Can I Appeal a 52m Failing to Comply with a Prohibition PCN?
Have you been given a 52m penalty charge notice (PCN) for driving in a restricted area? You’re not alone. Each month, more than 32,000 people visit this site looking for advice on tickets and fines.
It can be scary and confusing, but there’s no need to worry. In this article, we’ll guide you through:
- What a Penalty Charge Notice 52M is, and why it’s given
- How to appeal and possibly beat your PCN
- The types of vehicles a PCN 52M applies to
- The need to pay the PCN and what happens if you don’t
- Where to find more help if you need it
We understand how it feels to receive a PCN; some of us have been there too. Don’t worry; we’re here to help you.
Ready to learn how you can handle your 52m PCN? Let’s dive in!
Do You Have to Pay?
In some circumstances, you might have a legitimate reason not to pay your 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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In partnership with Just Answer.
What Vehicles Does a Penalty Charge Notice 52M Apply To?
Now, let’s look a little deeper into what kind of vehicles the 52m code applies to. There are a number of different codes under the 52 designation. Just for completeness, I’m going to list them below.
- 52g – relates to goods vehicles of a specific weight.
- 52m – covers all motor vehicles.
- 52s – is solely related to solo motorcycles.
- 52v – all motor vehicles except those that are propelled manually. A pushcart example.
- 53x – all my tricycles apart from solo motorcycles.
Do You Need To Pay the PCN?
If you are issued a PCN under the 52m ruling, you need to understand that just like council parking fines, this is an official notification that you have been deemed guilty of a motoring offence and have to pay.
The good news is, in general, if you pay the PCN within the first 14 days, given a 50% discount on the amount of the fine. After this, you will have to pay the full amount of the fine.
What Happens if You Don’t Pay the PCN?
An official fine for a motoring offence is seen as a debt. This includes parking tickets and all other types of PCN. therefore, if you don’t pay the fine, you can expect action to be taken against you to enforce payment of the debt.
This could involve legal proceedings, and potentially a County Court Judgement (CCJ) made against you. If you still don’t pay the fine, you could find that debt collectors are handed a debt, and eventually, bailiffs become involved and will visit your home looking to collect the debt.
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.
Can You Appeal Against a PCN for a 52M Offence?
You can appeal against any PCN. But whether this appeal is successful or not, is another story. And appealing against a PCN you were given under the 52m ruling is a little more complicated than appealing against a parking ticket. For example, you could find a standard template to write a parking fine appeal letter. You probably won’t find a similar template to appeal against PCN for a 52m related offence.
Something to keep in mind is that it is going to be quite difficult to prove that you are not guilty of the 52m related offence. If you are caught driving down a one-way street the wrong way, for example, it is doubtful whether you could appeal against this successfully.
To try and win your appeal, you’re going to need to provide substantial documented proof and evidence that you did not commit the offence that you are accused of. Such evidence could include photographs or recorded video. Witness statements could also be very useful.
Overall though, you’re going to find it difficult to win such an appeal. Simply because you are not likely to have such evidence. If you are caught by a traffic camera, the first you will know about it is when you are sent the PCN in the post. Therefore, you are not likely to have photographic or video evidence to support your appeal.
One thing to note though, is such evidence could include proof that the signage stating the prohibition was not clear or was missing. In such cases, you can visit the scene after you have received the PCN, and collect the evidence you need.
Where To Find More Help
You might find it useful to get some real-world advice from people that she dealt with such a PCN. Luckily, there are a number of great public discussion forums that have whole sections devoted to PCN-related questions. You will be able to post your questions here and get answers from people who have successfully appealed against a PCN for a 52m failure to comply with the prohibition.
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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.
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