Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi,
I’m seeking guidance on how to appeal the traffic violation notices issued for a hire vehicle.

My car rental company has informed me that two PCNs were issued for parking on private land (a Shell petrol station, same location) on 22nd and 23rd December 2025 (photo evidence and the notification are available at the link below). I am concerned that additional PCNs may follow, as the vehicle was taken to the same location several times afterwards and no parking restriction signage was noticed—likely because all visits were at night.

According to the PCNs, the vehicle was allegedly left unattended. However, the driver only stepped out briefly to collect food from a nearby shop, and the vehicle was occupied by family members at all times. The photos provided appear to be taken only from the rear, which does not show that the vehicle was never unattended.
I have not yet received the official PCNs from UPE, but the rental company has passed on my details, so I expect them soon.
Could you please advise on my options for appealing the two current PCNs, as well as any potential future ones?

photo evidence and notification available at this link link.



Google Map Location - (Vehicle was parked where Black Skoda is seen parked)

Best Regards,
A

It’s almost certain that UPE will not comply with the legislation to transfer liability to you, as hirer, so when you receive a Notice to Hirer from them, please update us and we can advise on how to appeal. Just make sure you do not identify the driver.

It's a never ending wait, still nothing in the post til date but will update as soon as I receive the notifications.

Thanks All.

As long as there were no other documents accompanying the notice to hirer, and as long as the driver has not been identified, you appeal:

I am the hirer/keeper of vehicle [REG]. You have been passed my details as the hirer/keeper. This is not an admission as to the identity of the driver. I will not be naming the driver.

You cannot transfer liability because you have not complied with the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, Schedule 4 for hire vehicles (paras 13–14). A valid Notice to Hirer must be accompanied by:

 1. a copy of the hire agreement
 2. a statement of liability signed by the hirer
 3. a copy of the original notice

These documents were not enclosed with your notice. Therefore there is no hirer/keeper liability and the charge must be cancelled.

Please cancel this charge. If you refuse, please supply a POPLA verification code.

They probably won’t cancel, so be prepared for that, but POPLA probably will.
Send the same appeal for each notice.

Despite them bizarrely using TNC for their notices to hirer, UPE are an IPC company, so no POPLA.

Good point, I just looked at the PCN and the BPA logo and didn’t read the words.
So just omit my last sentence from the appeal, I suggest.

Appeal to the IAS, if for no reason other than it costs UPE £23.
IAS is not “independent” and only upholds 4% of appeals.
If the IAS, as expected, sides with UPE it’s not binding on you.
Ignore debt collectors.
Come back when you get a Letter of Claim.
You want this to go to court because UPE will be spanked there.
It’s more likely that their legal goons will discontinue rather than face a spanking.
The process is designed to intimidate you into paying. As long as you follow the process, with advice you’ll get here, you will eventually pay nothing.

These companies deliberately do not comply with the law because they know that lots of people pay anyway. Just don’t be one of these.

I would make a single point appeal to the IAS that you are not liable as hirer in place of the driver because the requirements of PoFA were not met.

Any other appeal points will just divert the IAS to reject your appeal on other grounds.

The thing you circled is utter rubbish, so in your appeal to the IAS you must point this out. If UPE obtained the documents, but then didn’t send them to you as required, so what. The law is clear.

The fact that you were not the driver doesn’t really change anything. They are trying to make you liable as hirer, because they don’t know who the driver was.

I already explained above what to do if the IAS does not uphold your appeal.

As @DWMB2 says above. There’s a “they” missing from the text in one place but otherwise it’s pretty much in line with my post which was made at the same time.