How Can I Challenge A Huntingdon PCN?
This blog serves to answer the question “How Can I Challenge A Huntingdon PCN?” Your PCN challenge should either convince the Huntingdonshire Council that the contravention never occurred or that it occurred as a result of unforeseen mitigating circumstances which affected your driving abilities. This blog contains step-by-step instructions on how to recover your impounded vehicle from the custody of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
How Can I Challenge A Huntingdon PCN?
You can challenge a Huntingdon PCN by visiting the Huntingdonshire Council website or by writing a formal representation and mailing it to the Huntingdonshire Council Parking Services address. What is more important than deciding how to submit your Huntingdon PCN challenge is to attach proper evidence to support the grounds for your formal representation. This evidence can only be available to you once you are given a PCN if you have made an effort to collect your used pay and display ticket or to record photographs and video clips of your road journeys in Huntingdonshire Council.
A CCTV Bus Lane or CCTV Parking camera may miss out on some of the details which you can provide from a closer angle if you (or someone with you) have made an alternative video of the scene. If you don’t invest some resources and make it a habit of creating a video log of your road trips, precious (potential) evidence will be lost forever. This data should be uploaded to your computer and stored in a separate folder, with the document name mentioning the date stamp from the video or still photograph.
The time and effort given in filming, uploading, and maintaining digital records of your vehicle’s movements and parking status will end up saving you £70 in fines, each time you get a PCN in Huntingdonshire Council.
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.
What is a Penalty Charge Notice?
A Penalty Charge Notice is a monetary penalty issued to drivers or motorists for committing certain traffic contraventions including violating Parking, Bus Lane, and Moving Traffic restrictions. A PCN is issued for failing to follow Parking zone, bus lane enforcement, and moving traffic restrictions mentioned in the Road Traffic Act 1984 and the Traffic Management Act 2004.
A penalty charge notice can be handed to you by a Civil Enforcement Officer or dispatched to your (DVLA) residential address by post. CCTV cameras and Civil Enforcement Officers observe traffic contraventions before a violation is detected and the vehicle is charged with a PCN.
A PCN might also be issued for failing to pay road charges on time. You have 28 days to decide how and if you would like to challenge your Penalty Charge Notice. After 28 days if you have neither paid nor challenged your PCN, you will be sent a charge certificate from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
If you don’t challenge a PCN, you should pay the fine within 28 days, otherwise, its amount will increase by 50%. A £70 PCN will be worth £105 if you pay it in the 14 days after receiving your charge certificate.
What is the procedure for appealing against a Huntingdon PCN?
You can submit a formal representation to your Huntingdon PCN by writing a letter addressed to Huntingdonshire District Council or by filling in the online formal representation form on the official website.
You need to brainstorm reasons to challenge a Huntingdon PCN from the day of the incident and list them down in word processing software or on paper. It is essential to have some authentic evidence to attach with your PCN appeal in the form of video footage of the traffic violation, medical certificates explaining your mitigating circumstances or pay and display tickets.
The evidence must be matched with the grounds for your appeal before describing the incident from your point of view. Your rough formal representation can be edited for clarity multiple times before it is ready to attach to your online appeal to the Huntingdonshire District Council. You need to visit the Huntingdonshire District Council website to submit a formal representation to your PCN. This page allows you to begin a new PCN challenge or to resume your previously written Huntingdon PCN appeal. The online appeals system allows you to save the work you have completed in one session and return to it again when you have more evidence relating to your formal representation or new information regarding your traffic violation.
You have to open this webpage to enter your PCN number, name, address, telephone number, postal code and email. After clicking “Next” you can enter your Vehicle Registration Number, the “date of your offense” and the reasons for your appeal (which must be carefully chosen and backed by authentic evidence). You can also upload evidence relating to your case on the Supporting Document field in the “Parking Ticket and Vehicle Details” section. If a video file is too large and cannot be uploaded to the Huntingdon online formal representation form, you can simply take snapshots from it by using a video editing software or video player to upload as evidence.
It is necessary to upload evidence for each one of the grounds for your PCN challenge to help the Parking Officer understand your point of view. You need to click on “Next” to review your form before ticking a Declaration ( I declare that the information I have provided on this form is accurate). You can allow yourself an extra day before finally submitting the formal representation to make sure that you have got it right.
