All but two types of parking ticket can be thrown away without paying, according to consumer watchdog Which?. Official bodies and private companies can issue parking tickets under council and police rules, but drivers are not compelled to pay for most private tickets.
Which Tickets Can Be Ignored?
Which? said: "Some parking tickets can go straight in the bin. Really. And the rest can be disputed." The key factor is whether the parking company is a member of an accredited trade association: the British Parking Association (BPA) or the International Parking Community (IPC). If it is not, ignore the ticket because it cannot obtain your details from the DVLA to enforce payment.
How to Appeal
If the company is accredited, write an appeal letter with evidence of mitigating circumstances and photos of poor signage. For BPA members, you have 28 days after rejection to appeal to Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA). For IPC members, you have 21 days to appeal to the Independent Appeals Service.
Remember: a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) or Excess Charge Notice (ECN) is usually issued by the council on public land, such as a high street or council car park. A Parking Charge Notice is issued by a landowner or parking company on private land, such as a supermarket car park.
Final Options
If the independent adjudicator disagrees with you, your final option is to take the parking company to court. However, losing could mean covering its legal costs. For more information, visit which.co.uk.
