How Can I Get Out Of A PCN In Havering?
Parking fines are issued in cases where drivers have not been able to comply with the traffic or parking restrictions enforced by the council. This article aims to explain how someone can challenge a PCN in Havering Borough Council with supportive evidence to their claim. We will also discuss the potential reasons why PCNs are issued, how they are paid, the time duration one has to pay their PCN and the legal obligations of drivers.
How Can I Get Out Of A PCN In Havering?
While you cannot get out of a PCN in Havering; however, if you believe that you have been incorrectly charged with a Penalty Charge Notice, you can appeal to the council office. You will need to provide them with your personal details, your Vehicle Registration Number and your Penalty Charge Notice number. However, you must make the appeal before paying for the PCN charges; unless your vehicle has been removed due to a violation of parking restrictions.
In the case of a notice left on your vehicle by a traffic warden, you must make your appeal before the date mentioned on the notice for payment of your fine. You will need to use the informal challenge form for this purpose.
If a vehicle owner does not respond to notices left on their car, they will be sent a formal notice termed a Notice To Owner at their postal address. They can make a formal appeal to the council in response to this if they have evidence to prove their claim. Claimants in Havering will need to use a formal representation form for this purpose.
If you want to appeal a PCN charge after your informal challenge has been rejected, you will need to pursue the next steps indicated in your letter of rejection from the 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 Happens After You Appeal Against A PCN?
If your appeal is found to be valid, you will receive a Notice of Acceptance and the charges will be removed. However, if your appeal is rejected, you will receive a Notice of Rejection. You may still contend this through the London Tribunals, however, if you do not pay the charge even after their response, the council can send a debt collection agency to recover the amount.
If your case has been passed to an enforcing agency by the Havering Borough Council for unpaid penalty charges, no appeal can be made at this stage. Payment of the penalty will now be made directly to the enforcement agency.
What Are The Documents That I Need For A PCN Appeal In Havering?
In case of car park charges, you will need to following documents to file an appeal against your PCN in Havering:
- A copy of your season ticket if it allows you to park in the car park.
- A copy of your pay and display ticket if it was claimed not to be shown properly.
- Your booking reference number and mobile phone if you paid through your mobile.
- An explanation of not parking within the lines if that was the issue.
Meanwhile, in the case of on-street parking charges, you will need to provide the following documents:
- A copy of your pay and display ticket if it was claimed to be not shown properly.
- A copy of your parking permit if it was claimed not to be shown properly.
- A copy of your Blue Badge if it was claimed not to be shown properly.
- Proof of purchase from a garage in case your vehicle broke down in the street.
- A letter of confirmation from a medical professional if you had to park on the street due to a medical emergency.
- A copy of the delivery note if you had parked temporarily to make a delivery.
- A copy of the hiring agreement of you had hired your car to someone else.
- Proof of purchase or sale of you did not own the vehicle at the time of incident/notice.
- The police crime reference number and the phone number of the police station in case your vehicle was stolen when the PCN was issued.
- Photographs of the area if the parking space did not have any clear marking or mention of parking restrictions.
Why Is A PCN Issued?
A PCN is issued by council authorities if someone has violated parking laws on public land such as council car park or high street. In addition to parking offences, a PCN can also be charged for breaking traffic rules, failing to follow road signs, or not paying the charges for the London congestion zone or low emission zone.
Depending on the severity of the action, PCN charges can range between £50 to £130 and must be paid within due time.
A PCN or parking fine is issued to vehicle owners either in the form of a notice left on their car windscreen or sent to them through the post.
How Many Days Do I Have To Pay For A PCN?
Once a penalty charge notice is issued by council authorities, you will have 28 days to make the payment and in case the amount is paid within 14 days, you may even get a 50 per cent discount on the fine.
