Are ParkingEye PCNs invalid?

From: Andy

Parking on Parking Eye sights can be fun especially because they don’t include their email address in their Parking Charge Notices making them invalid [BPA code of conduct]. They didn’t even contest mine when I pointed it out.

How many others have been invalid?

Andy

Thanks for this Andy. Looking at the latest version of BPA Code of Practice (version 5) the relevant passage is:

29 Issuing parking charge notices
29.1 The parking charge notice must contain at least
the following information, whatever the method of
enforcement and how it is sent or delivered:

n) all the methods by which drivers may challenge the
parking charge notice, including at least an email and
a postal address. Operators are encouraged to also
provide an or website address that can be used

So, yes, I agree if the PCN does not include an email address, it does not fulfil the BPA’s requirement for a Parking Charge Notice. If I was appealing, I would use this as part of a layered appeal – i.e. cite it, but would not solely rely upon it. If a ticket like this was to go to county court a judge may accept it, or they may decide it is not materially relevant to whether you broke the parking rules or not.

But it’s a good spot and it demonstrates exactly why you should review the BPA code of practice. The size of ParkingEye means it is more able to ensure compliance compared to some of the one man band operators out there. I would imagine some of them are littered with errors like this.

Thanks for writing in!

4 Comments on “Are ParkingEye PCNs invalid?

  1. Andy, you’re a genius! I Just received my first ParkingEye ticket. I will contest on these grounds along with any other I can.

  2. I’ve queried this with BPA and unfortunately they pointed out that 29.1 is taken from the section referring to Scotland and N. Ireland. The more vague entry for England and Wales is 22.2 where it makes no reference to email address being a necessary inclusion as an appeal avenue on a Parking Charge Notice. They also said “the online appeal address serves as an electronic form of appeal, like an email address.” (…as there was an online address on my PCN from ParkingEye but no email address.

  3. Hi my daughter recently received a letter from parking eye informing she owed them money.

    she asked why?

    They informed for not getting a valid parking ticket when she parked in a pub Marstons Pubs in Hull. She informed she parked there to use the pub and left the car park when she left the pub.

    They informed she should have asked for a free parking ticket which she did not ask for. She was not aware, they inform there are signs they put. She had not received anything in the post before their last letter informing the charge had increased. She went on holiday with plans to look at it in ore depth but found a court request outcome court or pay £175.

    Expensive drinks.

    She had to go back to clarify there was signs which there is, I informed she went on the night so needs to check how visible they are in the dark?. no mention from the bar staff when she ordered drinks.

    Any advice should she pay or challenge.

    • She can do either, depending on how she feels about the ticket.

      With private parking tickets you can fight them, even if you technically broke the car parking rules – the question is the legality of a private company issuing a penalty to a consumer, which under current law is not allowed. I suggest you have a read of this site. If you decide you want to fight it, you can get more help on one of the forums, or our appeals service can do it for you.

      Best of luck, PC