Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) => Topic started by: obi1 on August 25, 2025, 10:06:53 pm
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OP, of course you were served with a PCN, your actual VRM did not appear on the CEO's database. I wouldn't read anything more into it than this at this stage.
My thoughts..
I parked and I tried to pay using the machines, but none was operational. I therefore used your PaybyPhone facility, a method with which I'm not familiar. I made a small mistake when entering my registration number - GB08ZMZ instead of GN08ZMZ. (I can see that 'N' and 'B' are adjacent on my QWERTY keyboard)
Given that I had paid to park at the time stated in the PCN, I would ask that the council exercise discretion in this instance. For information, I would also add that as displaying a ticket is optional, that is to say that motorists may pay online or 'pay and display', then the contravention description is incorrect because display is not mandatory, and indeed in my case not even possible.
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Does the incorrect reg number you entered actually exist ?
No.
As Stamfordman says, you should submit informal representations based on the situation on the day of all ticket machines being out-of-order forcing you to pay-by-phone, and not being familiar with this method of payment, and also being rather stressed because of the delay in making payment, you made an error keying in one letter of your car registration. You ask for the PCN to be cancelled on the basis that the council lost no money at all as payment was made to park.
Of course, with councils being very greedy for cash, they probably will not cancel the PCN. Post up their reply here when you receive it, but as SFM says, its worth a shot.
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Does the incorrect reg number you entered actually exist ?
No.
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Does the incorrect reg number you entered actually exist ?
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So the error was B instead of N with the VRM.
The contravention is failure to display but you say all the machines were out of order. No mention of pay by phone.
We'd hope Ealing would use discretion as you did pay and made an honest error as you did have a parking session at the time of the PCN.
But councils are less likely to do so these days.
But well worth a go.
(https://i.ibb.co/qFMqxLqR/Screenshot-2025-08-25-at-22-36-45.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/5XqQBL5n/Screenshot-2025-08-25-at-22-37-09.png)
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Hi All,
Few weeks ago I have parked in greenford car park.
All the ticket machines at the time were disabled, I had to download and setup a paybyphone app.
I mistyped my reg plate by one letter , got issued a PCN 15 minutes later after I came back.
Attached the ticket and the screenshot from app.
What are my options?
Thanks all in advance.