Secure Parking Solutions – Should you Pay or Appeal

Have you got a parking fine from Secure Parking Solutions? Not sure if you should pay or appeal? This is just the place for you. 

Every month, over 130,000 people visit our website for help with fines and parking tickets. So, you’re not alone. 

In this article, we’ll provide clear and simple information on:

•  If you have to pay Secure Parking Solutions fines.
•  Whether private parking charges can be enforced.
•  Who is responsible for a Parking Charge Notice.
•  Reasons why you might not have to pay.
•  The best reasons to appeal a parking ticket.

Which? found that, despite 78% of members deeming private parking fines unfair, many don’t contest due to low confidence in appeal success.¹ But don’t worry; we’ve got lots of helpful tips and examples to guide you through the process.

What is the best excuse to appeal a parking ticket?

A Parking Charge Notice is a civil matter. Unlike a Penalty Charge Notice, a private landowner or operator must start legal proceedings to recover the money from you. However, there are times when appealing a Parking Charge Notice is definitely worth considering.

Private operators must follow the Code of Practice when they are BPA members. Secure Parking Solutions is a member of the association. If any of the following applies to your case, you may want to appeal the fine:

• The Parking Charge Notice was sent to you over 14 days after the alleged offence
• You were parked correctly
• Bay markings and car park signs were not clearly visible
• The Parking Charge Notice was over £100
• You were not the driver when the Parking Charge Notice was issued
• You couldn’t get back to your car in time for a valid reason
• Your vehicle broke down, and you were waiting for assistance
• A 10-minute grace period was not given before the ticket was issued

It’s also noteworthy that you could challenge the fine if you get a Parking Charge Notice in the mail, but the car park did not have signs saying there was CCTV or ANPR in operation.

What is the BPA grace period?

Since 2015, the BPA Code of Practice has established a 10-minute grace period in its guidelines. As a BPA member, Secure Parking Solutions must abide by this rule. At the end of a parking period, you’re allowed 10 minutes extra before an operator can issue a Parking Charge Notice.

It’s a mandatory grace period that all BPA members must follow!

You can contest the fine by filing an appeal when you get a ticket and are not given the 10 minutes extra. Plus, filing an informal appeal costs you nothing and must be done before taking the matter to a tribunal!

Secure Parking Solutions parking charge notice appeal process

You have 28 days to appeal a Parking Charge Notice with a private operator. You must have the following information when you file your appeal with Secure Parking Solutions:

• The ticket number
• Your reason for challenging the ticket
• Witness statement (if you have one)

You should also send the appeal by registered post! Secure Parking Solutions is a British Parking Association (BPA) member. They must, as such, abide by the BPA appeals process. The Parking Charge Notice will be cancelled if the operator upholds your appeal. However, consider appealing through POPLA if the operator rejects your appeal.

If you feel overwhelmed by the appeal process, don’t worry! I’ve put together this quick table that will help you better understand the steps you should take. For more information, please read our detailed guide.

Worth noting:

Under paragraphs 2 to 12 of Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, the law covering the recovery of Parking Charge Notices only requires an operator to:

• Give notice to the Keeper of the vehicle
• To tell the driver, and
• Give the notice to them

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Are private parking charges enforceable?

Parking Charge Notices are not official fines. Instead, they are invoices raised by private companies for breaches in their contracts. You agree to their rules every time you park a vehicle in a private car park. These rules must be visible on the car park signs.

Private parking operators don’t have the right to legally ‘demand’ a payment from you.

Moreover, Secure Parking Solutions may issue a ticket for minor offences, and if they don’t follow the Code of Practice, you should challenge the fine!

The fine is not enforceable until the case goes to court and a judge orders you to pay. But when you think it’s wrong, follow the appeal’s process. Secure Parking Solutions is a BPA member, and therefore, you have the right to appeal a ticket. Plus, it’s free to file an informal appeal!

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Can you get taken to court for a parking ticket?

When you don’t pay a Parking Charge Notice and don’t file an appeal, the operator could take you to court. When they do, and they win, you’ll have to pay the fine. My advice is ‘don’t ignore a Parking Charge Notice!’

Worth noting: A private parking operator is liable for their solicitors’ costs no matter the outcome! Plus, it is not always commercially viable for parking companies to pursue a defended claim.

Secure Parking Solutions Contact Details

References

1. Which? – The rise of private parking fines