VCS Parking Fine – Should you Pay or Appeal?
Have you received a VCS parking fine and are wondering whether to pay it or appeal? You’ve come to the right place. Each month, over 130,000 people visit our website looking for guidance on fines and parking tickets.
In this friendly guide, we’ll share simple and useful information about:
- Who VCS Parking are
- Why you might get a VCS parking fine
- If you must pay VCS parking fines
- How to appeal a VCS parking fine
- What happens when you ignore a VCS Parking fine
We know that getting a private parking fine can be a real headache. You might find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone, as over 19,000 parking fines are issued each day in the UK.1
Don’t worry, we’re here to help. This guide is full of handy tips and examples to help you decide whether to pay or appeal your VCS parking fine.
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.
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*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.
Should you pay a VCS Parking fine immediately?
You could pay the parking fine immediately but not before you’re happy it was correctly issued.
I suggest you do the following before paying the amount:
- Were you allowed a 10-minute grace period before the operator issued the fine? I was recently featured in The Sun2 to help educate people around the 10-minute grace period. This means you can’t be fined if you overstayed by 10 minutes or less.
- Are the details on the parking fine in your name
- Did you get the parking ticket in the post, and was it within 2 weeks of the parking violation
- Was the fine issued as per the Code of Practice?
You should follow the operator’s appeal process to challenge the parking ticket if you believe any of the above apply. But, first, make sure you have enough evidence to support your appeal.
Appeal Process Steps
As mentioned above, you can appeal your parking fine if you believe it was unfairly issued. It’s essential to understand this process to tackle any obstacles efficiently.
That’s why, I’ve created this table outlining the steps of the appeal process. If you want to learn more, don’t forget to read our complete 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. |
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.
What happens when you ignore a VCS Parking fine?
A parking fine on private land is not enforceable, to begin with. As stated, only a court can order you to pay. But an operator can start legal proceedings to recover the amount.
When you ignore the fine and any correspondence you’re sent, they’ll first send lots of payment reminders. Things escalate when you continue to ignore the reminders.
The operator will pass your information on to a debt collection agency. Then, you’ll have to deal with them. Plus, you could incur further costs. Moreover, civil enforcement agents (bailiffs) could visit you at home. But not before warning you that they intend on doing so.
You could then receive a Letter Before Action (LBA). I strongly recommend you don’t ignore the letter because it means legal action is about to begin against you. The court could register a CCJ on your credit history.
I suggest you don’t ignore things but stay in touch with the operator. You should either pay the fine or appeal it. But don’t ignore it!
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.
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In partnership with Just Answer.
How do you appeal a VCS Parking fine?
You can appeal a VCS Parking fine through the operator’s portal. You’ll have to provide the following information:
- Car registration details
- Parking ticket reference number
You must file your appeal online within 21 days of being given a VCS Parking fine and have valid grounds.
Note: No further action is taken once your appeal is filed. That is until a decision is made to reject or uphold your challenge.
What happens if your VCS Parking fine gets rejected?
When a VCS Parking fine is rejected, you’re sent a Letter of Rejection which contains details on how to file an appeal to the Independent Appeals Service (IAS).
Note: You won’t be able to lodge an appeal with the IAS unless you’ve received a Letter of Rejection from VCS Parking.
Will VCS Parking take you to court if you don’t pay the parking fine?
Yes. VCS Parking could take you to court over an unpaid parking ticket. I suggest you appeal the parking fine within the time limit or pay it within 14 days to pay the lower amount!
» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer
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