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Disputing a parking ticket in a foreign country. (UK)
Road Block
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I've just received a letter regarding a Parking charge I apparently acquired in the first half of February on holiday in the UK. This was forwarded to me but the car rental agency (Europcar) with an additional 'administrative' fee of 40 pounds. That has to be challenged within 14 days of the date listed. (which due to postal time was 14 days ago today) despite them having my email I'm aware of no other attempt to contact me.
The parking charge itself was for failure to pay and display. The thing was I remember that parking lot. I can guarantee I paid. I can't prove it as the payment was made in cash. Additionally despite what is said in the letter, I never saw a ticket posted on my windshield. The invoice I now have is 100 pounds (At risk of being passed to collections) as the grace period for a reduced fee has now passed as a result of me not being aware that I had been charged a fee. The company making the charge is Northern Parking Services by the way. Just in case anyone is familiar with them.
In this situation what are my rights and what are the potential consequences of refusing payment. Keeping in mind I'm in Australia.
The parking charge itself was for failure to pay and display. The thing was I remember that parking lot. I can guarantee I paid. I can't prove it as the payment was made in cash. Additionally despite what is said in the letter, I never saw a ticket posted on my windshield. The invoice I now have is 100 pounds (At risk of being passed to collections) as the grace period for a reduced fee has now passed as a result of me not being aware that I had been charged a fee. The company making the charge is Northern Parking Services by the way. Just in case anyone is familiar with them.
In this situation what are my rights and what are the potential consequences of refusing payment. Keeping in mind I'm in Australia.
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"Challenge within 28 days of its issue by writing to the council - Some councils also allow you to issue informal challenges online – visit the council’s website for details."
"If the council rejects this challenge and you still feel that the PCN is unfair, you can make a ‘formal challenge’ after the council sends you the Notice to Owner. The council must decide within 56 days of the formal challenge being made whether or not to concede and cancel the fine. If they still do not agree with your challenge, they will send you a ‘Notice of Rejection’."
The problem is of you not being in the UK though, this might not be a battle you want to fight as due to the time between correspondence could end up biting you hard if you don't receive a letter/they don't and they proceed to push it through to court summons/collections etc.
Good luck!
edit: Updated some details.
Not that you will have the same experience. I would still recommend talking to the rental company, as without a doubt they deal with this exact thing constantly.