If you have ever returned received a dreaded Parking Charge Notice, you’re not alone. Private parking companies issue millions of Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) every year – and rake in billions from drivers who don’t realise the truth behind these tickets.
As a consumer and motoring disputes expert, I’ve helped hundreds of people fight an unjust Parking Charge Notice. It’s time to bust the biggest myths these companies rely on, and put power back where it belongs: in your hands.
Myth 1: “It’s a fine – I have to pay it.”
Truth: It’s not a fine. Only councils and the police can issue real fines for infringements on public highways called Penalty Charge Notices.
Private parking operators issue invoices called Parking Charge Notices, not penalties. They are simply claiming you allegedly broke their terms and conditions for a breach of contract and owe them money. It’s a civil matter, not a criminal one.
These invoices are automatically generated by ANPR cameras which do not take into account any mitigating circumstances or grace periods to read the signs and terms and conditions.
Myth 2: “If I ignore it, I’ll get a CCJ.”
Truth: You won’t get a County Court Judgment (CCJ) just for ignoring a parking charge. A CCJ can only be issued after the company takes you to court and wins – and you fail to pay the court’s judgment within 30 days. That’s a long road, and most cases never get that far.
You cannot ignore it. Private parking operators rely on you ignoring it so they can secure a default CCJ. A well constructed appeal and defence will tilt the odds in your favour.
Myth 3: “They have my details – they can come after me immediately.”
Truth: They request keeper details from the DVLA, but that doesn’t prove who was driving. Only the driver is liable unless the company follows strict rules under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Schedule 4) to pursue the keeper. Many don’t.
Many tickets are issued ‘out of time’ – more than 14 calendar days after the parking event. Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 states that Parking Charge Notices need to be issued within 14 calendar days to hold the Keeper liable. Any later, and you are only invited to disclose who the driver is.
When this happens, the parking operator deliberately strips out any reference to this legislation to trick the Keeper into paying an invoice they are not liable for.
You can download a free parking ticket glovebox guide with a template for the specific wording from my website – www.thecomplaintsresolver.co.uk – to cancel it.
Myth 4: “Appealing a Parking Charge Notice is pointless – they always say no.”
Truth: While many appeals are rejected at the first stage, that’s not the end. If the company is a member of an accredited trade association (like the BPA or IPC), you can escalate it to the second stage with their appeals service (POPLA or IAS).
The best way to cancel a private parking ticket is to speak to the landowner. So, if you get a Parking Charge Notice for parking at Asda, speak to Asda Customer Services. If you get a ticket at a gym or hotel, speak to them first and ask them to cancel it (and get confirmation in writing).
Look at Google Reviews to see what others say about the car park. Many small retail parks have a dedicated help desk for customers who can assist.
If all else fails, wait for a Letter before Claim and defend your case properly in Court.
Myth 5: “The signs were there – so I must have accepted the contract.”
Truth: Contract law isn’t as simple as “there was a sign.” The signs must be clear, prominent and visible at the time of parking — and you must have had a genuine opportunity to read and accept the terms. If signs are small, hidden, unlit at night or contradict each other, the contract may be unenforceable.
Myth 6: “The Parking Charge Notice says I must pay £100 – that must be the legal rate.”
Truth: £100 is an inflated sum designed to scare you. Even the Supreme Court’s ruling in ParkingEye v Beavis said charges must not be “extravagant or unconscionable.” If the company can’t show their loss or a genuine commercial justification, you can challenge it.
Myth 7: “If I appeal, I lose the discount.”
Truth: If you appeal promptly, reputable firms usually pause the clock on the discounted rate (often £60 instead of £100) until the appeal is resolved and extend it if you lose.
Don’t be disheartened or intimidated to pay it if you lose your appeal. If it’s not right, it’s worth the fight. Stick to your guns if you believe it’s unfair.
Myth 8: “It’s not worth the hassle to fight back.”
Truth: Fighting back can save you £60, £100 or even more — and you help expose a broken, exploitative system. With the right evidence and guidance, many people win or get tickets cancelled entirely. You are not powerless.
Myth 9: “I’m being chased by debt collectors – I could lose my house!”
Truth: Nobody is going to enter and repossess your property over a speculative invoice for an alleged breach of contract for parking on private land! I actually had to answer this wild quote on X (was Twitter).
Ignore debt collector letters – never respond and never pay them. They are ‘strangers to the debt’ and have no legal powers to enforce or collect any private parking tickets.
