Private parking charge notice: pay, appeal or ignore?

What this kind of letter means

A private car park company says your car overstayed by about 45 minutes and wants £100, or £60 if paid within 14 days. This is an invoice from a company, not a police or council fine, and you have the right to appeal.

This is a parking charge notice from a private operator, a contractual charge rather than a penalty charge notice from a council. They rely on Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 to pursue the registered keeper if the driver isn't named. Grounds for appeal commonly include unclear or inadequate signage, grace periods (the parking industry's Single Code of Practice expects at least 10 minutes after a stay ends), and errors in the notice. If the operator rejects your appeal, you can go to the independent appeals service, which is free.

Things worth checking

• It's a private company, not the police or council. 'Fine' is not the right word for it.
• Check the signs were clear and visible. Unclear signage is one of the most common winning appeal reasons.
• Was there a grace period? The parking industry's Single Code of Practice expects at least 10 minutes to leave after your stay ends.
• Were you a customer of the retail park? Shops can sometimes ask for charges to be cancelled.

Your options

• Pay the reduced £60. Cheapest if you agree you overstayed and have no grounds.
• Appeal to the operator. Free. If they reject it, the reduced rate is often re-offered, and you can go to the independent appeals service.
• Ask the retailer to cancel it. Send your receipt from that day to the store's manager.

If you ignore it

The company can send debt-collection letters and eventually take the registered keeper to the small claims court. A court judgment could affect your credit rating, but only if you ignore a court claim.

What usually decides this

Private parking charges can often be appealed, especially for unclear signs or no grace period. If you overstayed and the signs were clear, paying the reduced £60 may be cheapest.

The rules

• A private parking charge is an invoice from a company, not a fine. Appeal to the operator first, then to the independent appeals service named on the notice (such as POPLA). Appeals are free.
  England, Wales, Scotland. Source: POPLA
• In England and Wales the registered keeper can be held liable for a private parking charge if the operator follows strict rules. These keeper liability rules don't apply in Scotland.
  England, Wales. Source: Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4
• Private operators are expected to allow a grace period, usually at least 10 minutes, at the end of a paid or free stay.
  England, Wales, Scotland. Source: POPLA: Parking charges, grace periods and appeal deadlines

Rules last checked 13 November 2026.

Words you might see

• Registered keeper: The person the car is registered to with the DVLA, who isn't always the driver.
• Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act: The law that lets private parking firms chase the registered keeper if the driver isn't named.
• PCN: Parking charge notice. From a private company it's an invoice; from a council it's a penalty.

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