It is essential to upload authentic evidence material with your PCN challenge to describe your mitigating circumstances to the Huntingdonshire District Council and for explaining your point of view of the events which took place at the traffic violation scene. The text of your appeal must state the relevant contravention code on your PCN and explain how you attempted to avoid the error (supported by photos or video footage).
Once you have proofread your appeal to eliminate any reasons for your challenge which might convey a disregard for traffic contravention codes enforced in the Huntingdonshire council (by mixing up the contraventions) or reasons which involve forgetfulness to justify your actions, you can submit the formal representation.
Another way to send in your Huntingdon PCN challenge is by mail. You can write down a formal representation on paper and attach evidence documents or photographs to the form by using a stapler or paper clip. Your letter should mention your PCN number, date of issue of the PCN, your vehicle registration number, and personal details.
Evidence to support your formal representation can be attached to the form by using a stapler or paper clip. Your PCN appeals form and all accompanying evidence documents (enclosed in an envelope) need to be sent to:
Car Parking Appeals,
Huntingdonshire District Council,
Pathfinder House,
St Mary’s House,
Huntingdon,
Cambs,
PE29 3TN
What Can I Do If My Vehicle has been towed away?
If your vehicle has been towed away from Huntingdonshire District Council you need to call 101 to ask the Cambridgeshire 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 Cambridgeshire Constabulary staff and in case your vehicle has been towed away you will have to visit the Peterborough Police Station to get it released.
At the Peterborough Police Station, you will be required to verify 2 kinds of ID documents such as a passport and a driving licence. 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 Cambridgeshire 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 Peterborough Police Station within 7 days of the date mentioned on your form 3078. The amount of money you will need to unclamp your vehicle includes a £200 release fee and storage charges of £20 per day.
So for example if your vehicle was towed away by a parking company 5 days ago, you will need (£20×5) + £200 = £400 to get it released from the vehicle pound. These vehicle release fees and storage charges are set under The Road Traffic Act 1998 (Retention and Disposal of Seized Motor Vehicles).
You should pay your Huntingdon Parking PCN online before visiting the Petersborough Police Station. But even if you just have £400 with you (for leaving your vehicle in the pound for up to 5 days), you can still pay the amount at the Peterborough Police Station to get your vehicle released before you pay the PCN fine. It is more important to collect your vehicle from the Peterborough Police Station, before paying 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.
You will have to pay your Huntingdon Parking PCN within 14 days when you recover your impounded vehicle, which will cost you only £35. 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.
Once you contact the Cambridgeshire Constabulary by dialling 101 and tell them your vehicle registration number you will be guided to the Peterborough Police Station for recovering your impounded vehicle. The Cambridgeshire Constabulary stores impounded vehicles at the Peterborough Police Station and the Parkside Police Station
You will have to make the payment to release your vehicle from the Peterborough Police Station by visiting the location in person with at least £200 in cash or available as credit on your payment card. The Cambridgeshire Constabulary accepts Visa Card, Master Card, and Maestro Card for the payment of vehicle release and storage charges.
Peterborough Police Station is located at this address :
38 Thorpe Wood,
Longthorpe,
Peterborough PE3 6SD,
Cambridgeshire
You can visit Peterborough Police Station at any time between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday. Peterborough Police station is closed on weekends. Staff from the Cambridgeshire Constabulary will be available at the pound to address your queries and for receiving the payment for 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). After the Cambridgeshire Constabulary staff has verified all these documents, your vehicle seizure notice will be stamped to authorise the release of the vehicle.
You must remember to recover your vehicle from the custody of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary before the 14th day. If you leave your vehicle at the Peterborough Police Station for more than 14 days, it might be crushed or sold by the Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
How can I pay my Huntingdon PCN fine?
You should be aware of the fact that you can only pay your Huntingdon PCN fine online. The PCN fine can be paid online on the Huntingdonshire District Council’s official website (using Visa Card, Master Card, Direct Debit, or Maestro Card) This payment method saves time and is also more precise as your details are entered directly into an electronic database.
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 in Huntingdonshire District Council.
You need to enter your PCN Number, vehicle registration number, address, and PCN fine amount after opening this webpage to initiate the PCN fine payment online. You need to click on “Pay a Parking Fine” on this webpage. On the Huntingdonshire District Council’s Online Payments system, you need to select “Parking fines”. You have to enter your PCN Number, Vehicle Registration Number, name, address, and the payable amount of your PCN fine. On the next page you can enter your payment card details.