It’s an open secret they keep £70 and pay £100 to the private parking firm if you pay up.
They rely on using intimidating language, legalese jargon, red lettering and other spurious tactics to extract money with menaces and is legalised extortion.
The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 protects consumers from unfair or misleading trading practices and bans acts and omissions which entice consumers into making a decision they would otherwise not have made.
The CPUTR 2008 has a fairness test. For a commercial practice to be unfair it must harm, or be likely to harm, the economic interests of the average consumer.
I take the view that it’s illegal and breaches consumer law as third-party debt collectors have no powers whatsoever to enforce these alleged debts.
If you are being harassed by these leeches, report them to Trading Standards.
Bottom Line
Private parking firms rely on fear, ignorance and inertia to get paid. But once you understand your rights, their power starts to crumble.
If you have received a Parking Charge Notice, don’t panic. Take a breath, gather the facts and get advice. Not from the company, but from independent experts.
I have published a book on how to cancel private parking tickets and win pothole claims which you will find useful to read.
There are various templates on my website which you can download for only £3.50 (price of a cup of coffee). If you can’t find what you are looking for, just email me and I’ll happily assist.
Have you received a Parking Charge Notice recently? Drop your story in the comments – or send it to me for help.
My wife has been seriously ill in a local hospital since early April & I have visited her on average 6 days a week. I have always paid for parking, either daily £3,or weekly £10 (with a ward voucher). I am in my mid 70’s with a lot going on.
I miscalculated the expiry date of my last ward ticket by one day and have now had a “parking charge” for £80 (£40 if paid within 14 days.)
I calculate that I have paid in excess of £200 and never missed paying for all my earlier parking. I appealed the charge but had my appeal denied. I know I made a mistake and was totally honest about this. I feel hard done by under the circumstances, is there anything else I can do?
Hello,
I received a letter from dcbl for a PCN (event date 19 Dec 2025, issue date 8 Jan 2026) on 30 March 2026. The fine is now over 3x the original and of course, they are threatening me. I wrote them and asked for the original notice where I found the above dates for the event and issue of the PCN. I would probably pay the original fine, but it is now almost 6 months since the incident and I have no way of contacting anyone except through the mail except to pay. Should I just let it drop or do I have an obligation to pay something, somewhere? The original incident was in a company car, I have since changed jobs and company cars. Any advice is appreciated.
As registered keeper, I received a parking charge from NPC (National Parking Control). I appealed the charge, informing them that I was the keeper, not the driver and making it clear that I was not obliged to say who the driver was. They originally ignored my first appeal letter and sent an ‘overdue’ payment letter, increasing the charge from £60 to £100. I once again wrote to them, bringing my original appeal to their attention. They then sent me a letter, rejecting the appeal. I have not paid. I have now received a Notice of Debt Recovery from dcbl for an unpaid parking charge which they have now increased to £170. I believe I can ignore this. Can they still chase me for the charge, given that I’m not the driver? Am I still obliged to pay the charge as the registered keeper, despite having appealed making this clear?
Hi
I received a parking charge via a Notice to Hirer on 4/11/25. I appealed it as the NTH did not contain the information as laid out in POFA (no hire agreement, etc). The parking company rejected my appeal and said they had issued all the documents.
I then went to my finance company who confirmed in writing that the parking company only contacted them on 28/11/25 for the information and only sent them the hire agreement on 2/12/25. Therefore it could not have been included in the NTH.
I appealed to POPLA who denied the appeal and said all details were include in the NTH despite evidence to the contrary. I believe they were deliberately mislead by the parking company. I complained to POPLA who investigated and said the appeal should have been in my favour and that they had made a mistake. I have this in an email.
I have complained to the BCA as I believe the parking company broke their code of conduct. I have also complained to the landowner and am considering writing an email to my MP.
I have told the parking company all these details and said I am prepared to go to court. They responded by passing my case to debt collectors DCBL who have started sending me letters and calling me. I have told them I wont be paying.
Is there anything else I should be doing?
Thanks
Hello I had a recent issue where I had to stop in a private residents only car park due to my baby being unwell and throwing up all over herself.
My partner was in the car with me in the back and a resident purposely waited for me to get out the vehicle to take the pictures only from one angle and not all the way around the car as you would of seen us in the back cleaning her up.
