How Can I Challenge A Broxbourne PCN?
This blog serves to answer the question “How Can I Challenge A Broxbourne PCN?” You should formulate a strong appeals case to present to the Broxbourne Borough Council and if needed later to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. This blog explains the procedure for recovering your impounded vehicle from the local police station.
How Can I Challenge A Broxbourne PCN?
A Broxbourne PCN can be challenged online only. Your formal representation to the council must demonstrate awareness of the parking, bus lane or moving traffic contraventions enforced on the road junctions and parking zones in the Broxbourne Borough Council. The reasons in your appeal should not express your spontaneous urge or need to reach somewhere on time that day. Such grounds for appeal will be rejected even at the informal appeals stage.
If you are aware that focusing on picking up your children from school while leaving your vehicle parked on a yellow line or in a restricted area will result in a Parking PCN, you should take the traffic contravention seriously. You can keep a list of Parking, Bus Lane and Moving Traffic contraventions (with traffic signs) with you in your vehicle or even paste it somewhere on your dashboard to help you focus on where you are going and decrease the chances of making a wrong turn.
When you are challenging your Broxbourne PCN, you will realise that as you had made a habit of rehearsing traffic contravention codes in your head, when you got charged for one, it could only have been due to unforeseen or mitigating circumstances.
In many cases, PCNs are not enforceable and you may be able to win your case and avoid having to pay your fine.
You could begin the process by speaking to an online solicitor for as little as £5.
Can I Only Challenge A PCN from the Broxbourne Borough Council on the official website?
Yes, you can only challenge a PCN from the Broxbourne Borough Council on the official website. This website can be accessed by clicking here
Your Broxbourne PCN appeal can be initiated by clicking here. On this webpage you need to enter your PCN number and Vehicle Registration number and click “”Search” to start your PCN challenge. . This payments and appeals service has the same account so you must be careful not to click on the PCN payment option after you log in.
You can view CCTV camera footage of your traffic contravention before constructing your PCN appeal.The reasons for you disputing the PCN must be listed down on paper first and explained using the wording of relevant traffic regulations. These reasons need to be formally compiled into an appeals letter to be submitted to the Broxbourne Borough Council along with any material evidence.
So you can take 3 to 4 days for recollecting your thoughts about the traffic violation incident and even check your vehicle to recall the position in which it was parked that day. If you were driving with a passenger, their observations of the scene from the back seat of your vehicle could also help you to explain exactly what happened. Evidence including photos and videos can be attached online using the Broxbourne Borough Council website
You have to make the challenge to your PCN within 28 days of recieving it.
If the Broxbourne Borough Council accepts your PCN appeal, the PCN will be annulled and you will not be liable for paying any monetary penalty. In case the council sends you a “Notice of Rejection” by disapproving of your representation you will have to pay the amount mentioned on your PCN.
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What is a Penalty Charge Notice?
A Penalty Charge Notice is a fine or monetary penalty for driving violations. A PCN can be issued in response to any traffic contravention such as a parking contravention, a moving traffic contravention or a bus lane violation.
A PCN may be issued by a Civil Enforcement Officer or by CCTV. You will be given 28 days to respond to a PCN. If you don’t pay the PCN within 28 days you will be issued a charge certificate.
A charge certificate will increase the PCN penalty amount by 50% of its original value.
What Can I Do If My Vehicle has been towed away?
If your vehicle has been towed away in Broxbourne Borough Council you need to call 101 to ask the Hertfordshire Constabulary about the matter. If your vehicle was towed away for violating your driving license rules, you should have received a form 3078 (seizure notice) by post. Your inquiry will be addressed by the Hertfordshire police staff and in case your vehicle has been towed away you will have to visit the Hatfield police station to get it released.
Next, you will be required to verify 2 kinds of ID documents such as a passport and a driving licence at the vehicle pound. You could also use 2 other combinations of documents such as your original birth certificate and your vehicle registration certificate. You should also have the insurance certificate for your vehicle and your V5C vehicle registration certificate (with you) unless this has already been used as one of the 2 ID documents.
Vehicles are seized by the Hertfordshire Constabulary under Section 165 A or the Road Traffic Act 1988 due to a violation of your driving license rules. You must remember to visit the vehicle pound within 7 days of the date mentioned on your form 3078. The amount of money you will need to unclamp your vehicle includes a £150 release fee and storage charges of £20 per day. So for example if your vehicle was towed away by a parking company 3 days ago, you will need (£20×3) + £150 = £210 to get it released from the vehicle pound. This vehicle release and storage charges are set under The Road Traffic Act 1998 (Retention and Disposal of Seized Motor Vehicles).
You should pay your Parking PCN online before collecting the vehicle from the pound at Hatfield police station. But even if you just have £162 or £210 with you (for leaving your vehicle in the pound for up to 3 days), you can still pay the amount at the vehicle pound and claim your vehicle. It is more important to collect your vehicle from the Hatfield police station than to pay your PCN fine because storage fees of £20 are being added every day and your vehicle will no longer be in the vehicle pound after 14 days.
Your vehicle pound charges can vary so it is best to get it removed from there as soon as possible. For each week your vehicle is left in the pound you will have to pay £140 extra storage charges.
The 3 vehicle pounds which the Hertfordshire Constabulary uses for storing impounded vehicles are the Hatfield, Stevenage and Watford police stations. Once you contact the Hertfordshire Constabulary by dialling 101 and tell them your vehicle registration number you will be guided to the Hatfield Police station for recovering your impounded vehicle.
You will have to make the payment to release your vehicle from the Hatfield police station by visiting the location in person with at least £150 in cash or available as credit on your payment card. The Hertfordshire Police accepts Visa Card, Master Card, Maestro Card, and Solo Card for the payment of vehicle release and storage charges.
