Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi all,

I received a Parking Charge Notice from Countrywide Parking on 27th August stating that my car was parked in a visitor spot not displaying a valid permit, but it was displaying a valid permit.

They have taken photos of the front of the car and the offside view of the dashboard through the windscreen. The pass was clearly displayed on the nearside of the dashboard and, if the attendant had walked to the other side of the car and looked through the windscreen, they would have seen it. I have no idea why they decided not to do this. There was no requirement for the pass to be on one side or the other.

They've included photos of the car from in front (from a distance, so you can't see through the windscreen) and from the offside where you can only just see through the windscreen, but can just make out the permit on the nearside of the dashboard.

Their photos:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wvSFhKWDnAxytlW5wVXWdKbkFH3qdpeD/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FAfdCSVMmFSAAtvVBLKmo-6XGL72mhlR/view?usp=drive_link

Their charge notice:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M66jgzSpEkD4dgr-qPXk3Od79hAi6cpG/view?usp=drive_link

A photo that was taken of the car after it was parked, which shows the permit on the dashboard:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NnT9N3NAmlPlYc_vtbU4_3Paeh5yY4Ly/view?usp=drive_link

(this was taken just to let someone know it was parked, not intended as proof of the permit being there)

For reference, I've put a piece of toilet paper on my dashboard in the same position. The toilet paper is a bit bigger than the permit, but shows how, due to the shape of the dashboard, you can't really see it that well from the offside:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PP8N-aVI1-Rf8IHQdsDtogoSSASyP6Ir/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eGGawduR8p2yb6OGZ3T6CupHqbub7_gc/view?usp=drive_link

I appealed the charge the day that I received it and, the other day, received an email stating that my appeal had been rejected because they feel that the visitor permit wasn't displayed correctly, despite the fact that it is visible in one of their photos.

I don't see anything suggesting that the pass should be on one side or the other. So, I don't understand how they can persist with the idea that the car was parked against their rules:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HjpcFejrTTa4vhQIwZFg_Z9_lnWjFsN0/view?usp=sharing

This is the body of their response email:

The terms & conditions of parking at Brandon Court have been exceptionally well advertised and are
brought to the attention of the driver by way of the onsite warning signs. They inform the driver that
they must clearly display a valid parking permit within the windscreen when parking within the car
park. At the time of the contravention, you were not clearly displaying a valid parking permit which is a
breach of the terms & conditions and were therefore issued a Parking Charge. Whilst we appreciate
your explanation, it is the responsibility of the motorist to ensure that their permit is clearly visible from
the outside when exiting their vehicle. The signage clearly states, "All vehicles must display a valid
parking permit in the windscreen” and on the back of the permit letter it also clearly states "All
information on the permit must be visible from the outside of the vehicle, this includes the hologram."
We ask that all information (Including the hologram) is clearly displayed to assist our enforcement
officers in identifying those authorised to park. If information on the permit is missing/not visible it
prevents the enforcement officers from verifying valid parking permits.

We are satisfied that the PCN was correctly issued in accordance with both the Terms & Conditions
displayed at Brandon Court and the International Parking Community code of conduct. You have now
reached the end of our internal appeals procedure, and the following options are available to you:

1) Pay the reduced amount of £60.00 by 06/10/2025 To make payment please visit
www.payapcn.co.uk OR use our automated payment line by calling 0333 023 0058.

2) Appeal to the Independent Appeals Service (IAS) if you disagree with the outcome of your
appeal. To submit an appeal to the IAS visit www.theias.org. Appeals to the IAS must be submitted
within 28 days from the date of this letter. Please note, if you submit an appeal to the IAS and it is
subsequently dismissed, the opportunity to pay the reduced amount will no longer be available and
the full amount of £100.00 will become payable.

What is the recommended course of action here?

Thanks

Edit: Sorry, I hadn't realised I couldn't embed the images in my Google Drive. I've linked them instead. I hope that's okay!