They have issue a parking invoice unfortunately I do not have any pictures or physical evidence other then mine and my other halfs word, do I have legal grounds if this escalated to court they also have have an issue date of 24/03/2026 posted it on the 27/03/2026
Date the notice is given is on the 31/03/2026 but I have a witness to prove the letter only arrived on the 10/03/2026
They also got the colour of my car wrong do I have strong grounds if this goes to court
HI,
I was in my friend’s car and we parked in a RINGO car park. I used my app to pay the parking. I added my friend’s registration to the app and then proceeded to pay for parking. As I paid the app glitched. it then returned to the payment screen and I paid. My friend then received a PCN notice. When I checked my app, when it glitched it had defaulted to my registration number, not my friend’s.
We have written to them with evidence that my friend’s reg was on my app, evidence that the payment went out of my account and advised that if they check their cameras my car wasn’t parked in the car park, only my friend’s. Due to the app glitching I do not have a receipt for the parking as I have for other transactions. They have not accepted our evidence and the charge stands.
I have contacted my bank and they cannot provide evidence of the time that I paid for the parking only the date.
Any other suggestions please?
Thank you for your help.
Hi,
In January we parked at a Service Area and unknowingly overstayed the allowed 2 hour limit by 17 minutes.
We received a Parking Charge from GroupNexus for £100 with a Reduced Charge of £60.
The Letter clearly stated we had 28 days to Appeal.
It also said if the Appeal was rejected we would have a further 14 days to pay the Reduced Charge.
We appealed and the Appeal was rejected.
We found the rejection letter as we returned home from a fortnight’s holiday, and immediately sent a cheque for the Reduced Charge of £60, still fortunately within the 14days allowed.
CCPlus, which we believe is part of GroupNexus refused the payment saying it was ‘outside the time limit’ and they had destroyed (not returned!) our cheque.
They claim the original £100 is due plus £70 for the pleasure of being passed over to a Debt Collection Agency. We have now received a letter from DCBL
asking for the £170.
We have worked out what happened. Our Appeal letter, sent well before the allowed 28days, crossed with GroupNexus 2nd letter saying the initial 14 days of Reduced Charge had ended and the Current Charge reverted back to £100.
Obviously there was nothing about having to appeal within the first 14days in the original letter.
Indeed the eventual Rejection of Appeal letter still said we would lose the additional 14 days of paying the Reduced Charge if we further appealed unsuccessfully to POPLA, so presumably it was still current at that point.
Group Nexus’s phones loop to menus or cut off when we select ‘speak to a person’; CPPlus refuse to ‘enter into further communication’ and when we phoned DCBL they said they can only collect £170.
We are trying to pay the Reduced Charge, not avoid payment. Could you help by advising us where we go next please?
Hi,on the 17 of feb 2023 i received a pcn saying that i owed Smart Parking £100 for parking at the Cresta court hotel in ALTRINCHAM for insufficient payment,the thing is i sold the car on the22/08/2022 so i just ignored it since then ive had dozens of these letters from numerous different companies ,DRP,ZZPS,CST,GCTT,BWLEGAL,AND DCBLEGAL, i have a bill of sale for the vehicle, and proof fro DVLA stating that i was no longer the owner/keeper , since 22/08 /2022 ,the last letter seems to be from a solicitor or made to look like it is, now they want £170 from me for something i have had nothing to do with,in my mind i dont have to reply to letters demanding money from me that could be any body any ideas?????
Hi, On 13th November 2025 our granddaughter parked my wife’s car in a street where there was no parking except to load or unload, and the car was captured by a camera. The operator was Horizon and the incident was in Longbridge, Birmingham. About a month later we received a demand for £100 from Horizon, as the charge had not been paid within 14 days of them allegedly having sent a letter. No such letter was received and I contacted them by email to ask them to explain. They sent an e-mail by reply in which they sent a copy of the letter they claim they had posted. The infringement was not in dispute, but we considered the position. My wife decided just to pay up using Horizon’s automated telephone system. The system asked for a payment of £80, and we can prove we paid that by bank statement. Around the end of January 2026 we received another letter from Horizon demanding payment of £100, which we ignored. Then on Saturday 28th March we received a letter from the subtly titled Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd, demanding immediate payment of £170 or they would recommend their client to take court action. I telephoned one of their agents who insisted that I pay the amount urgently. When I mentioned that we could prove we had made a payment of £80 to Horizon his suggestion was that I should contact them and ask for a refund of the £80 we had paid! He made it clear that they still wanted £170. I got a lecture about how fees would increase etc. I’ve sent an e-mail to Horizon demanding an explanation, as it isn’t possible to speak to them by telephone. I notice that you say that the debt collectors have no power, but we’re both in our 70s and I’m sure that once these cowboys get to know your age they regard you as a sitting duck. If they increase a charge from £60 to £100 for non payment within 14 days they should get proof of delivery, as it’s just a licence for them to print money. Would appreciate any comments, as my wife is intent on paying the £170 for peace of mind. Kind regards, John W
Is the date of issue the date of the event, or the date you receive the notice in the post?
