Challenge a parking fine

If you do not pay or challenge your ticket within 28 days

A penalty must be paid before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the date of service of the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). If it is not a Notice to Owner is sent to the DVLA registered keeper (regardless of who was driving).

Notice to Owner

A Notice to Owner should normally be served within six months of the PCN. It provides an opportunity to either pay the outstanding penalty or make formal representations. Further details can be found on the Notice to Owner document.

• the penalty needs to be paid or representations made before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the date that the Notice to Owner was served
• representations made after this may be disregarded.

Appealing to an adjudicator

If you disagree with the council's decision and wish to lodge a formal appeal with an independent adjudicator, you must make a formal representation to us after we have sent out a Notice to Owner. This means that even if you have contacted us before you receive the Notice to Owner, you must make a second representation to us once you have received the Notice to Owner.

• If we reject this second representation, you can then appeal to an adjudicator.
• The Notice to Owner form includes a specific section to fill in if you want to lodge a formal representation to us.
• Please ensure you follow the instructions on the notice, and provide any supporting evidence.
• We must receive your representation before the end of the period of 28 days beginning with the date that the Notice to Owner was served.
• Alternatively you can still make a full payment during this period by following the instructions on the Notice to Owner.
• If the representation is successful a Notice of Acceptance is sent and the penalty is cancelled.
• If the representation is unsuccessful a Notice of Rejection is sent. With every Notice of Rejection, we will enclose an appeal form enabling you to apply to have the case considered by the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT).
• See the Traffic Penalty Tribunal website.

What happens if a penalty is not paid after a Notice to Owner has been served?

If you do not pay a penalty we will take steps to recover the amount due.

• After the expiry of 28 days of the Notice to Owner being served the charge will increase by 50%. At this point there is no right of appeal.
• A Charge Certificate will be sent and if the charge is still not paid before the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the date that the Charge Certificate was served, we will take steps to register the outstanding sum as a debt.
• This does not involve a court hearing and does not impact on a person’s credit rating.
• A £9 fee will be added to the outstanding charge.
• At any stage in the process, you can still pay the total outstanding charge.
• If after 21 days, the debt is still not paid, a Warrant of Control will be granted and we will pass the debt to a enforcement agent company. At this point the penalty can no longer be paid to us. It must be paid to the enforcement agents.
• The enforcement agents will take such steps as permitted in law to make contact and to recover the amount due.
• They are allowed to add to the debt fees for sending letters and making personal visits. However, the amount due to the council will not increase. If you have been contacted by a enforcement agents company and do not make arrangements to pay the debt your vehicle or goods may be seized and sold at auction.