Paying a parking fine

I've received a parking fine, what should I do?

If you've received a parking fine, also known as a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), you have 28 days to pay. If you pay within 14 days of the date of issue, you'll receive a 50% discount. After 14 days, the full amount is due.

Please do not ignore a parking fine, or any documentation we send you in connection with it.

Appealing against a parking fine

Please note that there is currently a backlog of up to four weeks in processing Penalty Charge Notice challenges. Customers will still receive the 14 day discount period from when a decision is made in writing if their challenge is unsuccessful. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the parking team on 01256 845709.

If you believe the PCN was issued incorrectly or that there are special circumstances we should consider, you must contact us as soon as possible. Please review the PCN and photographic evidence online before submitting your formal or informal appeal.

If you intend to submit an appeal against a PCN, please do not make payment first as this will be regarded as your acceptance of liability for the penalty charge.

Appeals cannot be accepted by phone. You can:

• appeal online
• appeal by letter addressed to the Parking team, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, London Road, Basingstoke, RG21 4AH
• appeal by email to parking@basingstoke.gov.uk

Please quote the 10-digit PCN number (beginning with either BG or PA) and provide as much information as you can. Include copies of any supporting documentation with your appeal. Please provide your email address or full name and address so that we can let you know our decision.

We will fully consider every appeal. Unless exceptional circumstances are involved, the following reasons are not normally accepted as grounds to cancel a PCN:

• Not being able to find anywhere else to park.
• Only stopping for a few minutes and not causing a problem to anyone.
• Disagreement with parking/waiting restrictions at this location.
• Not seeing signs highlighting restrictions.
• Not checking the expiry time on your ticket.
• Being given false information by a third party.
• Car being used by a third party who is then refusing to pay.
• Delayed by queues in the shop/bank/post office.
• Meetings/appointments overrunning.
• Inability to pay.

If we agree to cancel your PCN having taken particular circumstances into account, we may not cancel any further PCNs in similar circumstances.

If you appeal within 14 days of the PCN being issued and your challenge is rejected, you will be given 14 days to pay the PCN at the discounted amount.

The Enforcement process

We process PCNs in accordance with the Traffic Management Act 2004, which sets out the procedures to be followed from issuing a PCN to recovery of monies due. Below is the process we follow if you do not pay your PCN in 28 days.

Notice to owner (NTO)

If the PCN is not paid in 28 days, we can send a NTO. The owner/hirer of the vehicle is liable for any PCN issued even if they were not driving on the date the PCN was issued. The NTO allows the vehicle owner/hirer to make a formal appeal against the PCN. An appeal can be submitted even if we have previously rejected an appeal made by the vehicle driver before the NTO was issued. Appeals or payment of the penalty charge must be made within 28 days following receipt of the NTO. If no response to the NTO is made within 28 days, we can serve the vehicle owner/hirer with a charge certificate, this increases the PCN by 50%.

If an appeal is made, we will consider the points raised and also review information (including photographs) taken by the civil enforcement officer when the PCN was issued.

If the appeal is accepted, the vehicle owner will be advised that the PCN and the NTO have been cancelled.

Notice of rejection

If the appeal is rejected, we will send a notice of rejection of representations. This will explain why the PCN cannot be cancelled. We will also explain how a further appeal may be made to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (an independent arbitration service). The case will be considered and a decision will be made whether the PCN is to be cancelled. There is no charge for appealing to the Tribunal.

Further information on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal can be found on their website.

Charge certificate

When a charge certificate is served, the vehicle owner/hirer has 14 days from receipt of the charge certificate to pay the fine. There is no legal right of appeal at this stage against the PCN, but we may be able to exercise discretion and cancel the PCN if there are grounds to do so. If payment is not made in 14 days following receipt of the charge certificate, we can register the PCN at the Traffic Enforcement Centre at Northampton County Court which will result in a £8 court registration fee. The vehicle owner will then receive an order for recovery of unpaid penalty charge.

If the penalty charge remains unpaid 21 days after service of the order for recovery, we will seek a warrant from the court to be served, which will be passed to an enforcement agent. The enforcement agent will be entitled to recover his own costs incurred in executing the warrant in addition to the penalty charge due to the council.