Total Parking Solutions – Should I Pay or Appeal?

Have you received a private parking fine from Total Parking Solutions and are not sure if you should pay or appeal?

You’re in the right place. Every month, more than 130,000 people visit our website for advice on fines and parking tickets.

In this article, you’ll find simple and clear information on:

•  If and when you should pay Total Parking Solutions fines.
•  The process of appealing a Total Parking Solutions fine.
•  Useful tips on dealing with a parking fine.

We understand how frustrating a private parking fine can be. But you’re not alone. In fact, over 19,000 parking fines are issued each day in the UK¹.

Don’t worry; we’re here to help you figure out your next steps.

Do you have to pay a Parking Charge Notice from Total Parking Solutions?

You might end up having to pay a PCN from Total Parking Solutions, but the money only has to be paid when a court order has been issued.

It’s completely legal for Total Parking Solutions to send people a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) for a parking contravention.

But it’s just as important to know what a PCN really is.

They’re more like invoices than fines. The invoice can be enforced if Total Parking Solutions takes you to court and wins.

The parking charge notice process

If you use a car park managed by Total Parking Solutions and:

1. Don’t register the vehicle when supposed to
2. Don’t pay when supposed to
3. Stay longer than 10 minutes after your ticket expires
4. Drive around the car park for longer than 10 minutes then leave without paying
5. Don’t park in a designated parking bay

You could be sent a Total Parking Solutions fine, better known as a private parking ticket or Parking Charge Notice. 

These are some of the common reasons for Total Parking Solutions fines being issued.

A private parking fine will be left on your vehicle or sent in the post. If you pay within 14 days you’ll get at least a 40% discount. 

At the time of writing, they cost up to £100.

But from 2023 the law will prevent firms like Total Parking Solutions from charging more than £50 in a lot of cases. 

Appeal Process Steps

If you believe the ticket was unfairly issued, you have the option to appeal.

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.

Here’s a table that explains the main steps involved in the appeal process. For more information, be sure to check out our detailed guide.

When	Action
On receiving a council PCN	Read the notice, keep it, gather evidence and note all payment and challenge deadlines.
Windscreen or handed-to-driver PCN	An informal challenge may be available before the Notice to Owner. Early challenge can preserve a discount under the authority’s policy; 14 days is not a universal final appeal deadline.
Postal PCN or Notice to Owner	Normally make formal representations within 28 days as stated on the notice. Do not assume there is an extra informal stage.
Representations rejected	The Notice of Rejection explains how to appeal to the appropriate independent tribunal, normally within 28 days.
Appeal unsuccessful	Pay by the deadline given in the decision or obtain advice on any available review. Further statutory charges can follow if you do neither.
Other ticket type	Private parking charges and FPNs use different procedures; follow the actual notice.

Further guidance: Traffic Penalty Tribunal; Citizens Advice.

As members of the BPA, you can escalate the appeal for free to POPLA if desired. The decision to pay or appeal should be made on a case-by-case basis.

Consider your reasons and evidence before appealing. You may prefer to pay the reduced Total Parking Solutions fine within 14 days.

What happens if you don’t pay?

The consequences of ignoring a PCN could lead to more stress and anxiety.

Total Parking Solutions is likely to send a Letter Before Action if you don’t pay a PCN within 28 days. These are letters to make you aware that not paying will result in legal proceedings.

You’ll be summoned to court and have to contest the parking ticket in front of a judge. 

Sometimes the Letter Before Action will be sent by a Debt Collection Agency on behalf of Total Parking Solutions.

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Will Total Parking Solutions take you to court?

The jury is still out on whether Total Parking Solutions will really take you to court.

So, the likelihood of court action over parking fines shouldn’t be ignored.

Many parking companies do take legal action and eventually get their money. But some also make empty legal threats as a scare tactic.

They may hope you’ll get worried about court proceedings and give in and pay the money.

Check out what happened to one motorist who got a Total Parking Solution ticket.

Source: Moneysavingexpert

There’s absolutely no way of knowing for sure, so you’ll need to pay the PCN if you want to 100% avoid legal action. 

If they don’t take you to court and you keep ignoring their letters, there’s also a chance you will never have to pay the PCN.

But in my experience, this is considered a high-risk strategy.

If you go to court there may be more fees to pay. And if you end up facing bailiffs, you’ll have a lot more to pay. 

Tips for appealing a parking fine

I suggest you gather as much evidence to support an appeal as you can.

Although you don’t need to provide evidence, the more you can provide, the stronger your case could be.

The sort of evidence you could provide with your appeal is:

• Witness statements

• Photos of unclear signage and road markings

• Photos of where your vehicle was parked

• Photos of the ticket you purchased to use the car park

• Receipts from a garage if your vehicle had broken down

• Proof an emergency prevented you from getting back to your vehicle on time

• Proof the parking charge was issued before the 10-minute grace had expired

Also, don’t overlook the importance of timeliness in parking fine appeals because if you miss them, your lose the right to challenge a Parking Charge Notice.

Total Parking Solutions contact details

I’ve include the contact details for Total Parking Solutions in the table below.

Address:	Total Parking Solutions Ltd  Unit 3 Kings Court Kettering Venture Park  Kettering NN15 6WJ
Email:	[email protected]
Tel number:	01536 680107
Total Parking Solutions online appeal:	www.parkingappeal.co.uk
Online payment:	https://www.totalparking.co.uk/online-payments
Website:	https://www.totalparking.co.uk/about-us

References

1. Sky News — Parking Tickets Statistics