Should I Pay or Appeal Islington PCN? Know Your Rights

Have you received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) from Islington Council? Each month, over 32,000 people visit here for advice on tickets and fines, so you’re not alone.

This article will help you understand:

• Why you might get a PCN from Islington Council.
• How to challenge a PCN if you think it’s not right.
• What happens when you appeal a PCN.
• The steps to take if you decide to pay your PCN.
• And finally, should you pay or appeal your PCN?

We know it can feel upsetting to get a PCN. Our team has offered guidance to people in the same spot as you, so they know all about PCNs and how to deal with them. Let’s find out more about your PCN and what you can do about it.

How to avoid paying an Islington PCN

If you want to avoid paying an Islington PCN 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.

Click here to get the trial offer with JustAnswer.

So, should you pay or challenge an Islington PCN?

It’s entirely up to you as to whether you pay or appeal the penalty charge notice. But you should check all the details first. In short, do you have enough evidence to support challenging the fine?

Would it be better to pay the fine within 2 weeks of getting it, so you pay a reduced amount? It’s a tough call when you know the fine is unfair!

I hope the information in my post helps you decide what to do so you don’t have to fork out a fortune on a parking ticket!

Now let’s deal with challenging an Islington PCN

You have every right to challenge a penalty charge notice you get from Islington Council. But why would you challenge it? I hear you ask. Well, let’s consider the following:

• The fine is unfair or unjustified
• You didn’t commit any sort of violation

Those are just two reasons why you could challenge the penalty notice. And if the local authority accepts your reason, the charge is cancelled, which is a bonus!

There’s a deadline for appealing a penalty charge. So, for example, when you find the ticket on your car, you have 14 days to appeal. But if you got the PCN in the post, it’s 21 days.

If you miss the deadlines, that’s it. Your appeal is dead in the water, and you’ll have to pay the PCN.

What happens after you file the informal appeal?

The Council considers your appeal against the penalty charge notice and should get back to you within a few weeks. If your appeal is rejected, the Council could give you an extra 14 days to pay the lesser fine!

This is 50% of the original fine, which could be worth considering.

That said, if you’re not happy with the Council’s decision, the next stage of the appeal process kicks in!

Stage 2 of the appeals process

You’ll have to wait until you get a Notice to the Owner (NtO). Or you could receive an Enforcement Notice if applicable, which sounds serious! But don’t panic.

The NtO is sent to you through the post 28 days after the offence was recorded. But it could arrive later than that!

Once you get the NtO, you can make a formal appeal (representations) to get the PCN cancelled. The downside is that if the appeal is unsuccessful a second time, you’ll pay the total amount!

Stage 3 of the appeals process

Still not happy with the Council’s decision to reject your formal appeal? If so, you can take the matter further by appealing to the Environment and Traffic Adjudicator (ETA). 

The Letter of Rejection you get from the Council should contain the right appeal form to do this. Plus instructions on how to go about it.

Note: An adjudicator is an independent body whose final decision is legally binding!

So, if the adjudicator sides with the Council, you’ll have to pay. That’s the end of the line!

What happens when you decide not to pay an Islington PCN?

Things get expensive and complicated when you don’t pay an Islington PCN. From the off, you’ve got 28 days to pay once you get the fine. You’ll only pay half the original amount when you pay the penalty within 14 days.

But things get complicated and expensive if you still don’t pay once you’ve gone through the whole appeals process. The fine increases by 50%. Then things start getting serious.

You’ll get a Charge Certificate which must be paid within 2 weeks of receiving it. Enforcement Officers will contact you with a Warrant of Execution if you don’t. It could be as bad as it sounds!

» TAKE ACTION NOW: Get legal support from JustAnswer

Now to the process of appealing an Islington PCN itself

The process of appealing an Islington PCN is a little confusing because there are three appeals in the process which are:

• Informal appeal
• Formal appeal (representations)
• Appeal to the Adjudicator

The Council puts everything on hold when you lodge the first informal appeal within 14 days by email. Until they decide whether to accept or reject the challenge, that is.

Note: You can also post an appeal to the Council

You must include the following in the appeal:

• VRN – vehicle registration number
• Your home address
• The PCN reference number
• Supporting evidence why you’re challenging the PCN

Paying an Islington PCN

By far, the simplest way to pay an Islington penalty charge is online using a credit or debit card. Remember, when you pay quickly, you’ll pay half the fine within 14 days of getting the fine.

But if you wait too long and pay after the 28-day deadline, you’ll pay double the amount!

You must provide the following information when paying a penalty charge you got in the borough:

• Vehicle registration number (VRN)
• Penalty charge notice number
• Payment details

You’ll have to call the Council to get the reference number if you’ve lost the penalty charge notice. You’ll have to provide your vehicle registration number to obtain it.

Are you wondering if getting a PCN in Islington is a criminal offence?

You can rest easy. Getting an Islington PCN or any other penalty charge notice is not a criminal offence! Unlike a Fixed Penalty Notice which can lead to criminal prosecution.