PPS Parking – Should You Pay or Appeal?
Have you received a PPS parking fine and are unsure about what to do next? You’re not alone! Every month, over 130,000 people visit our website seeking advice on parking fines and tickets, and considering that over 19,000 parking fines are issued each day in the UK1, it’s not surprising!
In this friendly guide, we’ll discuss:
- What PPS parking is.
- The cost of a PPS fine.
- If you need to pay PPS parking fines.
- How to appeal a PPS parking fine.
- What happens if your appeal is denied.
Receiving a private parking fine can cause worries. We get it — that’s why we’re here to support you. We have lots of handy tips and examples to help you navigate the process.
So let’s delve into the world of PPS parking – should you pay or appeal? Read on to find out.
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.
Chat below to get started with JustAnswer
*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 PPS Parking Fines?
In many circumstances, you could appeal your PPS fine.
It’s a bit sneaky, but last time I had a parking fine I paid £5 for a trial to chat with an online solicitor called JustAnswer.
Not only did I save £50 on solicitor fees, I also won my case and didn’t have to pay my £271 fine.
Click here to get the trial offer with JustAnswer.
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
Do you have to pay private parking fines UK?
You don’t have to pay a private parking ticket until you’re told to by a judge who will issue a court order. This is because private parking tickets are put into the same category as invoices – not fines. To enforce an invoice, the company must take you to court and win the case.
If PPS Parking was to win in court and you continued to refuse payment, they could then use debt enforcement action, such as employing bailiffs. If this was to happen, the bailiff fees would be added to your debt, making you owe considerably more.
However, not all is lost. 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.
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.
But, will PPS Parking take you to court?
Nobody knows for certain whether PPS Parking will take you to court. Even if they don’t plan on initiating court action against you, there’s a strong chance they will make it sound like they will.
Many car park operators send Letters Before Action or get debt collection groups to do it for them. These letters state that legal action will be pursued if you don’t pay the parking ticket. But they might be bluffing to scare you into paying.
Some people will tell you to ignore a PPS Parking fine and you’ll get away with it. You might. But this isn’t certain and you could be taken to court. So if you want to absolutely avoid any risk of legal action, you would have to pay or appeal the ticket.
Appealing a PPS Parking fine
You have a right to appeal a PPS Parking “fine” within 28 days. You cannot appeal over the phone and must put it in writing, either by sending a letter or an email, as explained here. The same link provides the PPS Parking appeal form.
You should submit an appeal that clearly states one or multiple reasons why you think the parking ticket isn’t fair. You may need to attach evidence to support these reasons.
PPS Parking will have up to 56 days to accept or reject the appeal. If they don’t respond within those eight weeks, the appeal is accepted automatically due to missing the deadline.
To help you understand the appeal process better, he’s a quick table.
| 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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What happens if your appeal gets denied?
If PPS Parking rejects the appeal you don’t have to give up the fight. You can escalate the appeal to POPLA, which is a free appeals service and is completely independent of PPS Parking.
POPLA is working hard to address issues that cause unfair parking fees. Main issues are often with technology and third party ticket issuers.2
There may be a deadline to escalate the appeal and full instructions should be supplied at the same time that PPS Parking sends their initial appeal rejection.
How much does a PPS fine cost?
A PPS Parking Charge Notice can currently cost up to £100 or £60 if the offending driver pays within 14 days. This is because there are caps in place but the car park operator must offer at least a 40% discount for paying swiftly.
However, a new cap is coming into effect at some time in 2023. The new law will cap Parking Charge Notices at £50 in most cases. They may be slightly more expensive in London. The discount will also be applied to these less expensive parking tickets.
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.
Private Parking Solutions reviews
PPS Parking has received quite a few reviews on Trustpilot. Unfortunately for them, these reviews don’t cover the business in glory. But this is quite common in the industry, with many reviewers feeling frustrated – rightfully or wrongfully – about receiving a parking ticket. Here are some examples:
“This company are nothing but greedy thieves. I park in a parking space regulated by them with (a) the full knowledge of the owner and (b) a PPS permit given to me by the owner of the space. PPS nevertheless go ahead and issue a parking charge notice saying the permit is not displayed correctly.”
- William K (Trustpilot review)
“Rude rude rude. The guy called Robert manning the phone line, calling me a liar, not letting me talk. […] THIEVES.”
- S R (Trustpilot review)
References
