? Find out below.
Should you pay or appeal an NSL PCN?
The decision to pay or appeal is a personal one based on individual circumstances surrounding the PCN.
If you decide to pay, try and pay within 14 days because NSL PArking must offer you at least a 40% discount!
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 happens if you don’t pay NSL Parking?
Expect more letters and possibly late fees if you don’t pay NSL Parking.
They’ll usually give you 28 days to pay the fine before contacting you again. They might send you a Letter Before Action, which is an important step in the debt recovery process.
Because NSL is connected to Marston Holdings – a debt collector – your details could be passed to the debt recovery department of Marston Holdings instead. If this happens, the Letter Before Action may be sent by this department.
These letters give you a final chance to pay or suggest they will take you to court to get a judge to make you pay.
This might be a genuine legal threat. Or it could be just a scare tactic.
If you don’t pay and subsequently receive a court summons, you’ll know the legal threat is real. At this point, you could pay the debt or let the matter go to court. If you lose in court the judge will ask you to pay.
Bailiffs could be used if you fail to pay the debt after a court order has been issued.
Using bailiffs is expensive for NSL Parking, but their fees get added to your debt.
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
How do you appeal an NSL PCN?
Another option is to appeal your NSL PCN.
You can do this by following the appel instructions on the parking ticket. Appeals usually have to be made within 28 days and they must be put in writing. You should not pay the fine and then appeal it.
Once you pay you have accepted liability so your appeal wouldn’t be considered.
A PCN appeal, which might be called a representation, is a way for you to formally argue against the decision to issue you a PCN.
You should do so by stating a valid and honest reason why the PCN was unfairly served. You might need to support any arguments you make with evidence.
For example, you might argue that you were involved in an emergency situation which prevented you from returning to your vehicle in time. You may need a police report or doctor’s letter to make such a claim.
Read about the best excuses and the not-so-good-ones to appeal a PCN here.
Appeal Process Steps
Understanding the appeal process is crucial to increase your chances of success. Here’s a table that explains all the steps you should take. If you want to learn more, please read our detailed 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. |
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NSL Parking appeal rejected!
NSL has as many as 56 days to respond to the appeal. If it’s accepted you won’t have to pay a penny. But what happens if it’s rejected?
When your PCN appeal gets rejected, you can either back down and pay or take your appeal further.
You could appeal to POPLA, which is an independent and free service which will look at your appeal one more time.
They make the final call and could tell NSL to cancel the ticket.
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
In partnership with Just Answer.
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