Appealing a parking ticket

Summary

You need to take the following steps to appeal an ECN. You have at least 7 days to make an appeal. It’s free to appeal and the ECN will tell you how. You can usually get a 50% discount if you pay soon after your informal appeal is rejected. It's a good idea to pay at this point if the council have a strong reason for objecting your appeal. If your appeal’s rejected and you don’t pay, the council can take you to the Magistrates’ Court. You can tell the court why you don’t think you have to pay. If the court decides against you, your credit rating might be affected and you might also have to pay court costs. Contact your nearest Citizens Advice for help if you can't afford to pay your ECN. Take the following steps to appeal a Parking Charge Notice: If the parking company put the ticket on your car and it isn’t an ATA member, don’t contact them unless they write to you first. They probably won’t be able to find your details - only ATA members can get your name and address from the DVLA. Check the British Parking Association (BPA) or International Parking Community (IPC) websites to see if a parking company is a member of an ATA. You can also call the BPA on 01444 447 300 to check if.

Key information

• •a valid pay and display ticket
• •photos of signs that are hard to see or understand, or where the information is misleading
• •a letter from someone who was with you saying what happened – write ‘Witness statement’ at the top of this
• •a repair note, if your car broke down
• •permission from the landowner
• •you’ll have to pay the fine, which could go up by then
• •you might have to pay court costs - these could be expensive
• •you won’t have to pay the fine
• •the parking company might have to pay court costs
• •what will happen if you don’t pay
• •how to appeal against the charge
• •a photo to show road markings or signs were confusing

Practical guidance

• •Source: [Appealing a parking ticket](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/parking-tickets/appealing-a-parking-ticket/)

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