60% of Appeals Succeed – How to overturn an unfair parking ticket

Drivers are encouraged to try to challenge their parking tickets if they’ve got valid reasons to think that they’ve been fined unfairly, as data shows that more than sixty per cent of the appeals succeed.

Approximately 35,000 people dispute their tickets each year with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, and a striking 64% of those appeals are successful.

Experts at one of the UK’s leading price comparison sites  Quotezone.co.uk have identified the situations in which you can successfully challenge a parking ticket and have provided a step-by-step guide on how to do so.

It’s well worth trying to get the penalty overturned, as it’s free to make an informal appeal and if done quickly then motorists may still be entitled to a 50% discount that applies to those who agree to pay the fine.

However, if motorists decide to appeal then there must be clear grounds to prove that they were fined unfairly.

Motorists may be eligible for an appeal if they got a Parking Charge Notice more than two weeks after parking, if they can prove they didn’t in fact break any parking rules, if the signs or road markings were unclear, there was no way to pay or  were charged too much.

Among the list are also situations where someone else was driving the car, motorists  couldn’t get back to their car, the car broke down and it’s also worth issuing a dispute when only 5 to 10 minutes late.

Greg Wilson, Founder of car insurance comparison website Quotezone.co.uk said: “If any of these situations mentioned above applies to you, then there are sufficient grounds to appeal against the parking ticket.

“Many drivers are reluctant to go through the appeal process and are afraid of missing out on the reduced fine, however, with a surprising two thirds of the appeals proving successful, its’s certainly worth considering.

“Where you park can also have a significant effect on your car insurance cost.  36% of households across the UK have at least two cars, making street parking a reality for many families and can increase premiums by £140 on average.”

Here’s Quotezone.co.uk’s step-by-step guide to appealing a parking ticket:

1. Check what type of parking ticket it is

Official bodies and private companies have different appeal procedures, so it’s important to find out which one you’re dealing with.

Official tickets are called Penalty Charge Notices, Excess Charge Notices or Fixed Penalty Notices and you can find the name of the issuing authority on the ticket, all other tickets are issued by private companies.

2. Act quickly 

If you don’t want to miss out on the 50% discount, then you must act quickly as the discount will be frozen and should still apply if you file your appeal within 14 days of receiving your ticket.

3. Find evidence 

To make your case stronger, it’s good to have some evidence to back up your claim. The easiest way to prove that no parking rules were broken is to provide photo or CCTV evidence.

If that’s not possible in your situation, then it would help to get some witness statements. When your illegal parking is excused by a medical emergency or condition, then you should get a doctor’s note.

4. Make the right type of appeal

There are three types of appeals that you can file: informal, formal and one with an independent adjudicator.

Informal appeals only apply to Penalty Charge Notices which are left on windscreens. All you have to do is send your appeal to the local authority and include any evidence you have.

If the informal appeal is unsuccessful or if the fine was sent by post, then you’ll have to go through the formal appeal process, where you need to submit a form if you want to get your penalty overturned.

If the dispute fails in the formal stage as well, then you can take your appeal to the private adjudicator for free. You can opt for a personal hearing or complete the process over email, phone or post.