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Premier Park Parking Charge Notice – Pay or Ignore?

Scott Nelson MoneyNerd Janine Marsh MoneyNerd
By
Scott
Scott Nelson MoneyNerd

Scott Nelson

Debt Expert

Scott Nelson is a renowned debt expert who supports people in debt with debt management and debt solution resources.

Learn more about Scott
&
Janine
Janine Marsh MoneyNerd

Janine Marsh

Financial Expert

Janine is a financial expert who supports individuals with debt management, cost-saving resources, and navigating parking tickets.

Learn more about Janine
· May 22nd, 2024
Fight back against parking tickets with JustAnswer, get legal guidance now!

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Premier Park Parking Charge Notice

Have you received a Premier Park Parking Charge Notice and are unsure whether to pay it or appeal?

You’ve come to the right place. Every month, over 130,000 people visit our website seeking advice on fines and parking tickets.

This article will provide you with simple, easy-to-understand information on:

  •  What Premier Park Ltd is.
  •  The difference between a PCN and a parking charge.
  •  If we must pay Premier Parking fines.
  •  What a Premier Park Parking Charge Notice means.
  •  Tips on avoiding parking fines.

The DVLA report that over 11 million parking tickets were issued last year, which is up by 29% year on year!1. So, you’re not alone in this situation.

We know how upsetting it can be to get a private parking fine. But don’t worry; we have a wealth of helpful tips and examples to guide you through the process.

Most 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 fees, 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.

What is a Premier Park Parking Charge Notice?

As part of their enforcement services, Premier Park can issue parking tickets to drivers who use their clients’ car parks but don’t pay or who overstay.

These parking tickets are known as Parking Charge Notices and are one type of parking tickets in the UK. The Parking Charge Notice could be left on the vehicle, but more often they are sent in the post

Premier Park uses specialist cameras that track vehicles using their number plates.

When a driver is identified as committing a parking contravention on camera, they can use the number plate to retrieve their address from the DVLA – or specifically, the registered vehicle keeper’s home address.

They can only do this because they are a member of an ATA, namely the British Parking Association (BPA). 

Can You ignore them?

You shouldn’t ignore Premier Park because you could end up being taken to court, which will incur additional costs.

You might read stories online of people ignoring private car park fines and getting away with it, but this isn’t guaranteed and it’s risky.  Check out the message posted by one motorist on a popular online forum.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

Can they enforce a Parking Charge Notice?

Parking Charge Notices aren’t considered official fines.

They are instead seen as invoices received from a company for a service provided. You agree to this service by entering and using the car park.

The invoice can only be enforced if Premier Parking takes you to court and win.

You technically don’t have to pay until a judge orders you to do so. But going to court and further action will incur further fees

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 started

In partnership with Just Answer.

This forum user describes their experience after not paying Premier Parking:

“We had a letter off PremierPark dated 9th July 2019, stating as you have failed to pay so this has now been sent to our legal team BW legal. Same dated letter off BW legal, pay up within 14 days or we will start legal proceedings. […].”

  • John306 (Money Saving Expert Forum)

BW Legal is actually a debt collection agency that also offers legal services.

They could help Premier Parking take you to court and recover the debt, but they aren’t bailiffs.

So this is evidence that Premier Parking are willing to go to court over unpaid parking fines.

How to appeal their parking ticket

Janine, our financial expert, advises to formally appeal a parking ticket within 28 days of receipt, providing evidence such as a photo of your car’s registration number if the PCN is incorrect.

Your appeal must state why you wish the ticket cancelled and you should provide evidence

For example, you could argue that Premier Park cannot issue you a ticket because you overstayed by fewer than ten minutes (there is a rule stating that you must be given a ten-minute grace period). 

Make sure you follow the parking fine appeals process in the UK the operator sets out.

Read other parking ticket appeal excuses here

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

Appeal Process Steps

POPLA is working hard to address issues that cause unfair parking fees. Main issues are often with technology and third party ticket issuers.

So if you believe the ticket was unfairly issued, you have the option to appeal. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the appeal process. If you’d like to learn more about the actions involved, make sure to read our specialized 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.

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

Get started

Reviews shown are for JustAnswer.

What if your appeal gets rejected?

As Premier Park is a member of the British Parking Association, rejected appeals can be escalated to a free independent service which will judge your appeal one last time and make a decision.

This service is called Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA).

Premier Park Ltd will inform you of how to lodge POPLA appeals at the time of rejecting your initial appeal with them. 

How much is the fine?

Premier Park is restricted on how much they can fine drivers for a parking contravention.

Currently, the cap on a Premier Park Parking ticket fine is set at £100 but this could change.

New laws are due to come into effect at some time in 2023 or later which will reduce these fines to a maximum of £50. As well as these caps, private parking operators must offer the individual a reduced fine if they accept guilt and pay within 14 days.

They usually reduce the fine by 40%-60% if you pay this quickly. It will state on the ticket how much you can save. 

How can you contact Premier Parking?

We have listed the Premier Park Ltd contact information in the table below.

General enquiries: 0800 145 5171
PCN appeals: http://appeals.premierpark.co.uk/
Pay PCN online: http://www.pcnpayments.com/
Pay by phone: 01302 513232

Discover more useful information and tips to deal with private parking fines in our Parking Charge Notice guide where you’ll get answers to other frequently asked questions and much more!

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. RAC Foundation – Parking Tickets Statistics
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The authors
Scott Nelson MoneyNerd
Author
Scott Nelson is a renowned debt expert who supports people in debt with debt management and debt solution resources.
Janine Marsh MoneyNerd
Appeals Expert
Janine is a financial expert who supports individuals with debt management, cost-saving resources, and navigating parking tickets.