So, let's break this down so we can suggest options:
What happened• You were within the 2½-hour limit but then the car broke down.
• You phoned the car park’s call centre and were told to email CP Plus/GroupNexus and that you’d be exempt because the overstay was caused by a breakdown. You did email.
• Despite that, a £100 Parking Charge Notice (PCN) was issued.
• On appeal, the operator rejected it but (as mitigation for a proven breakdown) said they’d accept £20 within 14 days under the PPSCoP, Annex F.
• You chose to take it to the independent appeal (POPLA). POPLA rejected the appeal. The operator then withdrew the £20 offer and reverted to £100.
Why they say they can do that• The £20 is not a legal right; it’s a discretionary mitigation suggested by the PPSCoP for breakdowns if evidence is supplied. It’s guidance, not law.
• Operators can withdraw a discretionary reduced amount after an unsuccessful POPLA appeal and insist on the standard charge.
Your options nowA. Pay £100 and end it.
B. Ask GroupNexus to reinstate the £20 as a goodwill resolution (attach your RAC reference, timeline, and the email you sent when told you’d be “exempt”). They don’t have to agree, but they sometimes will.
C. Stand your ground. If they pursue you, it would be a small-claims matter. Your core defence would be “frustration of contract” (you couldn’t leave due to a genuine breakdown) plus the fact you relied on their call-centre assurance that you’d be exempt. POPLA’s decision is not binding on a court. If you were one of the less than 0.1% that lost, there’s no lasting CCJ provided you pay within a month of judgment.
My personal advice... Option C, because if you choose this, you will not pay a penny to GroupNexus/CP Plus. It will lead to a county court claim but there is a less than 1% chance this would ever reach a hearing as it will be struck out or discontinued before they had to pay the £27 trial fee.
For now, you can safely ignore all the debt recovery letters that you will receive. Debt collectors are powerless to do anything except to try and intimidate the low-hanging fruit on the gullible tree to pay out of ignorance and fear.
Come back when you receive a Letter of Claim (LoC) from DCB Legal who are the bulk litigator of choice used by this unregulated private parking firm and we will advise o the next steps.
