Appeals Charter checker: cancel or £20?

When the charge should be cancelled

• I paid, but made a small typo in my registration (0 for O, 1 for I…) (Annex F.1 h))
• Camera car park: I paid for my whole stay before I drove out (Annex F.1 j))
• The operator broke the Code (e.g. no working way to pay, notice rules not followed) (Annex F.1 i))
• I had to drive in because of an emergency outside my control (e.g. serious illness) (Annex F.1 e))
• I was told to drive in by the emergency services, the landowner or the parking company (Annex F.1 d))
• My car broke down, or a recovery vehicle came to collect it (Annex F.1 c) / F.2.1)
• I only paused on a private road to check directions (Annex F.1 g))
• “No stopping” zone: I stopped to avoid an accident, give way to an emergency vehicle, or because traffic was queuing (Annex F.2.1)

When it should be reduced to £20

• I paid, but entered the wrong registration (letters missing, my old car, another household car…) (Annex F.3 a))
• I overstayed because someone fell ill, a medical appointment overran, or childcare held me up (Annex F.3 b))
• I have a valid permit but forgot to display it (Annex F.3 d))
• A Blue Badge holder was in the car but the badge wasn’t on show (Annex F.3 e))
• The payment machines weren’t working and there was no other way to pay (Annex F.3 f))
• I was allowed to park (customer, guest, staff) but didn’t enter my registration in the terminal (Annex F.3 g))

The catch: This reduction applies only for the first parking charge issued to the vehicle for the specific contravention, where payment is made within 14 days and where no independent appeal is lodged.

When an operator can refuse

Annex F says there is no obligation to apply the Charter where:

• the motorist does not appeal within the time limits set unless there are exceptional circumstances for the appeal being late
• evidence is not provided within a reasonable time limit to corroborate the motorist’s position
• evidence is unacceptable
• there is a history of non-compliance from the motorist appealing

So appeal within the deadline on the notice and send your evidence with the appeal. The Competition and Markets Authority has said that operators who ignore the Charter and keep demanding the full charge “could infringe consumer law” (CMA case page).

Where these rules come from

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.1 h)

  “where the driver has paid the tariff but made a minor keying error when registering their vehicle (for example, 0 instead of o; I instead of L; 1 instead of I)”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.1 j)

  “a vehicle parked in a car park managed by fixed camera technology (ANPR and/or CCTV) for which payment has been made for the full period of parking prior to the vehicle leaving the car park.”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.1 i)

  “where the parking operator has breached an obligation in this Code relating to the issue of a notice, or such that the driver was unable to adhere to the relevant obligations.”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.1 e)

  “a vehicle that has been driven onto controlled land due to an emergency which could not be avoided due to the exceptional nature of an incident outside of the control of the driver, e.g. serious illness;”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.1 d)

  “a vehicle that has been driven onto controlled land due to an instruction to the driver by a member of the emergency services, or an invitation or instruction from the landholder(s) or parking operator;”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.1 c) / F.2.1

  “a breakdown assistance or recovery vehicle in use for recovery of a vehicle on the premises that has broken down and cannot safely be driven out without repair;”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.1 g)

  “a vehicle paused on a private road network simply because the driver needs to check directions e.g. on an industrial estate where the driver has a legitimate need to access premises within that estate.”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.2.1

  “Parking Charges issued in a no stopping zone should be cancelled where there is evidence it occurred in the following circumstances: a) to avoid an accident; … c) to give way to an emergency vehicle; … f) due to stationary or slow-queuing traffic preventing the vehicle from moving.”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.3 a)

  “where the driver has paid the tariff but made a major keying error when registering their vehicle for example, letters wrong or missing; characters swapped; motorist entered the wrong car registration (e.g. their previous car or another vehicle from their household);”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.3 b)

  “where the driver or a passenger in the vehicle suffers the onset of illness, is delayed by an overrunning medical appointment, or as a result of delay resulting from childcare arrangements;”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.3 d)

  “where a permit to park has not been displayed but the driver subsequently supplies a copy of the permit, they hold that would have been valid at the time identified in the notice;”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.3 e)

  “where a Blue Badge has not been displayed but the holder of the Blue Badge supplies a copy of the Blue Badge they hold, that would have been valid at the time and in the circumstances identified in the notice”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.3 f)

  “where one or more payment machines were out of operation, no alternative payment options were available (e.g. by phone) and the driver could not reasonably be expected to have accessed machines on the controlled land that were still in operation;”

• Single Code of Practice v1.1, Annex F.3 g)

  “where the vehicle would have been permitted to park at the location, but the driver failed to enter their registration into a terminal/device as specified in the terms & conditions.”

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