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Ticket tactics: What to do when you are booked
READ THE TICKET CAREFULLY: It should give the date, time and place of the offence and the date of notification. It should identify your vehicle, the rule that has been broken and tell you how to deal with the ticket. If it fails to do these things, it may be invalid. GATHER YOUR EVIDENCE: If you have a camera phone, take pictures. Ask any witnesses to sign brief statements. UNOFFICIAL CHALLENGE: Within 14 days, write to the council explaining, simply, why the penalty should be waived. NOTICE TO OWNER: If the council rejects the first representation, it will inform the vehicle’s owner by post, giving another 14 days to pay the discount rate. After that, it will issue a notice to owner. APPEAL: The "notice to owner" details the grounds on which the owner can appeal. If your case doesn’t fit into these categories, you can still challenge the ticket. You have 28 days to file. ADJUDICATION: If the formal appeal is turned down, you can now turn to the adjudicators, independent lawyers paid for by a 55p levy on every ticket issued. They will talk to you and a representative of the council in person, or deal with evidence you’ve posted in, and reach an impartial decision. In more than half of cases they back the motorists. CONTACTS: In metropolitan London, visit www.parkingandtrafficappeals.gov.uk; outside London, visit www.parkingappeals.gov.uk 1 CLAMPED Moments after a warden slaps a ticket on, the clampers arrive. Ironically, this means the car will be illegally parked for even longer 2 REMOVED Towing cars that are blocking traffic is one thing, but when all you’ve done is overstayed the meter, the cost is over the top 3 C CHARGE The congestion charge has cut traffic in London, but drivers have been wrongly ticketed when cameras have been left on at night 4 PAY AND DISPLAY Stick your receipt upside down or on the wrong bit of window and you will earn a ticket 5 LINE PAINTERS Beware! If they paint yellow lines beside your parked vehicle, the traffic wardens will not be far behind 6 HELPFUL SHOP ASSISTANTS With the warden around the corner, it is a race to your car. But helpful store staff may bring your purchases to you 7 CCTV CAMERAS Pull into a parking bay, read the sign, realise you can’t stay, pull out again. You may still be posted a ticket by an automatic camera 8 WARDEN WARNINGS Some shops have started installing cameras that let patrons watch out for approaching parking wardens 9 PARKING ATTENDANT Underpaid, even if they are on commission. They have so little room for discretion that it is not worth arguing with them 10 BROKEN METERS Don’t expect any sympathy if they don’t work. Leaving a note saying you paid won’t let you off a ticket 11 RUSH HOUR RESTRICTIONS It may be OK to park here now, but not in half an hour. Some bays change status as often as five times a day 12 WHEELCHAIR ACCESS A dip in the kerb usually means access for vehicles or the disabled, even if it is not marked. Park here at your peril 13 LOOK OUT! One of the best defences against unfair ticketing comes from drivers warning each other that parking attendants are near 14 RESIDENTS’ PERMITS Being entitled to buy a permit doesn’t mean you can park wherever you want. Make sure your permit is displayed properly 15 RED ROUTES Don’t even think about stopping here in rush hour. If you do, you deserve the fine you will almost certainly get 16 DOUBLE YELLOW LINES Old, faded and patched lines may not be legally valid, but you will still have the hassle of disputing a ticket 17 DISABLED BAYS Even with a blue badge visible, disabled drivers are often given tickets for using the bays reserved for them 18 HIDDEN SIGNS Keep a sharp eye out when parking for signs obscured by trees or lorries. Not seeing the sign is never an excuse 19 LOADING Don’t take too long bringing that piano down the stairs. Parking wardens are not renowned for their patience
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