PCN Attached Help

[im4347]

Hi

Please find pcn attached.

I am on job Seekers Allowance and paying £25 off in one go is a bit difficult at the moment, could someone please advise me how best to go about this. I'm not in a position to take any risks and end up having to pay £50.

Thanks in advance
IM

[Steward]

You can use Google to search the web using these links below:-

[TheBogsDollocks]

I would ask for evidence that the parking meter clock was consulted prior to the issue of the pcn or that the CEO synchronised the hand held computer clock with the meter clock.

DfT guidance recommends that one of the above actions should be done.

The time on the ticket and whether it has expired can only be accurately assessed by the clock that issued the ticket. The CEO's watch or HH computer are unlikely to be to the exact timing of the meter clock and unless the meter clock was consulted (a note in the log book or a photo) then it is possible the CEO's clock was 11 minutes or more faster than the meter clock.

[Jamberson]

Sorry to disagree with the post above, but I think that would not be the best move in this case. If you write and ask for that evidence, then your letter is likely to be treated as an appeal. They will send back the confirmation you asked for together with instruction to pay in 14 days, and you will have lost the chance to make an informal representation. If you do want to try that angle, I would recommend only requesting it verbally to avoid this pitfall.

I presume you have looked over the pcn and there are no errors on it - date, location etc? Always worth checking for these as it might invalidate it.

If it is all present and correct, I would appeal it on mitigating circumstances - there was presumably a reason why you were late back. They may elect to cancel it on that basis if you have a good enough explanation, but even if they don't it at least buys you some time, and they will hold the PCN at the reduced rate.

If your appeal fails, write to them and request a payment plan. They will most likely agree reasonable payments, which again buys you more time.

[TheBogsDollocks]

Don't be sorry...it's healthy to discuss the options and I value your feedback/input.

My above post was intended to be the basis of an informal appeal not just a request for evidence and it has been used on several occasions successfully particularly when a date with an adjudicator looms and the council finally have to provide the alleged evidence.

It is possible that they won't write back with the requested evidence because it may not exist.

Very few pcn's are cancelled on such mitigating circumstances where a person is late back. It usually takes an unavoidable delay such as a medical emergency. Lateness due to shopping/bank queues will not be accepted nor where appointements run late. The authority will argue that you should have anticipated any possible delay when you purchased the ticket. Most if not all online local council parking policy briefs inform of this stance.

If you do run with my option I advise not admitting you were late back as the point of the argument is that only the meter clock will know for certain if you were late back or not and that is why it needed to be consulted by the CEO.

If you do have a good mitigating circumstance then use that instead.

It is highly unlikely you will be offered a payment plan to settle £50.00. Normal practice is to only offer a plan where more than one penalty charge is outstanding and the person can prove financial difficulty such as proof of a means tested benefit. However, it is not impossible and they can exercise discretion.