This Hatfield pound is located at this address :
Cornet Way,
Hatfield,
Hertfordshire AL10 9SJ,
You can visit the Hatfield Police Station at any time between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The Hatfield vehicle pound is open only on Saturdays and Sundays. Staff from the Hertfordshire Constabulary will be available at the pound to address your queries and for receiving the vehicle release charges.
You should have the 2 ID Documents, a copy of form 3078, , your vehicle’s MOT certificate, and your vehicle registration certificate (if this is not your ID document).
If your vehicle has been towed away you need to go to the vehicle pound with a cash payment or payment card for payment of vehicle release charges and any vehicle storage expenses (incurred by the vehicle pound). Next, you need to pay the required charges and your vehicle is free. You must remember to recover your vehicle within 7 days from the vehicle pound. If you leave it there for more than 14 days your vehicle might be scrapped or recycled.
How much is the PCN fine for each of the 3 kinds of PCNs served in Broxbourne Borough Council?
The 3 kinds of PCNs served in Broxbourne Borough Council are a Parking PCN, a Bus Lane PCN and a Moving Traffic PCN.
The Penalty Charge Notice fine for a Broxbourne Borough Council Parking PCN is set at £70 for a higher level traffic violation and £50 for a lower level traffic violation. A 50% discount applies to early payment so If you pay your higher level parking PCN within 14 days, you just have to pay £35. Similarly, if you pay your lower level parking PCN within 21 days, you just have to pay just £25.
If you pay a Bus Lane PCN within 28 days, you will be charged £70 and if you pay it within 21 days, you just have to pay £35. The PCN fine for a moving traffic PCN in Broxbourne Borough Council is £70. There is a 50% discount for paying it within 14 days, which reduces the fine to £35.
How can I pay a PCN from Broxbourne Borough Council?
You should be aware of the fact that you can only pay a PCN from the Broxbourne Borough Council, online. The PCN fine can be paid online on the Broxbourne Borough Council’s official website (using Visa Card, Master Card, Direct Debit or Maestro Card) This payment method saves time and is also more precise. If you were looking for a postal order payment option or a choice for paying your PCN fine via the council’s telephone hotline, you might be disappointed to learn that these options are unavailable for a Broxbourne PCN.
If you want to pay online, you have to enter your PCN number and your vehicle registration number along with your payment card details. You need to click on “Search” after opening this webpage to initiate the PCN fine payment online.
To complete your fine submission online you also have to enter your payment card details in the next window after viewing your PCN evidence and details. You must remember to wait for 24 hours after your PCN is issued before attempting to pay it.
You must pay your PCN fine within 28 days.You should pay the fine before 14 days if you don’t want to miss out on the 50% early payment discount (which reduces Parking PCNs to £35 or £25, Bus Lane and Moving Traffic PCNs to £35)
What will happen if I don’t pay my Broxbourne PCN within the 28-day limit?
If you fail to pay your Broxbourne PCN within the 28-day limit you will be sent a charge certificate from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. The charge certificate increases your PCN fine by 50%. You should pay the charge certificate within 14 days as it cannot be appealed and ignoring the charge certificate may result in the filing of a court order (for recovery of debts) against you by the Broxbourne Borough Council.
When the charge certificate is also not paid within 14 days, you will receive a “Notice of Debt Registration” and a witness certificate from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. The unpaid amount will be treated as a debt with the Traffic Enforcement Centre at the Northampton County Court.
The court order for debt recovery enforces that the charge certificate amount must be paid in full within 21 days or it will have to use additional powers to recover the money from your possession.
Can I Dispute A PCN from the Broxbourne Borough Council with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if the council dismisses my appeal?
Yes, you can dispute the decision of the Broxbourne Borough Council in your “Notice of Rejection of Representations” with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. For this, you can use the Traffic Penalty Tribunal’s website by clicking this link
You can watch this instructional video here to learn about your challenge process. It clearly explains how to use the online service offered by the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. On the Traffic Penalty Tribunal webpage, you will first have to select the type of PCN you were served by the Broxbourne Borough Council(shown on the bottom part of the page) .
You will then be required to enter your Vehicle Registration Number, the reference number from the “Notice of Rejection” letter from the Broxbourne Borough Council, and your PCN number for which the appeal was rejected.
This challenge to an appeal dismissal by the Broxbourne Borough Council can only be made online. You can use the online service to challenge multiple “Notices of Rejection” simultaneously. You will require a valid email address to create an account on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal website. You have to attach a copy of your “Notice of Rejection of Representations” letter to your application by using the Traffic Penalty Tribunal’s online portal.
Scanned copies of evidence to strengthen your case such as a pay and display ticket or photographs of the scene can be added along with your explanation. The explanation of your case should be well worded and convince the tribunal of an error on the part of Broxbourne Borough Council in adjudicating your case.
You will be able to contact the Traffic Penalty Tribunal adjudicator during the registration of your appeal. The result of your appeal will be communicated to you within 14-28 days of submission. If the adjudicator decides the case in your favour, the PCN will be cancelled by the Broxbourne Borough Council.
Conclusion
This blog post addressed the question “How Can I Challenge A Broxbourne PCN?” A PCN served in the Broxbourne Borough Council can only be challenged online, which means that you should have a folder on your computer with some evidence for mitigating circumstances such as medical certificates and a digital compilation of all your pay and display tickets. It can be nearly impossible to search for and upload accurate evidence documents online within10 to 14 days if you don’t preserve the data beforehand.
Citations
Hertfordshire Constabulary Seized Vehicles
The Road Traffic Act 1998 (Retention and Disposal of Seized Motor Vehicles) Regulations 2008
Broxbourne Borough Council Parking Management Strategy October 2018