Drivers can avoid paying a parking fine with a little-known loophole – here’s how

DRIVERS may be able to swerve a parking fine with a little-known loophole.

The only way a motorist can get out of paying a parking ticket once it has been served is to make a successful appeal.

To do that you will need to have a reasonable excuse and be able to back that up with evidence.

Or your appeal can take advantage of a particular loophole.

Either way though you must appeal by the deadline, which is usually 28 days for both council and private parking fines.

The first step in the process is usually to make a formal appeal known as a representation.

This is a statement or letter pointing out why you believe the parking fine should be cancelled.

You’ll need good evidence backing up your claim, such as photographs or video footage of, say, a broken ticket machine or unclear parking signs.

In some cases you might have to make an informal appeal initially but if this is rejected you can move on to make a representation.

If your representation is rejected by the local council or private parking operator, you can take your appeal to an independent tribunal.

There is little-known loophole you might be able to use to make a successful appeal, according to .

Private firms must serve you with the parking fine within 14 days while councils have a 28 day period.

This can be done either by leaving the ticket on your vehicle or by sending it through the post.

If they don’t serve the parking ticket in that timeframe then the fine might no long have to be paid.

However, it is not quite that clear cut and there are other factors that could give the council or private car park operate additional time.

If the council has to put in a request for your address from the DVLA in order to send the PCN, and the DVLA is slow to respond, the time limit is significantly extended.

The council though has to make the request for your information from the DVLA within 14 days.

So a PCN issued after 14 days by a council or other authority can still be valid.

Another loophole is known as the grace period.

The law states that you shouldn’t be slapped with a ticket if you bought a valid ticket and only overstayed in the car park for ten minutes or less.

This applies both to public land or in private car parks.