You must remember to wait for 24 hours after your PCN is issued before attempting to pay it.
You have to pay your Huntingdon PCN fine within 28 days. You should pay 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 and Moving Traffic PCNs to £35). If you pay your Huntingdon Bus Lane PCN within 21 days, you will have to pay just £35.
How much is the PCN fine for each of the 3 kinds of PCNs served in Huntingdon Council?
A Parking PCN in Huntingdon Council is served for violating higher or lower level parking restrictions. You have to pay £70 for committing a higher level parking contravention and £50 for a lower level parking contravention. If you pay the parking fine within 14 days, you will just be paying £35 or £25 as a 50% discount is applicable to your payment.
For failing to comply with a bus lane contravention code or a moving traffic restriction in Huntingdonshire District Council, you will be charged a £70 Penalty Charge Notice. The 50% early payment discount reduces both these types of PCN fines to £35 if a bus lane PCN is paid within 21 days and a moving traffic PCN is paid within 14 days
What will happen if I don’t pay my Huntingdon PCN within the 28-day limit?
You should not ignore traffic contraventions or the Penalty Charge Notices resulting from them or cultivate a careless attitude towards driving in Huntingdonshire District Council. As per your driving license rules, you are bound to abide by Parking, Bus Lane, and Moving Traffic contravention codes in Huntingdonshire District Council.
If you neither pay your Huntingdon PCN within 28 days nor decide to appeal against it, you will be sent a charge certificate from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. The charge certificate increases your PCN fine by 50%, which means you will be paying £105 (or £75) now. 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 Huntingdonshire District Council.
You will be sent a “Notice of Debt Registration” and a witness certificate from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if you don’t pay the charge certificate amount within 14 days. 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 the county court will have to use additional powers to recover the money from your possession which means employing Enforcement Agents to (contact you or) visit your personal premises.
Can I Dispute A Huntingdon PCN with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if the Huntingdonshire District Council dismisses my appeal?
Yes, you can dispute the decision of the Huntingdonshire District Council in your “Notice of Rejection of Representations” with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal website requires you to enter details given on your Notice of Rejection of Representations, after opening this webpage
You can watch this instructional video here to learn about your challenge process. The video 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 Huntingdonshire District Council (shown on the bottom part of the page).
After clicking on your specific type of Penalty Charge Notice, you should select “England” (Outside London). In the window which opens up, you should click on the orange box which reads “If you don’t agree with the PCN, you can make representations against it”.
After viewing the instructions on the following page, you need to click on “Start your appeal here” at the bottom of the webpage You will then be required to enter your Vehicle Registration Number, the reference number from the “Notice of Rejection” letter from the Huntingdonshire District Council, and your PCN number for which the appeal was rejected on this page.
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 upload a copy of your “Notice of Rejection of Representations” letter to your application by using the Traffic Penalty Tribunal’s online portal.
You can upload evidence such as video clips of your traffic violation scenes (taken from inside your vehicle), medical certificates from a certified General Practitioner, maps of the area showing the exact distance your vehicle travelled inside a no-entry zone, and scanned copies of “pay and display” tickets. You should construct a strong appeals case to communicate your mitigating circumstances or to deliver your assertion that the traffic violation never occurred.
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal should be able to ascertain the legitimacy of your situation by viewing evidence material uploaded to the PCN appeals system.
Your appeal of the “Notice of Rejection of Representations” should be submitted to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal within 28 days of receiving your Notification of Rejection from the Huntingdonshire District Council. You must avail yourself of this chance of a free and independent hearing of your case.
You will be able to contact the Traffic Penalty Tribunal adjudicator during the formulation of your appeal. The result of your appeal will be communicated to you within 14 to 28 days of submitting your representation. If the adjudicator decides the case in your favour, the PCN will be cancelled by Huntingdonshire District Council.
Conclusion
This blog post addressed the question “How Can I Challenge A Huntingdon PCN?” Evidence material that you can use in your Huntingdon PCN challenge must be collected beforehand by recording videos of your road journeys in the council (so that you have the incident on film) and by saving used pay and display tickets. You should not be disheartened if a well-formulated appeal is rejected by the Huntingdonshire Council as you can dispute the “Notice of Rejection” at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal by creating another appeal.