A motoring expert and consumer champion has explained how to get parking tickets dropped if you’ve been unfairly hit with a fine.
The cost of a parking ticket can range anywhere from £50 to £130, depending on which part of the UK you’re living in.
To help you judge whether you've been unfairly fined, we spoke to Scott Dixon, owner of thegrumpygit.com website and blog, to highlight the most common ways drivers have been able to successfully appeal fines.
He said: "Parking tickets issued by local authorities (Penalty Charge Notices) are issued for breaching parking rules on public roads and highways and are legally enforceable.
"That does not mean that you can ignore a private parking invoice. If you do, you risk having the invoice escalating, being passed on to debt collectors and a County Court Judgement (CCJ) being issued against you.
"CCJs can seriously impact your credit rating and access to loans and mortgage for years to come."
Common ways drivers get tickets cancelled
If you’re planning on challenging a ticket issued by the council, you shouldn’t pay the fine until you’ve received the outcome of an appeal.
However, if you've been clamped or towed away then you would need to pay first to get your motor released and then appeal afterwards.
In some cases, parking fines issued by local authorities can be reduced by around 50% if you pay within 14 days.
Most councils will still let you pay this discounted rate if you’ve appealed and then lost, but read the small print of your fine carefully as this can vary across the UK.
You’ll usually be given 28 days to pay before the penalty charge increases.
Scott explains the most common ways drivers have been able to get unfair tickets cancelled:
Road signs were hidden: You need to be given sufficient guidance to make an informed decision, and obscured or hidden signs and invisible road markings cannot do that.
Road signs must be clearly visible to a set and prescribed criteria.
You entered the wrong number plate: Mistakes happen, so if you have input your car registration number incorrectly into a machine and are issued with a fine, proof of payment is all that is required to cancel it.
ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras do not take into account disabilities such as dyslexia, which is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
Have you been able to successfully challenge a parking ticket? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
The meter was broken: Broken meters mean you cannot be fined either.
Ensure you take a photo of a meter if it is broken and put a note on your dashboard if possible.
Your vehicle had broken down: If your vehicle has broken down, or you were legally loading or unloading your vehicle, you can appeal on this basis.
This same goes if some sort of emergency has taken place.
You were minutes out of time: This points to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which has a fairness test.
You need to be given sufficient time to read any Terms and Conditions on signs before you choose to enter into a contract.
Up to 10 minutes grace period is considered acceptable.
How to appeal local authority parking ticket
If you believe you've been unfairly fined, how you go about appealing depends on the type of ticket you received.
This process involves writing a letter to the authority explaining why you believe you've been unfairly fined, including any supporting evidence you may have.
Make sure you send off your informal challenge within 14 days as most authorities will still allow you to pay the fine at a reduced rate if you're unsuccessful.
If your informal challenge is unsuccessful, you can appeal it through an official process.
You should receive a Notice to Owner (NTO) in the post which will demand the full payment for the fine and forms to start an official appeal process.
Fill out these forms and send it to the address it on your letter. Again, provide supporting evidence to back up your claim.
The local authority has 56 days from receiving your appeal to respond, or you win by default.
NTOs will also be sent to those who have ignored the fine altogether, and this is how the fine process starts if you've received a parking ticket through the post.
If your formal appeal wasn't successful, you'll be sent a "Notice of Rejection of Representations" letter, and a form called a "Notice of Appeal".
This form will allow you to challenge a ticket at an independent tribunal, but it has to be done within 30 days of the date on the letter you received.
If you lose, you'll need to pay the penalty within 28 days or the fine can increase by 50%.
How to appeal a private parking ticket
If your ticket has been issued by a private firm - such as a supermarket or independent parking ticket company - it will be called a Parking Charge Notice.
They're technically invoices for breach of contract for parking on private land and are often not enforceable.
Again, it is also worth appealing with as much evidence as possible if you feel you've been unfairly hit.
Scott first recommends going to the owner of the land - for example, the supermarket - to see if they will cancel the fine.
If they don't, your first step to challenging the notice is to check if the private firm is a member of a trade body.
Check online through the British Parking Association (BPA) or the International Parking Community (IPC).
You can take the claim to Popla if the company is part of the BPA, or the Independent Appeals Service for firms that fall under the IPC.
Keep in mind that while you appeal, the parking operator may add additional fees for late payments as the notice is not suspended during this time.
If you still don't pay the company after your appeal is rejected, the company can take you to court.
