How Can I Challenge A River and Wolds PCN?
This blog serves to answer the question “How Can I Challenge A River and Wolds PCN?” Actively collecting and preserving evidence such as video recordings filmed from inside your vehicle, copies of parking permits or medical certificates to justify mitigating circumstances can save you the embarrassment of being unable to add any proof to back the grounds of your formal representation.
This evidence forms the cornerstone of your River and Wolds PCN challenge and needs to be supported by a professionally worded explanation of your mitigating circumstances or a clear rejection of the charge which says that the contravention never occurred.
How Can I Challenge A River and Wolds PCN?
You can challenge a River and Wolds PCN by writing a PCN challenge and sending it by mail to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council CPE address or by filling in the online formal representation form on the East Riding of Yorkshire council website.
The Yorkshire Wolds are the low-lying hills in the East Riding of Yorkshire and these villages with the waterways running between them collectively form the area known as “River and Wolds”, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council is responsible for serving and dealing with Penalty Charge Notices in this entire region. So a River and Wolds PCN is actually an East Riding of Yorkshire PCN.
The East Riding of Yorkshire Council will also decide the result of your PCN challenge and will either choose to withdraw your PCN or send you a Notice of Rejection of Representations.
Whether you send in your PCN challenge by mail or submit your appeal on the online formal representation form, it is the quality and authenticity of your evidence material that determines the success or failure of your claim.
This evidence may consist of medical certificates, pay and display tickets, authentic photographs or video footage of the traffic violation. It is necessary to preserve this evidence in digital form to keep it readily available for uploading with your PCN appeal. So you should regularly record your road journeys in the East Riding of Yorkshire as every day’s recording matters.
A family member or friend travelling with you can operate the digital camera or camcorder (which has a powerful digital zoom feature) to timely capture precious evidence relating to your potential traffic contravention. If you miss out this evidence, there is no other way of explaining your point of view regarding the alleged traffic violation or of arguing that the contravention never occurred (as the CCTV shows it did).
You should also create a habit of memorising the traffic contravention codes enforced at different parking zones, road junctions and bus lanes along your daily route by matching them with their location. So when you stop at a road junction and see the sign in front of you, the name of the road you have to turn into (or should not turn into) should connect with its traffic contravention code in your head, say Code 32 which enforces one-way traffic.
You can always check the road signs in front of you but unless your mind understands beforehand how you have to drive your vehicle at the location or road turning, it can be risky to react to a traffic sign symbol within seconds without any prior preparation.
Many times drivers have their thoughts occupied with work-related or other worries and this leads to a traffic violation where the only possible grounds for your appeal can be forgetfulness. So storing contravention codes in your subconscious mind can (indirectly) provide you with an acceptable range of options for contesting your PCN.
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 14 days after receiving your charge certificate.
What is the procedure for appealing against a River and Wolds PCN?
You can submit a formal representation to your River and Wolds PCN by writing a letter addressed to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council or by filling in the online formal representation form on the council’s official website.
You need to brainstorm reasons for challenging a River and Wolds 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 East Riding of Yorkshire Council. You need to visit the East Riding of Yorkshire Council website to submit a formal representation to your River and Wolds PCN. You have to open this webpage to enter your PCN (Notice) number, your Vehicle Registration Number, and a Web Code mentioned on your Penalty Charge Notice. You need to click on “Continue” to view your PCN details before filling in the online appeals form.
It is essential to upload authentic evidence material with your PCN challenge to describe your mitigating circumstances to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and for explaining your point of view of the events which took place at the traffic violation scene. If you made a video clip of your traffic contravention, you should save snapshots from it by using a video player or video editing software.
Most video players such as VLC player allow you to slow down your video frame by frame and thus take ( a collection of) snapshots to attach with your River and Wolds PCN challenge.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 East Riding of Yorkshire Council (by mixing up the contraventions) or reasons which involve forgetfulness to justify your actions, you can submit the formal representation.
You can also submit an informal representation to your River and Wolds PCN (CCTV Bus Lane PCN or Parking PCN served by a CEO) by accessing your PCN details here. To access the form you need to enter your PCN (Notice) number and vehicle registration number.
You have to fill out the informal representation form by typing your full name, email address, and the contents of your informal representation. Once you are sure that you have constructed a strong appeals case to make the council grant you a formal representation, you can send your form. The informal appeals stage is applicable to PCNs sent by post.
Another way to send in your River and Wolds PCN challenge is by mail. You can write a formal representation to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council on pages 3 and 4 of your “Notice to Owner” document. This handwritten appeal should be composed gradually by incorporating all the available evidence material to support the grounds for your challenge and should be able to convince the council of your mitigating circumstances (or other acceptable reasons).
Your letter should mention your PCN number, the 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 using a stapler or paper clip. Your PCN appeals form and all accompanying evidence documents (enclosed in an envelope) need to be sent to:
East Riding of Yorkshire Council CPE,
PO Box 294,
Beverley,
HU17 6FB
How can I pay my River and Wolds PCN fine?
It is best to make your River and Wolds PCN fine payment online on the East Riding of Yorkshire council website using Visa Card, Master Card, Direct Debit, or Maestro Card. This method saves time and is also more precise.
To pay your PCN, you are required to visit the East Riding Of Yorkshire Council website and navigate to the “Payment Reference Entry” page under the title Car Parking fines (which can be entered into the website’s search bar). You need to enter your PCN (Notice) number and your Vehicle Registration Number after opening the East Riding Civil Enforcement webpage to initiate the PCN fine payment online. After this, you can click on “Continue”. To complete your fine submission online you also have to enter your payment card details in the next window. You must remember to wait for 24 hours after your PCN is issued before attempting to pay it.
But if you want to pay by post you need to attach a check or postal order payable to “East Riding of Yorkshire Council” and send it to this address:
East Riding of Yorkshire Council CPE,
PO Box 294,
Beverley,
HU17 6FB
You should remember to write down your PCN number and Vehicle Registration Number on the back of your check or postal order.
Your River and Wolds PCN fine is also payable by telephone. You need to dial the following number to connect to East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s payments system: 0300 330 15 15. and enter your PCN number by using a * sign for the letters in the code. After this, you will have to enter your payment card details. This automated payments service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You should wait to receive a confirmation code before ending your call.
How much is the PCN fine for each of the 3 kinds of PCNs served in the East Riding of Yorkshire Council?
A Parking PCN in the East Riding of Yorkshire 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 the East Riding of Yorkshire 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 River and Wolds 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 East Riding of Yorkshire Council. As per your driving license rules, you are bound to abide by Parking, Bus Lane, and Moving Traffic contravention codes in the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
If you neither pay your River and Wolds 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 East Riding of Yorkshire 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 or 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 River and Wolds PCN with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if the East Riding of Yorkshire Council dismisses my appeal?
Yes, you can dispute the decision of the East Riding of Yorkshire 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 East Riding of Yorkshire 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 East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and your PCN number for which the appeal was rejected.
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.
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 the East Riding of Yorkshire Council in adjudicating your case.
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 East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
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 East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Conclusion
This blog post addressed the question “How Can I Challenge A River and Wolds PCN?”As a driver, you need to be aware of Parking Zone, Bus Lane, and Moving Traffic contravention codes enforced in the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and create a mental map by linking each code with the location where it is enforced (the relevant codes will show up in your head whenever you drive by the road junction or enter a parking zone). Once you preemptively eliminate any reasons indicating forgetfulness for your traffic violation, you can only end up with a PCN which can easily be challenged by mentioning your mitigating circumstances or simply by showing that the contravention didn’t occur.