How Can I Challenge A Salford PCN?
This blog serves to answer the question “How Can I Challenge A Salford PCN?” The wording of a PCN challenge should be formal and direct, clearly mentioning your mitigating circumstances or directly stating that the traffic contravention never occurred (which should be clearly shown by authentic video footage from the scene). You can also dispute your Notice of Rejection of Representations at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, where the same grounds for appeal backed by authentic evidence might be accepted.
How Can I Challenge A Salford PCN?
You can simply challenge a Salford City PCN by composing a PCN appeal which mentions your mitigating circumstances such as a medical emergency or a PCN appeal suggesting that the traffic contravention never occurred. These grounds for your appeal need to be carefully thought over and matched with available evidence material before being mentioned in your formal representation. You should not state reasons in your challenge which cannot be proven by the evidence in your possession.
It is advisable to take 3 or 4 days to carefully select these grounds for your appeal by studying the relevant contravention code and by gradually recalling the events which took place on the scene of the traffic violation. Evidence for attaching with your PCN challenge can only exist if you create a habit of preserving pay and display tickets and recording video clips of your road journeys in Salford City Council. This video footage can be filmed by a friend or family member travelling with you in your vehicle.
Your formal representation letter should not state any grounds which indicate a lack of knowledge of enforced parking, bus lane or moving traffic contraventions or which suggest forgetfulness on your part.
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. Traffic contraventions are observed by CCTV cameras and Civil Enforcement Officers 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 Salford PCN?
You need to begin your PCN challenge by recalling the events which led to your traffic violation and by listing down any mitigating circumstances which affected your actions that day. Only events and mitigating circumstances which can be explained by using photo or video evidence or other documents such as medical certificates (already in your possession) should be considered as grounds for an appeal.
Some details might occur to you a day or two after the incident as the information sinks in to reveal minute details. It is advisable to allow yourself upto 4 days for carefully reviewing all the facts regarding your Parking, Bus Lane or moving traffic contravention. If you are sure that the relevant contravention code was never breached, you can simply attach photo or video evidence or an (authentic) written statement from a bystander present at the scene with your Salford City PCN challenge.
You need to visit the Salford City Council website to submit a formal representation to your PCN. You can also open this webpage and click on “formal representation” to open a new window. Here you can enter your PCN number, Vehicle Registration Number and a web code mentioned on your Penalty Charge Notice before clicking on “Continue” to view your PCN details. After this you can type in your formal representation and upload evidence documents.
It is essential to upload authentic evidence material with your PCN challenge to describe your mitigating circumstances to the Salford City Council and for explaining your point of view of the events which took place on the traffic violation scene. The text of your appeal must state the relevant contravention code on your Salford 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 Salford City 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 Salford City 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 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 Salford City 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.
You should remember to still view your PCN details online (by entering your PCN number and vehicle registration number) before writing your Salford PCN appeal. Your PCN appeals form and all accompanying evidence documents (enclosed in an envelope) need to be sent to:
Salford City Council,
Civic Centre,
Chorley Road,
Swinton,
Salford,
M27 5FJ
If Salford City 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.
How much is the PCN fine for each of the 3 kinds of PCNs served in Salford City Council?
A Parking PCN in the Salford City 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 Salford City 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.
How Can I Pay a PCN in Salford City Council?
You can pay a PCN in Salford City Council on the online payments page, by sending a check or postal order through the mail or by calling on the Salford City Council automated payments hotline.
If you choose to pay your PCN online, you should visit the Salford City PCN (parking and bus lane) payments page. Here, you can enter your PCN number and click on “Validate” to initiate your PCN fine payment. In the next step of paying your PCN, you need to simply enter your payment card details to pay the Penalty Charge Notice. Salford City Council accepts Visa Card, Master Card, Visa Electron Card and Maestro Card for PCN payments.
You might want to call on the Salford City council’s automated payments hotline. For this you have to call on 0300 456 0645. On the call you will need to enter your PCN number and vehicle registration number. You can use the * key to enter the letters in your PCN number. This payment hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You should wait to receive a confirmation code for your PCN payment before ending the call.
You can also pay your Salford PCN by sending a check or postal order payable to “Salford City Council”. You also need to attach the payment slip in your “Notice To Owner” document to this payment. The check or postal order should have your PCN number and Vehicle Registration Number written at the back. This payment needs to be sent to:
Parking Services,
PO Box 491,
Manchester M28 8DU
What will happen if I don’t pay my Salford PCN within the 28-day limit?
Your Salford City PCN must not be taken lightly as it will be enforced by the council even if you try to evade the payment. It is your responsibility as a driver using the roads of Salford City Council to follow Parking, Bus Lane and Moving traffic contravention codes.
If you fail to pay your North Tyneside 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 Salford City 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 the county court will have to use additional powers to recover the money from your possession.
Can I Dispute A Salford PCN with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal if the Salford City Council dismisses my appeal?
Yes, you can dispute the decision of the Salford City 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 Salford City 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 Salford City 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 Salford Council. You must avail 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 14-28 days of submitting your representation. If the adjudicator decides the case in your favour, the PCN will be cancelled by the Salford City Council.
Conclusion
This blog post addressed the question “How Can I Challenge A Salford PCN?” You should keep a video log of your road journeys from the past one or two months in a folder on your computer to use as evidence challenging PCNs where the traffic violation never happened. PCN appeals sent by mail should allow 3 to 5 days for being delivered to Salford City Council.