Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hello,

I received a PCN on 7th October 2025 at 10pm. A neighbour called up to say I was blocking their driveway. However, I was in between the both dirveways, and along a full kerb pavement area.

See attached pictures https://www.dropbox.com/t/Fb0wJMVvjTSpS5M7

I am confused as to the warden would not assess this and go head and issue a PCN.

My car is small so was perfectly parked.

Can someone who has successfully appealed help me with this appeal please. I have one more week. 

I presume this is the rear of the car but it looks clear you were only adjacent to the sloping kerbstone, which doesn't count.

What often happens is a resident calls the council and a CEO will shamefully issue a PCN to keep them quiet.

I think this is exactly what happened.

How do you suggest I respond on the appeal

Mine's longer as always!

My car is small so was perfectly parked

Hardly!

It might have been parked in such a position as to not be in contravention, but for 'perfection', IMO a higher standard applies. You made it very difficult for anyone accessing or exiting the properties concerned without them being subject to excessive risk. I'm certain you wouldn't have liked it were the roles reversed...and they're a neighbour.

But as said, you were not in contravention but I suspect you're going to have to follow the process through at least 2 stages and possibly 3, that is adjudication, because this authority is a judge in its own cause which considers ignorance of the law to be something to be aspired to and an achievement, and can be bloody minded just for the sake of it.

Reps simple.
Outcome assured IMO.

Dear Sir,
PCN ******

I refer to the above and the clear and unbiased photos taken by the CEO to memorialise their belief that a contravention had occurred. As I understand it, the council were called by a resident who complained that a car was blocking their driveway. Understandably, the council responded by despatching a CEO who most likely felt that, although my car was not in contravention, they'd issue a PCN anyway because although this would subsequently be found to be false and cancelled, this would be some way down the line and the resident wouldn't know of the outcome and I suspect wouldn't care: their complaint had been attended to by a diligent council.

Unfortunately, this puts both me and you to some inconvenience because I've had to submit these representations which you have to consider and, if acting properly, accept and cancel the PCN.

Whether you feel compelled to support your officer in the face of their indisputable evidence, I don't know, but I sincerely hope not as this would simply delay the inevitable.

As can be seen, no part of my car was in the prohibited area, that is the length of street where the footway meets the carriageway which excludes sloping kerbs, and consequently the PCN must be cancelled.

Would be my take, but I suspect a shorter version could be extracted.

Best not to be confrontational, but be firm, as you are in the right. Main thing is, are you prepared to go all the way to adjudication, because it is almost inevitable the council will refuse your reps.

Will be frustrating.. but need to go all the way.

Do councils need to pay if they are taken to tribunal?

Do councils need to pay what ? All they have to pay as part of the process is the adjudication fee. They also have to prepare an evidence pack. This, essentially, is the prosecution case, and your appeal the defence case, (but of course it is a civil matter, not criminal)