8 Good Excuses for Parking Ticket Appeals in 2023

Are there really any good excuses for parking ticket appeals? It’s something that any motorist who gets a fine would like to know. There’s good news because not only can you challenge a fine, but a parking ticket could be cancelled with a good excuse.

Want to know more about the top 8 reasons for contesting parking tickets? Whether it’s a penalty charge notice or a parking charge notice, then read on!

How to appeal and win

If you want to avoid paying a parking ticket then you’ll need an airtight appeal.

The best way to perfect your appeal is getting a little advice from a Solicitor. I’d 100% recommend spending a fiver to get a trial of JustAnswer.

You can explain your situation in their chat and they’ll connect you with a Solicitor who can advise you and give you the best chance to win your appeal. For £5 it’s actually amazing value.

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Penalty charge notice vs parking charge notice. What’s the difference?

Both parking tickets look the same. The tickets even bear the same acronym. But you shouldn’t deal with them in the same way, and I’ll explain why.

First, a parking charge notice is an invoice a car park management company gives you. The operator would do so because you didn’t follow their rules. So, a parking ticket on private land falls under contractual law.

A private operator or landowner has no legal right to demand payment from you. Only a court can order you to pay the parking charge notice. So, the operator must win a court case to get paid.

Second, a penalty charge notice (PCN) is covered by UK law. Councils, the police, Highways agencies and Transport authorities issue PCNs when you commit a parking or driving offence.

A penalty charge is enforceable under UK legislation, meaning the authority can issue a Charge Certificate when you don’t pay. Plus, the fine goes up by 50% when you don’t pay within 28 days!

Things then escalate and get more expensive if the fine goes unpaid.

Can you appeal a parking ticket?

Yes, you can. You have the right to appeal, whether it’s a parking charge notice or a penalty charge notice.

In fact, you should challenge a fine when you feel it’s unjust or incorrect!

That said, you must appeal a parking ticket within a specified time. So, for instance, if you get a parking ticket on private land, always check the deadline with the operator. 

If you got a penalty charge notice, check how the fine was issued and make sure you don’t miss a deadline. It could be 14 days, 21 days, or 28 days. So, it’s better to challenge the PCN early, say within 14 days, just to be sure.

Plus, there’s an added bonus when you challenge a penalty charge notice within two weeks. If the authority rejects your appeal, you may get to pay a reduced amount. You could, therefore, save time and money!

What are the top 8 reasons for appealing a parking ticket?

Below I’ve listed 8 top reasons to appeal a parking ticket:

1. You didn’t commit a parking offence/violation
2. The payment machines were out of order, and there was no other way to pay
3. The parking ticket contained clerical errors
4. You got the parking ticket more than two weeks after the alleged parking violation
5. Signage and road markings were unclear or missing altogether
6. You made a mistake when entering a registration number in a payment machine
7. An emergency prevented you from getting back to your car in time
8. The parking ticket was issued before a 10-minute grace period was up

Providing you have enough evidence to support your appeal, the issue must consider the challenge.

Can you beat your ticket?

In many cases tickets aren’t actually enforceable.

It’s a bit sneaky, but you could pay £5 to chat with an online Solicitor.

They’ll give you support in crafting the best appeal possible and give you the best chance of not paying your ticket.

You can try it below. 

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Can you challenge a parking ticket if your car broke down?

Yes. You could contest a parking ticket if your car broke down and you were waiting for assistance. This applies to penalty charge notices and parking charge notices. But you must provide evidence to support the challenge.

In short, you’ll need to provide an invoice from the breakdown service that rescued you.

So, what evidence would you need to support a parking ticket appeal?

As mentioned, the more evidence you can provide to support an appeal, your challenge will be stronger. That said, you could still have a parking ticket cancelled without evidence to support an appeal. 

For instance, if there was no way of paying a fee to park, the issuer could check whether a payment machine was out of order or not!

Should you be honest when you appeal a parking ticket?

Yes. Don’t lie because you’ll likely not get out paying the parking ticket if you do. Plus, it could land you in further trouble! If you’re sure you have your facts right and the parking ticket should be cancelled, then file your appeal within 14 days.

If the issuer rejects your challenge, you still get to pay a discounted amount. This could be up to 40% for a parking charge notice and 50% less for a penalty charge notice!

How long can the issuer chase you for parking tickets?

An operator could chase you for up to six years if you got a parking charge notice for an infringement on private land. You can’t be taken to court for an unpaid parking charge notice when the six years are up!

Not the same with a penalty charge notice which is enforceable straight away!

What happens if you ignore parking tickets?

Things get expensive when you ignore a parking ticket, whether it’s a penalty charge notice or a parking charge notice. You could end up in court and have a debt registered on your credit history.

Should you appeal or pay for parking tickets?

Whether you pay or appeal parking tickets depends on several things. First, check whether you got a penalty charge or a parking charge. They’re not the same.

Next, check if all the details on the parking ticket are correct. If not, you could challenge things. But if you know you parked illegally or didn’t follow a private operator’s rules, paying the fine within two weeks means you pay a lesser amount.

Thanks for reading my post about good excuses for parking ticket appeals. I hope the information helps you decide what to do and whether you have a good enough reason to challenge a fine.

Don’t submit your appeal yet.

The best way to beat a ticket is to get professional advice.

For a £5 trial, you can have Solicitors from JustAnswer look at your case and help make your appeal airtight.

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