Parking Ticket

[jedimistress]

If I want to appeal a parking ticket do I pay court costs if I lose?

[Ethel]

Costs are usually added, so yes.

[jedimistress]

Do you have an idea of how much these wil be?

[Ethel]

It depends on who issued the ticket really - a police officer or police traffic warden; a council parking attendant or one of these private firms.

As a rough guide the additional costs would be between �30 and �100. Probably around �60.

[JudgeJ]

In England and Wales most parking regulations were decriminalised under the Road Traffic Act 1991. These regulations are now enforced by parking attendants employed by local authorities who issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).

Appeals against PCNs are handled by a process which does not involve the courts. In the first instance you must make a representation to the authority which issued the ticket. If your representation is unsuccessful you can appeal to the National Parking Adjudication Service (or the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service in London). Here an independent adjudicator will rule on your case. There is right of appeal against this decision only in very exceptional circumstances. Also, in all but very exceptional circumstances no costs are awarded against either party to the appeal.

If your appeal is unsuccessful you will be given a further 28 days to pay before the issuing authority recommences its usual enforcement process. This could ultimately lead to them taking steps to recover the debt via the County Court. If your case reaches this stage you no longer have right of appeal against the original PCN and will have to pay any County Court charges involved in the debt recovery.

None of this applies to parking tickets issued by the police or police-employed traffic wardens. Different arrangements also apply to council-issued �Excess Charge Notices� or �Standard Charge Notices�.