However, whether or not you will be able to make a PCN payment online depends on the following factors:
- The date when the PCN was issued
- The due date for the PCN payment
- The authority who issued the charge
- The amount of charge in GBP
If your PCN is more than 60 days old, you have been issued an ‘Order for Recovery of Unpaid Penalty Charge Notice’ more than 21 days ago or you’ve been issued a bailiff’s letter, you will not be able to make an online payment to clear your PCN charges. In this case, you may have to pay through cheque, postal order or in person at the council post office.
If you do not pay your PCN within 28 days, you will be issued a charge certificate after which you will have 14 days to clear your dues. If you fail to do so, an additional amount of 50 per cent will be added to your PCN charges.
How Do I Pay PCN In Havering?
Paying a Penalty Charge Notice in Havering is easy and convenient as there are many options available, which include the following:
- You can make cashless payments by paying your PCN through a phone call, text message or using the council’s app and your debit or credit card details for PCN payments.
- If you prefer to pay in cash, there are scratch cards available that can be used to make PCN payments. You can also pay through a post office, pay by cheque or postal order to the Council Office.
To be able to make an online payment against your PCN charge, you will need a debit or credit card as well as the 10-digit number that is mentioned at the top of the parking ticket.
The UK government has introduced a specific scheme during Covid-19 to benefit NHS health and social care staff, as well as NHS COVID-19 volunteers/critical care workers; through which parking concessions are available for health, care and volunteer workers. If you fall under any of these categories, you should have a special parking permit and councils will not issue a PCN unless you have parked dangerously.
Do Blue Badge Holders Get Parking Concessions In Havering?
Blue Badge concessions are given to drivers with certain medical conditions in the UK, enabling them to park closer to their destinations. As a Blue Badge holder, you can ask your local council to allocate you a parking space that is close to home.
If you qualify for a Blue Badge, you may be able to park for free in the following locations:
- Unlimited parking on streets with parking meters or pay-and-display machines
- Unlimited parking (unless a time limit is displayed on a sign) in disabled parking bays on streets
- Parking for up to three hours on single or double yellow lines (unless there’s a ‘no loading’ sign)
However, you must keep in mind that having a Blue Badge does not allow claimants to park their car anywhere; they just qualify for certain concessions in specific areas. They will still need to follow parking regulations and can get fined for breaking parking rules.
Conclusion:
You may be able to successfully challenge a PCN if you have evidence in support of your appeal against the charge. However, if you intend to challenge a PCN, you should not make payment for the charge and submit your appeal at the earliest. If you want to appeal a PCN charge after your informal challenge has been rejected, you will need to pursue the next steps indicated in your letter of rejection from the council.
FAQs: How Can I Get Out Of A PCN In Havering?
How do you get away with PCN?
It is not possible to get away with an unpaid PCN as you will be pursued by the authorities to the extent of bailiff visits and court orders. However, if you do not agree with the PCN issued to you, you can appeal against it to council authorities and submit evidence in support of your claim.
How do you write a letter of appeal for PCN?
In writing your letter of appeal for PCN, you will need to mention the date and time when the ticket was issued to you as well as the ticket number and your vehicle registration number. You should state the reasons for your appeal and include any supporting evidence to prove your claim.
How do I challenge a charge certificate?
In order to challenge a charge certificate, you can either place an online appeal on the London Tribunals portal or post a hard copy to the Road User Charging Adjudicators within a period of 28 days.
What happens if you don’t pay a PCN in the UK?
If you don’t pay your PCN within 28 days of the notice being issued, you will be issued a “charge certificate”. This certificate will carry an additional 50 per cent fine added to the original amount. You will have 14 days to make the payment.
Can you get a parking ticket if your car is broken down?
Yes, you can get a parking ticket if your car is broken down and in violation of parking regulations.
References:
Pay a parking ticket or traffic fine
Parking | The London Borough Of Havering
Parking fine enforcement agents | Parking tickets and traffic fines | The London Borough Of Havering
Paying a council car parking fine
Motability, Blue Badge Scheme and discounted travel | MoneyHelper