Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Private parking tickets => Topic started by: Cgehansen on January 05, 2026, 11:52:35 am
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I'm posting on behalf of a friend who received a PCN from Nationwide Parking Control. They are the registered owner of a vehicle that was parked briefly on an area adjacent to a service station forecourt last November. The driver parked to use the launderette on site but finding it was busy drove away again.
This is the PCN:
https://ibb.co/21jJ51zL
https://ibb.co/4RNsTYGz
They subsequently appealed but the content of this appeal has been lost. Presumably NPC have it but the registered owner has not requested it from them.
The appeal was rejected by NPC. This is the rejection letter:
https://ibb.co/YFv3PQQQ
The registered keeper has now received a letter from a debt collection agency claiming a total amount of £170. I've told them to ignore this and any subsequent debt collection letters.
Here are some general pictures of the site:
https://ibb.co/Ndf0CMt0
https://ibb.co/TBYqtXNs
https://ibb.co/8n7dnpcg
https://ibb.co/3m2BTkxt
https://ibb.co/XrF7dfbt
https://ibb.co/spnS3hh1
Looking through the information provided I've noticed a number of issues:
1. The PCN contains inconsistencies. It claims the term "No Parking or Waiting at any Time" has been breached. However the sign shown in the corner of one of the images states "No Parking Zone"
2. The PCN refers to an observation time of 51 seconds but the images show a time period of 15 seconds.
3. The signage on the site is inconsistent referring both to "No parking" and "No parking or waiting at any time"
4. There is no entrance signage.
5. There is no ANPR signage at the entrance or visible from all points
6. The appeal letter introduces a new term "no stopping" but there is no evidence of security or safety grounds.
7. The claimed observation period is less than the Consideration Period or the Grace Period
8. Parking, waiting and stopping are required to use the facilities on the land - an inpost locker, petrol pumps, air and water supplies and a launderette. Permission is therefore implied and prohibition would be an unfair contract term.
9. The appeal letter refers to different prohibitions at different locations on the site but there is no delineating signage or surface markings to show this.
The registered keeper is happy to write back to NPC telling them to drop their claim citing some or all of the grounds above. Are there any pitfalls in doing so at this stage or is it better to wait for a letter of claim?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Unfortunately the registered keeper is not sure whether the driver has been disclosed or not as they are unable to recall the content of the first appeal.