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  • What Should I do if I've Lost my Parking Ticket

    What Should I do if I’ve Lost my Parking Ticket?

    Getting a parking ticket is bad enough, and when you’ve misplaced your parking ticket, things can seem like they’re spiralling out of control. Will you still be able to make an appeal? How can you pay if you can’t remember any of the information on the ticket? What can you do if you’ve lost your parking ticket?

    First of all, don’t panic! You’re not the first person to have lost their parking ticket, and you certainly won’t be the last. And, what’s more, it’s not as difficult as you may think to navigate around your next steps; even if you’ve lost your parking ticket.

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    What kind of parking ticket have you lost?

    First thing’s first, it’s important to establish what kind of parking ticket you’ve lost. This is because it will help you find the information you need to either pay or appeal your ticket faster.

    A penalty charge notice is indicative that you’ve been given a parking ticket for parking in a council owned space and breaking parking rules. If you have been issued a penalty charge notice, there’s a good chance you know where the alleged contravention happened, which will allow you to find contact details for the local council.

    A parking charge notice is a parking ticket issued by landowners or private parking operators acting on the landowners’ behalf. This makes it a little harder to track down the information you need, but if you know where you parked, a little bit of Google research should indicate who controls the land you parked on.

    What should I do if I’ve lost my parking ticket?

    Get in touch with the issuing authority as soon as you possibly can.

    You’ll need the PCN number (whether that’s a penalty charge number or a parking charge number) when it comes to paying your parking fine, or if you decide to appeal.

    If you’ve been issued a penalty charge notice and know which local council has issued the PCN, you can use the GOV.UK website to find the official contact details. From there, you can either call, get in touch via email, or in some cases, speak to someone using an online chatbot to get your PCN details. 

    You’ll need your registration number on hand, and any other relevant information about your case. You might need to prove that you’re the owner of the vehicle in question, but they should be more than happy to give your PCN details over to you.

    If you’ve received a parking charge notice, you can find out which private parking operator manages the car park where the alleged contravention happened. For example, you could revisit the car park in question and look around for signage that will indicate who manages it. Once you have this information, you can find their website and contact details to get your PCN process moving as quickly as possible; whether you’re choosing to pay, or appeal.

    I’ve lost my PCN number, how can I pay?

    When you’ve lost your PCN number, it makes it much harder to pay for your ticket, but it’s not impossible.

    It’s a good idea to get in touch with the authority who issued it as soon as possible to get your lost PCN number. You might be offered to pay over the phone if you choose to call.

    If you’re planning on appealing your PCN, you may need to prove that you’re the owner of your vehicle to get the information you need. 

    Being proactive in a situation like this may prevent you from missing the payment or appeals deadline, and still may even give you a chance to pay a reduced amount on your fine!

    Where can I find help if I’ve lost my parking ticket?

    The best place to find help if you’ve lost your parking ticket is the issuing authority.

    For example, if you’ve had a penalty charge notice, you’ll need to get in touch with the local council that issued the PCN to you. Keep in mind that you can receive a penalty charge notice in any council in the UK. This means that if you parked in a locality that’s not the one you live in, you may have received a PCN from them. As mentioned earlier, you can use the GOV website to find the contact details for the locality that issued your PCN.

    It does become a little harder when it comes to a parking charge notice, but again it’s not impossible. If you know where the alleged contravention took place, you can return and look at signage to see who manages the car park. You may even be able to find this information out online with a simple Google search.

    Remember to have as much information to hand as possible when you get in touch with the issuing authority, such as:

    1. Your vehicle’s registration number
    2. The date the alleged contravention happened
    3. Where you were parked (road names and post codes can be helpful)
    4. Your driving licence
    5. The logbook of the vehicle in question to prove you are the owner

    It might take a little digging to find your lost PCN number, but it’s definitely doable and could save you extra charges on your parking ticket!

    What will happen if I don’t pay my parking ticket?

    It depends on what kind of parking ticket you’ve been issued.

    Not paying a penalty charge notice could lead to being given a charge certificate, which increases the penalty by 50%, but gives you another 14 days to pay the fine. If you still choose not to pay, you could be given a court order, or you might even end up with bailiffs knocking at your door.

    If you choose not to pay a parking charge notice, things are a little different. Because a parking charge notice isn’t enforceable when it’s issued, what happens next might be different. A parking charge notice is essentially an invoice from the private parking operator. This means that if you don’t pay up, they might not even pursue you, but this rarely happens. They could choose to take you to court for a court order, which will then make the parking ticket legally enforceable.

    In any case, you’re better off paying or starting an appeal within 28 days of the ticket being issued.

    Source: Money Saving Expert

    This motorist wasn’t even aware that they had a parking ticket! Remember that you do have rights and should stand your ground with private parking companies and the local authorities. Sometimes human errors happen, and it could be a mistake on their part! It’s also a good idea to keep hold of any correspondence to prove your innocence if your case is escalated to court.

    How can I appeal my parking ticket if I’ve lost it?

    Get in touch with the issuing authority.

    Even if you’re planning on appealing the ticket, they still need to provide you with the information you need. You have the right to contest your parking ticket! 

    As mentioned earlier, it might take a little research on your behalf to find the contact information of the issuing authority, and you may even need to prove ownership of the vehicle in question. Once you’ve done that, you can use your PCN number and our free parking ticket appeal template to write an appeal in hopes of getting your fine cancelled.

    We have full guides on how to appeal a penalty charge notice and how to appeal a parking charge notice that will help you create an airtight appeal! Don’t just pay up if you believe it was issued unfairly!

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