Do you have to pay Parking Eye fines?

Have you received a Parking Eye fine and you’re not sure what to do next? Each month, more than 32,000 people visit this site looking for advice on parking tickets and fines. It can be a bit nerve-wracking, but there’s no need to fret.

In this article, we’ll guide you through:

• Understanding why Parking Eye might have given you a fine.
• If ParkingEye, as part of the British Parking Association, has a code of practice it needs to follow.
• How Parking Eye issues parking charge notices and the cost of a typical fine.
• The steps to take if you want to challenge your ticket.
• What happens when you ignore a Parking Eye fine or once you appeal it.

Our team knows how it feels to get a parking fine, and we’re here to help. Let’s get started and learn how you can handle your Parking Eye fine.

How does Parking Eye issue parking charge notices?

You could receive a parking charge from the operator through the post. Or the fine may be left on your car’s windscreen. When Parking Eye uses ANPR, the parking infringement is recorded. The registered keeper gets the fine in the mail several days later.

How does Parking Eye know where to send the fine, I hear you ask? As a BPA member, the operator can access the DVLA database to retrieve the information. So when a parking charge is sent through the mail, it should not take more than fourteen days to get to you.

But sometimes, it can take longer if the DVLA is slow to respond to an operator’s request!

How much does a Parking Eye fine set you back?

A Parking Eye fine could set you back as much as £100. More if you are in London. Plus, the cost of a parking charge notice depends on the seriousness of the parking infringement!

However, the government plans to reinstate a lower cap on the amount private operators can charge. The legislation is due to come into effect sometime in 2023.

On the positive side, an operator must offer you a discount when you pay within fourteen days. So, you may end up paying 40% less than the original amount when you pay within two weeks.

How to avoid paying Parking Eye parking tickets

If you want to avoid paying a Parking Eye 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.

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Should you pay a Parking Eye fine straight away?

You could pay a Parking Eye fine straight away. First, you don’t have to deal with all the hassle of challenging the fine. Second, you get to pay a reduced fine. But on the downside, you’ve admitted liability and therefore lost the chance to dispute the parking charge.

Should you appeal a Parking Eye fine?

Yes. You could appeal a Parking Eye fine. In fact, it’s a good idea to dispute the parking charge. Especially when you feel it’s unfair. But make sure you have a valid excuse to back up your appeal!

You have 28 days to appeal the fine, but in your place, I would challenge the charge earlier. For example, when you file an appeal within two weeks, and it’s rejected, you could pay a lesser fine!

What happens once you appeal a Parking Eye fine?

The operator puts all further action on hold. Until a decision is made whether to uphold or reject your appeal. If nothing else, you’ve gained a little time.

Once the operator assesses your appeal, you’ll get a letter accepting your appeal. In this case, Parking Eye cancels the parking charge. Or you get a letter of rejection!

What happens when you ignore a Parking Eye fine?

Parking Eye could do several things when you ignore a parking charge notice. First, the operator sends out payment reminders. Second, Parking Eye could ask a debt collector to chase you for payment.

Third, you could face court proceedings for non-payment of a parking charge notice. You might have to argue your case in a small claims court. But if you continue to ignore things, the court will record a CCJ on your credit history.

Having a CCJ makes it more challenging to borrow money, take out a mortgage or get a credit card!

So, don’t ignore a parking charge notice because there’s no guarantee you won’t be chased for the money. When a court rules you must pay, a parking charge is no longer a ‘fine’. It’s a debt!

Is ParkingEye part of the British Parking Association?

Yes. Parking Eye is part of the British Parking Association (BPA) and, therefore, part of their Approved Operator Scheme (AOS). 

Does Parking Eye have to follow a code of practice?

Yes. As a BPA member, Parking Eye must follow a code of practice when issuing a parking charge notice. In short, the operator must serve a fine correctly and in a set timeframe.

When an operator gets it wrong, you have the right to challenge the fine and get it cancelled. A parking charge notice is not a fine as such. It’s an invoice raised by the operator and, therefore, falls under contractual law.

So, when it comes to ‘fine print’, an operator can’t demand payment from you. Not without a court order. Parking Eye must win in a small claims court for this to happen.

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What happens when Parking Eye rejects an appeal?

If you’re unlucky and the operator rejects your appeal, the letter you get must contain information on what happens next. For instance, you could pay the fine, which would be the full amount at this stage.

Or you could escalate your appeal to the Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA). Parking Eye must tell you how to do this in their rejection letter.

Once you escalate your appeal to POPLA, the operator can’t do anything until the matter is settled. So, again, you’ve gained more time. But the downside is that if POPLA rejects your appeal, you’ll have to pay because their decision is final!

On the other hand, if POPLA upholds your appeal, Parking Eye must cancel the parking charge against you!

Do you have to pay Parking Eye fines?

You could pay a Parking Eye fine when you know the parking charge was correctly served. But first, check all the details are correct and that the operator followed the Code of Practice.

If you decide to pay the parking charge, try to pay it within two weeks to pay the discounted amount.

On the other hand, you could appeal the parking charge, which is free to do. You could be successful, but it’s always a gamble. However, the advantage of appealing a Parking Eye fine within two weeks is worth considering.

First, you’d pay a reduced fine if your appeal is rejected. Second, the operator places everything on hold, so you gain a little time.

The one thing not to do is ignore a Parking Eye fine because it could earn you a CCJ, and the so-called ‘fine’ turns into a debt!