FINE LINE
Can I use somebody else’s parking ticket in a car park?
Plus what to do if you lose your ticket
SOME drivers will pass on their ticket in a car park if they still have time left on it.
But this is a risky route to go down as it could lead to legal action being taken against you. Here are the reasons why.
1
Can I be fined for using somebody else's parking ticket in a car park?
A council or private company may say tickets are not transferable between vehicles unless specified.
The reason for this is to prevent people who have been caught without a ticket from borrowing a valid one and then claiming at an appeal that it fell off the dashboard.
But questions arise when a paid-for ticket is transferred to another driver in the car park because it still has time left on it.
It is not clear whether the parking charges apply to a particular car or if the price covers the space and time any vehicle is parked.
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There does not appear to be any legal precedent for enforcing a “transferred ticket”, given as an act of kindness, through the courts.
In these scenarios it is always worth taking legal advice before challenging any ticket you may have received.
However, some car parking machines now make the driver enter their licence plate details, as a way to prevent people passing their tickets on to others.
How much can I be fined for not having a parking ticket?
The fines vary from one council to another, but most will give you 28 days to pay before it increases.
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The cost also depends on what type of ticket it is and who issued it, but penalty charge notices are usually £70 or £130 in London.
Drivers who break the parking regulations are usually issued with a penalty charge notice (PCN).
I'm a traffic warden - there are three ways to challenge parking tickets… you could save £100s by saying the right thing
You usually have 28 days to pay.
In some cases, the fine is reduced if you pay within 14 days.
If you lose your ticket, contact the ticket issuer to find out how to pay.
If you think there is a reasonable reason which makes a ticket unfair, it is worth your time to gather evidence and make a dispute against it"
LeaseCar.uk
If you do not pay a PCN within 28 days, you’ll get a "charge certificate" and you’ll have 14 days to pay the original fine plus 50% more.
You can appeal a fine.
What to do if you decide to appeal...
These are the steps you should take:
- Hold off paying your parking ticket immediately if you want to appeal the charge
- Check how long you have to challenge the ticket
- Make an initial appeal to the ticket issuer by phone, post or email, including supporting evidence like photos which show the parking signs weren’t clear
- Write a further appeal if your ticket issuer has a formal complaints procedure in place. Some ticket issuers belong to independent appeal schemes which provide a free and impartial service
- Pay your parking ticket if your appeal is turned down - you could be hit with further costs if you don’t
Whatever you do, don't just ignore the fine as you'll end up having to pay more and could even be taken to court.
Motoring experts at LeaseCar.uk have shared their top tips to challenge any parking fine you feel is unfair.
A spokesperson for LeaseCar.uk said: "should not be scared to appeal private car park tickets as many are not enforceable.
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"If you think there is a reasonable reason which makes a ticket unfair, it is worth your time to gather evidence and make a dispute against it
"If in doubt, do your own research to find out if you are being unfairly fined and ways to dispute it."
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