Councils might issue parking fines if, for example, you’ve parked dangerously or in a prohibited area. Find out what to do if you get a fine from your local council.
If you are looking to speak to a free debt adviser within the East Midlands please or you can use to locate the organisation closest to you.
If you’ve received a penalty charge notice
A penalty charge notice (PCN) is issued by the council on public land – such as a council car park or high street.
Fines range from £50 to £160. They depend on where you are in the country and how serious your parking offence was.
It’s important not to ignore a PCN. If you haven’t paid within 28 days, you’ll get a ‘charge certificate’ – and you’ll have 14 days to pay the original fine plus 50% more.
You’ll get a court order demanding payment if you don’t pay a charge certificate within 14 days. Find out more on the GOV.UK website
To understand more about what action an enforcement agent can take, see the guides to bailiffs on the Citizens Advice website
If you’re within the 28-day limit and think the PCN was unfair, you can appeal. If you do it within 14 days and your challenge is rejected, you might only have to pay 50% of the fine.
Follow the steps on your ticket as appeal rules can vary Citizens Advice have a guide to help you with what to say.
Private or police parking fines
It’s important to check what kind of parking fine you have. This is because the rules for dealing with missed payments are different.
A private parking charge is issued by a private company. Shopping centre and supermarket car parks will often be run by private companies.
Private parking tickets are not official fines. If you receive one and you think it’s unfair, you can appeal it with the independent adjudicator Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA).
You might receive a police parking penalty – sometimes called a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).
For useful guidance on what to do, go to the Citizens Advice website.
I can’t afford to pay my fine – what should I do?
Have you decided not to appeal and can’t find a way to pay your parking fine? Then it’s best to get advice as soon you can, especially if you’ve got other debts as well.
If you are looking to speak to a free debt adviser within the East Midlands please or you can use to locate the organisation closest to you.
Content within this article has been provided by MoneyHelper.