Hi, I’ve just received six Parking Charge Notices over 3 days from Gemini who have just taken over running The Sovereign Centre Car Park in Eastbourne.
I have never despite their misaligned camera pics ever entered the Car Park. I’m a Blue Badge holder and with permission park on double yellows at the end of a Service Road adjacent to the CP.
it is plainly obvious to anyone that their pics are taken before the Service Road. Despite this Gemini have rejected my appeal.
it seems beyond their comprehension that their engineers could have misdirected the Camera.
I’m 83 and getting quite depressed by it all.
Do I have grounds to take legal action against them for the time and trouble this is causing me.Thanks.Richard H
Thanks for this article, really useul. I am trying to work out if my case falls into the “unfair” category. I paid for parking in Citipark in Leeds – but they are claiming I paid for the wrong day. I can’t prove it as the receipt I have doesn’t state whether I paid for parking on the day in question or the day after, as they claim, but even if I did pay for the wrong day it was an honest mistake and I have paid for SOME parking.
I’ve unsuccesfsully appealed with BaySentry, and am debating whether to appeal to the IAS or just suck it up and pay. As I say, it all hinges on whether paying for parking on the wrong day by mistake would mean my PCN was “unfair”.
I have just received 2 parking charge notices for the same location in 2020 & 2022 Can they charge these after all this time? I’ve not received anything previously or a notice at the alleged time of the incident?
Hi, I have received a letter form debt collector nearly after a year and no further letters were ever received . Apparently we did not extend the time of stay in the parking lot . They have emailed me saying that they have sent letters before and must be lost in the post and it not their fault and I am more than welcome to take it to court.
I have proof on my bank staement that I paid the parking fee of £1 and returned to my car within the time allowed I sent a copy highlighting the payment to pcn parking The appeal was rejected and now I have dcbl Direct debt colloction letter I know I paid the parking fee
Have recieved 2 PCNs, for being in a bus lane on a trike yet road traffic says any tricycle upto 450kg unmotorised./motorised can use said signed Bus lane,my log book states tricycle- weight 310kg,yet appeal rejected and independant adjudicator,yet road signs say under traffic act i can yet they say no,so where can i go from here or just pay it
I was n an Empty car park and my wheels were on the white dividing line, I was issued with a parking fine and disputed this by the traffic warden who was hiding behind a post waiting for me to leave my vehicle, I was back within minutes and he had already written a ticket, that was 09/01/2021, a private company,, now sending won’t pay we will take it away
hello, i am disabled and have been parking at the hospital a lot recently in birmingham. I have recently been given my blue badge which is displayed at all times whilst parked. People always park in the blue badge bays without having the blue badges as parking is always bad, which leaves people like me nowhere to park. I parked in a 20 minute bay last week outside the hospital, thinking it was ok as i had my badge on show. I had driven around for 15 minutes to find a space and someone pulled put of this pne so i went in. I was an hour. when i got out, i had a qpark ticket Parking charge notice slapped on the screen. I didnt realise that i would get a ticket, then yesterday i was convinced i had parked in the disabled area as there was a space, with the yellow criss crosses. every car was a blue badge holder here, so i parked my car on the end bay. again, i got a ticket stating that i was blocking wheelchair access as there was a dropped kerb by the car and i was partially in front of it. Im not sure what to do now. Thank you for any advice.
Dear Scott.
I heard you on Radio Scotland yesterday. Very impressive and inspirational.
I have a question, please.
I received a “Charge Certificate “ from Glasgow City Council in early March telling me I had passed the chance of early payment discount on a £50 parking ticket (News to me) for a fixed penalty of £50. That doubled to £100, and now It’s£150 or it goes to a debt collector.
It says as the owner/ keeper of the car I am “responsible for the penalty charge.”
Yesterday I heard you say that there is NO owner liability in Scotland for parking / traffic offences.
Q: what legislation can I use to defend this egregious fine.
If I get this scrapped , I’ll donate to your cause.
Regards, John Doyle