Park Direct UK - Pay or Appeal?

Have you got a private parking fine from Park Direct UK? Wondering if you should pay up or try to appeal?

This is just the right place for you. Each month, over 130,000 people come to our site seeking guidance on fines and parking tickets.

Our article will provide simple and straight facts about:

Who Park Direct UK really are.
Whether you must pay Park Direct UK fines.
How you can appeal a Parking Charge Notice.
Important details about Park Direct UK.
Tips on tackling Park Direct UK 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. We’re here to help you out, offering plenty of useful advice and real examples to guide you.

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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Ask a question, get an answer ASAP!

*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.

Park Direct UK – Should You Pay or Appeal?

You have two options when you get a fine on private land. You either pay the fine or appeal it.

The one thing not to do is ignore that you were given a ticket. Things can quickly get much harder to settle when you do.

Plus, you could have a debt collector contact you when you ignore a Parking Charge Notice. The operator could start legal proceedings, and if they win, you could end up with a CCJ.

Can a parking charge notice be enforced?

You’d get a Parking Charge Notice when you park on private land and commit a parking violation.

However, these fines are not Penalty Charge Notices that the police and local authorities issue for parking infringements in public places.

A Parking Charge Notice is actually an invoice raised by the operator, such as Park Direct UK or Saba Parking Services, because you are deemed to have disregarded their Terms and Conditions.

Therefore, the operator cannot ‘demand’ payment from you legally.

However, if you ignore the fine or refuse to pay it, Park Direct UK could take you to court. If they win the case, a judge will issue a court order for you to pay the fine.

I recommend you either appeal the fine within 28 days or pay it. Never ignore one because there is the risk of being taken to court. Something to avoid as it could lead to you getting a CCJ on your credit history.

It will remain on your credit record for 6 years!

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

How do you argue a parking ticket?

Contact Park Direct UK as soon as possible. You have 28 days to appeal a Parking Charge Notice.

You must have a good reason to dispute the fine, although the operator may have mistakenly issued one.

If you believe any of the following applies to your case, I suggest you challenge the fine:

You have a valid reason for not returning to the car park before your ticket ran out. Maybe you had a young child with you, or you are disabled. You may be pregnant. The law in the UK does not allow for discrimination
A fine was sent in the post over 14 days after you parked in the car park
You did not break any rules, and your vehicle was not incorrectly parked
You could not pay because a machine was out of order
The operator charged you over £50
There were no clear signs, or they were not visible in the car park
You had broken down and had to wait for a recovery vehicle
You were only five or ten minutes late back to your car
No signs indicating surveillance cameras were in operation, yet you got the Parking Charge Notice in the post

Appeal Process Steps

I’ve put together this table that explains the steps you should take to appeal your parking ticket. If you want to learn more about the appeal process, be sure to check out our complete 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.

Although not necessary, proof to support an appeal will strengthen your case.

If possible, try to provide the following:

Receipts and documentation relating to the incident. This could be the invoice from a vehicle recovery service and correspondence you had with the operator. All of which would strengthen an appeal with the Independent Appeals Service, which in this instance would be POPLA
Photos of everything relating to the incident. This could be the lack of signs, road markings, Parking Charge Notice, broken payment machine and where you were parked
Witness statements if anyone can corroborate your story

You can appeal online, but you must provide the Parking Charge Notice number and your vehicle registration.

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.

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In partnership with Just Answer.

Does Park Direct UK have to give me a 10-minute grace period?

Yes, the operator must allow you a mandatory 10-minute grace period on returning to your car.

If an operator gives you a ticket before the 10 minutes is up, the fine should be cancelled.

Appeal rejected – what now?

If Park Direct doesn’t accept your appeal, you have the right to contact POPLA. Park Direct UK should provide you with information when they send their rejection letter.

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Should I pay a Park Direct UK fine?

When the fine is issued correctly and the operator follows the Code of Practice, you may have to pay the fine.

However, don’t automatically think you have to pay.

First, check if the fine was correctly issued and that the operator followed the BPA code of practice.

If you find the ticket was correctly issued, I suggest you pay it within 14 days of getting it. The amount is significantly reduced if you pay early.

After 14 days, you’ll have to pay the total amount!

Park Direct UK Contact Details

Address:	Park Direct Uk Ltd, Registered office: 1 High Street, Iver, SL0 9ND
Post:	PO BOX 4777, Iver, SL1 0BX
Phone:	0845 026 7155 09:30 – 17:00 Monday- Friday
Website:	https://parkdirectukltd.co.uk/