According to independent research, 129,667 PCNs were issued in Bexley between 2019 and 2020 making it one of the leading councils where PCNs are issued. Through this article, we will explore the modes of payment of your PCN, should you be issued one in Bexley. Additionally, we will also discuss the details of a PCN, the reasons why it is issued to drivers and how you can appeal against it if you believe you were issued one in error.

How Do I Pay PCN In Bexley?

You can use any of the following methods to pay a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) in Bexley:

pay by phone by placing a call on 0330 088 3736
pay by post by sending a cheque or postal order
pay in cash at the Erith Library

In case of either choice of mode of payment, you will need to provide the PCN number mentioned on your parking ticket. If you have lost your PCN, you can fill out the Parking Enquiry Form by mentioning your vehicle registration details and the date when the charge was issued (if you remember it correctly).

When you visit the PCN Portal you will be asked to enter the registration number of your vehicle along with the PCN ticket number; indicated by XL followed by 8 characters. This will lead you to the details of the contravention along with photographic evidence of the incident. You can choose to pay or challenge the charge at this stage. If you pay the PCN and then decide to challenge the charge, your appeal may not be effective.

If you believe that you have been charged in error, you should visit the PCN portal on the Bexley Council website to confirm the evidence that has been filed in support of your charge. If you still intend to challenge the PCN, you appeal online through the council’s website.

If you appeal before a Notice of Enforcement has been issued to your name, it will be termed as an “Informal Challenge”; in response to which an officer will review your case file and subsequently issue a Notice of Acceptance or Rejection through the post.

If you challenge the PCN after a Notice of Enforcement has been received by you (this happens when you do not pay the PCN by the indicated date on the ticket) or your previous challenge has been rejected, this will be termed as a “Formal Representation”. In this case, an officer will review your file even if this is your first appeal or if your previous appeal has been rejected. You will receive a Letter of Acceptance or Rejection after the review.

At the next stage, you can either pay the charge due or submit a Witness Statement or Statutory Declaration to the Traffic Enforcement Centre at Northampton County Court. In case of a lack of supportive evidence on the applicant’s part, an Enforcement Agent will be appointed to recover the PCN amount from the applicant.

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.

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 and 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.

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.

Can I Appeal Against A PCN?

Yes, if you believe that you have been incorrectly charged with Penalty Charge Notice, you can appeal to your local council office with your Vehicle Registration Number and 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.

If a vehicle owner does not respond to notices left on their car, they will be sent a formal notice termed as a Notice To Owner. They can make a formal appeal to the council in response to this if they have evidence to prove their claim.

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.

How Do I Appeal Against PCN?

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. In case of car park charges, you will need to following documents to file an appeal:

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.

What Are The Legal Obligations Of Drivers?

Legal obligations of drivers include the following:

the vehicle should be registered with DVLA
the vehicle must be roadworthy
the owner must have paid their current vehicle tax
the owner must have a current mot certificate
the owner must have a minimum of third party insurance

Car owners are also required to inform the DVLA in case of the following:

a change in the owner’s name or gender
new contact details including address
in case of a medical condition of the driver
major alterations to the vehicle
sale of the vehicle

Do Blue Badge Holders Get Parking Concessions?

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.

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)

Conclusion:

According to this article, the Council of Bexley is among the top 10 councils that generated council revenue through parking fines. The total amount collected between 2019 and 2020 is £4.36 million. Through the detailed discussion above, we have come to learn about the reasons why PCNs are issued by councils and how you can pay such fines. However, should you have evidence that a parking fine has been issued to you in error, you can appeal to your council and avoid making the payment until you receive a response from authorities.

FAQs: How Do I Pay PCN In Bexley?

How do I pay PCN in London?

To pay a PCN in London, you can choose to pay by phone or through the post. If you have been issued a PCN by a local council, payment must be made to them directly.

What happens if you don’t pay a PCN in the UK?

If you don’t pay your PCN within 28 days, you will be issued a charge certificate and granted 14 days to make the payment. However, an additional 50 per cent will be added to your original charge.

Is a PCN a criminal fine?

No, a PCN is not a criminal fine. It is merely a violation of parking regulations that are accounted for by council authorities.

What happens if you forget to pay the congestion charge?

If you don’t pay the congestion charge by midnight of the third day that you were in the zone, you can expect that PCN will be issued to your name by the relevant council authorities.

Can bailiffs force entry for parking fines?

No, bailiffs will not force entry into your house to collect parking fines. They only visit between 6 am to 9 pm and you can speak to them at your door.