Should I Pay or Appeal my Capital Car Park Control PCN?

Have you got a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) from Capital Car Park Control? A lot of people have, too. Every month, more than 32,000 people come here for advice on tickets and fines. It can be a bit scary and hard to understand, but there’s no need to worry.

In this article, we’ll show you:

• The reasons Capital Car Park Control can give you a parking fine.
• How to contact them.
• How to appeal and maybe win your case.
• What happens if you don’t pay.

Our team knows a lot about cases like yours, so we understand how it feels to get a PCN, and we’re here to help you. Let’s get started and learn how you can deal with your PCN from Capital Car Park Control.

Why Does Capital Car Park Control Give You a Parking Fine?

When you park on private land, you enter into a contract with the landowner or the parking management company they’ve hired. If you breach the terms and conditions displayed on signs in the parking area, you may receive a parking charge notice. I’ve listed common parking offences these might be issued for, below.

• Overstaying-  If you pay for a certain amount of time and exceed that period.
• Incorrect payment – Not paying the correct amount for the time you parked.
• No payment – Parking without paying in a paid parking area.
• Invalid permit – Parking in a space reserved for permit holders without displaying a valid permit.
• Parking outside of a designated area – This can include parking across multiple spaces or parking in a non-parking zone.
• Parking in a disabled space without a Blue Badge – Using spaces reserved for disabled drivers without displaying the necessary credentials.
• Ignoring No Parking signs  This includes areas marked as ‘no parking’ or ‘fire lanes’ etc.

A Private Parking Fine Is Not an Official Penalty

You need to understand that a private parking charge is not the same as an official Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), even though they share the same acronym. Let me briefly outline each, below.

• Penalty charge notice – A legally enforceable official fine from a local authority or their representative.
• Parking charge notice – A private parking invoice, that is not legally enforceable, even though it looks like a fake official parking ticket. 

Challenging a Parking Charge Notice From Capital Car Park Control

In many cases, you can ignore a parking charge notice. However, it is much better to appeal against one. A very high percentage of private parking fines are dismissed at the appeals stage. I will explain the basic process for making an appeal, below.

• Check the parking charge notice, to find out why it was issued.
• Prepare evidence to prove you don’t need to pay the parking fine. This might be the relevant parking ticket, photographs or video evidence, or witness statements.
• Make an initial appeal to Capital Car Park Control. You can do this in writing using a standard appeal letter template. Explain why you disagree with the parking fine, and include the evidence you gathered.
• If your appeal is rejected, you have a further option. Because Capital Car Park Control is a member of BPA, you can take your appeal to this official body. 
• If the BPA overturns your appeal, you still have the option of taking the appeal to court. However, if you lose the appeal in court, you will likely have to pay court costs and solicitors fees on top of the original parking fine. So consider carefully whether it might just be easier to pay the parking fine and be done with it.

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Can You Ignore a Parking Charge Notice From Capital Car Park Control?

As I already mentioned, a parking charge notice is not legally enforceable. But if you do decide not to pay one, the parking management firm will pursue the debt. Taking actions such as I have listed, below.

• Reminder letters – Initially, the parking company might send reminder letters. These letters will typically state the original amount of the fine and may include additional fees for late payment.
• Debt collection agencies – If the parking charge remains unpaid for an extended period, the parking company might pass on the details to a debt collection agency. This agency will then contact the vehicle owner, requesting payment and possibly adding additional charges.
• Court action – If the debt is still not settled, the parking company might decide to take legal action to recover the amount. They can do this by issuing a claim in the County Court. If they are successful, they will get a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against the individual. A CCJ can affect an individual’s credit rating and make it more difficult to borrow money.
• Legal costs – Should the case go to court and you lose, you might have to pay the company’s legal costs, which can significantly increase the amount you owe.
• Credit rating impact – If a CCJ is issued and not paid within a month, it will be recorded on your credit file for six years, potentially making borrowing more difficult or expensive.

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How to Contact Capital Car Park Control

If you want to pay or appeal a Capital Car Park Control parking charge notice, you can do this online through the company website. If you want to get in touch with the company, you can use the following contact information:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 0207 701 1777

Address: 3 Stanton Way, Suite 0106, London, SE26 5FU

There is also a contact form on the company website.