I'm looking for advice on whether it’s worth appealing a private parking charge.
I parked in a private parking garage that I use a few times a month at 15:50. This car park allows payment online. I normally pay while walking from the parking garage to my destination.
When I parked, my mobile data was very slow and the parking company’s website wasn’t loading properly. While waiting for the page to load, I received a text message and opened it to reply. Unfortunately, I then forgot to go back to the parking website. I have ADHD, and this was late afternoon after my medication had worn off, which contributed to the distraction (not an excuse, just context).\
At around 16:15, I suddenly realised I hadn’t paid yet and immediately paid for 2 hours of parking, which ran until 18:18.
I returned to my car at 17:15 to leave and found a Parking Charge Notice on the windscreen. The PCN states it was issued at 15:59 — 9 minutes after I parked.
I appealed immediately, explaining that:
- I did pay for parking shortly after
- I left well within the time I had paid for
- They suffered no financial loss
I appealed within the hour, before the paid parking had even expired. My appeal was rejected.
I now have the option to appeal to the IAS, but if I do and lose, I must pay the full £100 rather than the “discounted” £60. I genuinely cannot afford either amount.
I have evidence including:
- A screenshot of my parking payment showing expiry at 18:18
- A photo taken at 17:15 showing the PCN on my windscreen and my watch showing 5:16pm
My questions:
Is it in my best interest to appeal to the IAS, or is that likely to fail?
Does the fact that I paid for parking shortly after arrival and left early carry any legal weight?
Is there any argument around grace periods or lack of loss that could realistically succeed?
Any advice would be really appreciated.
