Parking Ticket Lawyer – Do You Need One?

Have you received a private parking fine and are wondering if you should pay or appeal? This article will offer clear and simple advice. 

Every month, over 130,000 people visit our website to understand their fines and parking tickets. You are not alone.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

•  What a parking charge notice is.
•  Whether you must pay a parking charge.
•  How to appeal a parking charge.
•  Who is responsible for a parking ticket – the driver or owner?
•  How long a parking company has to respond to your appeal.

We know that private parking fines can be a real headache. But there’s no need to worry; we’re experienced in dealing with these sorts of issues and are here to help you navigate through them.

Do you need a lawyer?

You don’t have to get a parking ticket lawyer to make a parking ticket appeal. The vast majority of people appeal their parking tickets themselves. However, you might want to get parking ticket legal advice before deciding whether or not to appeal.

A parking ticket lawyer could tell you how likely it is that your appeal will be successful. They might explain why your appeal would be rejected, which would then allow you to pay the reduced fine within the first 14 days instead. 

Ultimately, it’s a personal decision but the cost of parking ticket legal advice could easily exceed the cost of the parking ticket.

UK Law

Private landowners are legally allowed to serve Parking Charge Notices to motorists who fail to pay for parking. Although they aren’t considered real fines, these cases can go to court where the Parking Charge Notice can be made enforceable by a judge.

However, for the parking company to win in court, they must have:

1. Adhered to all rules of operating the car park, such as displaying signs adequately
2. Offered a reduced fine if you pay within 14 days
3. Given you a ten-minute grace period AFTER your time runs out
4. Not fined you above the amount they are allowed to as stated by law, which has now been reduced to £50 or £70 depending on location

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

Who is responsible – driver or owner?

The car park operator must request the parking fine is paid by the person who was driving the vehicle. However, this can be difficult for the car park operator to know. 

They might only know the vehicle registration number, which only helps them find out the vehicle owner’s address. There may be cases when the person driving wasn’t the registered vehicle owner. 

If the car park operator only knows the registered vehicle owner, they are allowed to send the Parking Charge Notice to the vehicle owner due to the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. This is called Keeper Liability. 

But there’s something else you need to know!

Only car park operators that are members of an Accredited Trade Association (ATA) can request the vehicle owner’s address. So if the car park company isn’t a member they can only get your address if you tell them, which they might encourage if they left a notice on your vehicle. 

Can you appeal?

You have the right to appeal a private parking ticket within 28 days – the same amount of time you get to make the payment. 

Your appeal, which can also be known as a representation, must be made in writing. Some car park operators will ask you to send a letter, while others may accept written appeals via their website. 

The representation should state why you believe the Parking Charge Notice should be cancelled and accompanied by supporting evidence. We discuss some of the best reasons shortly.

But first, will you need a parking ticket lawyer to lodge your appeal?

What is the best excuse to appeal a fine?

Some of the most effective excuses to appeal a private parking ticket include:

1. You broke down
2. You were within the new grace period
3. The only payment machine wasn’t working
4. You were involved in a (medical) emergency

Excuses should be supported by appropriate evidence. 

Feel more confident before you send your appeal

Writing a parking appeal can be difficult when you’re not sure what to include or how to structure it.

Our free template gives you a clear starting point, helping you:

• Set out what happened clearly
• Explain why you’re disputing the charge
• Include the important details
• Avoid starting from a blank page

Simply adapt the template to your own circumstances before sending it.

Get my free appeal template

Free parking appeal letter template from MoneyNerd.

How long do they have to respond?

The parking company must respond to your appeal within 56 days of receiving your representation. If they fail to make a decision on the appeal by this deadline, they will have to accept your appeal and cancel the parking fine. 

Is there an ombudsman for parking fines?

You can escalate a rejected appeal by a parking company to an independent service, which could be considered a parking fine ombudsman. However, there isn’t just one independent service for escalated appeals. 

The independent service you must use will depend on which Accredited Trade Association the car park operator is a member of. 

If they are a member of the British Parking Association, you must escalate the appeal to Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA). But if they are a member of the International Parking Community (IPC), the appeal must be escalated to the Independent Appeals Service (IAS).