Spring Parking – Should You Pay or Appeal?
Have you got a private parking fine from Spring Parking and aren’t sure if you should pay or challenge it? You’ve come to the right place. Every month, over 130,000 people visit our site to get help with fines and parking tickets.
In this article, we’ll give you clear and easy facts about:
- Who Spring Parking Ltd is.
- What a Spring Parking fine or PCN means.
- If you must pay Spring Parking fines.
- How to challenge a Spring Parking fine.
- What happens if you don’t pay a Spring Parking fine.
Which? found that, despite 78% of members deeming private parking fines unfair, many don’t contest due to low confidence in appeal success.1 Don’t worry; we’re here to help you understand the process and deal with your fine.
Let’s get started!
Not sure what to write in your parking appeal?
You don’t need to start with a blank page.
We’ve created a free parking ticket appeal letter template that gives you a clear structure to follow.
Free editable parking appeal letter template from MoneyNerd.
Do you have to pay?
Even though a Spring Parking PCN isn’t a real penalty, you may still have to pay eventually because the company could escalate the debt recovery process and even take you to court. This could also make the fine more expensive.
Alternatively, you could avoid paying by appealing against the private parking ticket instead. We’ll discuss the details of making a Spring Parking appeal soon!
Should I accept or challenge it?
You’ll need to weigh up the strength of your appeal and the chance of it being accepted against the potential to receive a 40% discount.
Once you appeal you’ll lose access to the reduced fine, so this is what will influence your decision to pay or appeal. Thus, it’ll come down to your case and personal preferences.
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
How do you appeal a ticket?
You can make a Spring Hill PCN appeal directly to the company by providing them with your ‘representation’. This is a formal argument against the parking ticket with clear reasons and evidence to support your arguments when possible.
For example, you might argue that the ticket machine was out of order and show them an image you took of the machine not working on the day. Beware, some private car parks have signs saying don’t park if the machine isn’t working!
The appeal must be submitted within 28 days and sent to the Spring Parking email address or postal address, which can be found at the bottom of this page.
Appeal Process Steps
I’ve created this quick table to help you better understand the appeal process. If you want to learn more about your PCN or the appeal process, be sure to check out our detailed guides.
| 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. |
What’s Included in the Free Appeal Template
A clear structure
The template gives you a simple framework for putting your parking appeal together, so you don’t have to work out what to write from scratch.
What you’ll add
- Your parking charge details
- Why you’re appealing
- Any relevant evidence
- What you want the parking company to do
Easy to adapt
Just replace the sections in [square brackets] with the details of your own situation and edit the wording where needed.
You’ll get the template by email so you can save it, edit it and use it when you’re ready.
Free parking appeal letter template from MoneyNerd.
What if it’s rejected? One more chance!
If Spring Parking rejects your appeal they will write to you and let you know. They’ll also explain how you can take your appeal to an independent service for a second opinion and final decision.
You’ll be asked to forward your appeal to Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA). You can only escalate the appeal if Spring Parking has rejected your representation.
What happens if you don’t pay a fine?
If you don’t pay a Spring Parking fine, the company may send payment reminders, add late charges to the “fine” or even ask a debt collection agency to chase you for payment. These companies have no additional legal rights to recover the money than Spring Parking – and they’re certainly not bailiffs!
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
However, you could be sent a letter threatening court action if you don’t pay, also known as a Letter Before Action (LBA). Just like this motorist received after throwing away their Spring Parking PCN:
“I was advised by numerous people to throw it away and ignore any letters as it wasn’t issued by the council or the police. So for a while, that’s what I did, until the debt collection agencies started to write threatening me with court.”
-Trace5570 (Money Saving Expert Forum)
Due to the size of these fines, these letters are probably just (illegal) scare tactics to make you pay. If they make court threats they are supposed to be genuine, but they’re usually just trying to intimidate you into paying. Yet, there is always a chance that they could begin court action against you!
A judge would then issue an order forcing you to pay. Ignoring it could result in real bailiffs knocking at your door and more expensive debt.
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.
Free parking appeal letter template from MoneyNerd.
Ignore or Pay?
Even though Spring Parking or the debt collection agencies they use may be all bark and no bite, there is a risk of being taken to court.
For that reason, it’s arguably better to pay the reduced fine within 14 days rather than take the risk. But it’s a personal decision only you can make.
Another option is to appeal against the Spring Parking ticket using the correct process!
Spring Parking Contact Details
| Post: | Spring Parking Ltd, PO Box 77282, London, NW4 9LR |
| Phone: | 0845 496 7275 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| Website: | https://springparking.co.uk/ |
Ready to appeal your parking ticket?
Don’t start with a blank page.
Get our free parking ticket appeal letter template and use it as the starting point for your response.
Add the details of your parking charge, explain why you’re appealing and adapt the wording to your circumstances.
We’ll send the template straight to your email.
Free parking appeal letter template from MoneyNerd.
References
