You can challenge a PCN if you feel that it was issued unjustly or incorrectly. There are a number of stages to the challenge process:

Informal appeal

You can make an informal appeal up to 28 days after the PCN has been issued, but you should try to do so within 14 days (so if your challenge is rejected you still have chance to pay at the 50% discounted rate).

You do not need to make a payment at this point.  If your challenge is accepted, the PCN will be cancelled and no further action will be necessary.

All challenges must be made in writing.  We recommend that you include photocopies of the following when you submit your appeal: 

  • any pay and display tickets you have purchased
  • the PCN you have been issued with
  • the disabled badge you hold (if appropriate)
WPPP: how to challenge a PCN (external link)
Including contact details for submitting your informal appeal

Appeal online

You can also submit an informal appeal using our online form.

Start now

 

Formal appeal

If you have not paid or challenged your PCN within 28 days of it being issued, you will receive a ‘notice to owner’.  This will advise that you need to either pay the PCN (at the full rate), or make a formal challenge.

After you get a notice to owner you have 28 days to make a formal challenge (called a ‘representation’).

You must make your representation by writing to:

Wales Penalty Processing Partnership
PO Box 273
Rhyl
LL19 9EJ

Your representation must:

  • explain your reasons for challenging the PCN in as much detail as possible
  • include copies of any evidence or documents to support your challenge

Reasons you can make an appeal for

You are able to representation against the PCN on the following grounds:

  1. (a) You have never owned the vehicle.

    (b) You were no longer the owner on the date the contravention occurred. You will have to provide the name and address of the person to whom the vehicle was sold together with proof of the date of the sale.

    (c) You were not the owner until after that date. You will have to provide the name and address of the person from whom you purchased the vehicle together with proof of the purchase date.

  2. The contravention (wrongdoing) did not occur.
  3. The contravention occurred whilst the vehicle was under the control of someone without the owner's consent. You will have to supply the crime reference number and the name of the police station to which the theft of the vehicle was reported.
  4. The traffic order was invalid, meaning the council did not comply with the statutory requirements when making the order.
  5. The vehicle is owned by a vehicle-hire firm and the vehicle was on hire to someone under a formal hiring agreement. You will have to supply a copy of the hire agreement clearly showing the name and address of the person hiring the vehicle. This agreement must contain a statement of liability signed by the hirer and acknowledging the hirer's liability for payment of penalty charges.
  6. The penalty charge exceeded the amount applicable to the contravention, meaning the amount is more than you are legally liable to pay.
  7. The notice to owner was served out of time. The council should normally send a notice to owner within six months of the date of the PCN but they sometimes take longer if, for example, there was a delay in getting details from the DVLA or a statutory declaration has been made.
  8. The civil enforcement officer was prevented from serving the PCN. This applies when the council sent the PCN to you by post because it says that someone prevented the parking attendant from issuing the PCN at the scene and you do not accept this.

What happens after I make a formal appeal?

When the representation is received all of the relevant facts will be considered. Information held on computer records and in the civil enforcement officer's notes may also be taken into account.

If your representation is accepted, you will be notified that the PCN has been cancelled and no further action will be necessary (meaning you do not have to pay the fine).

If your representation is rejected, you will be sent a formal 'notice of rejection' together with an appeal form. You should now either pay the PCN at the full rate or make an appeal to an independent adjudicator at the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT).

The independent adjudicator is restricted by law to consider representations on the grounds listed.  You cannot take your case to TPT until you have made a formal representation to us (the council) and any decision made by TPT is legally binding.

Traffic Penalty Tribunal (external link)
Contact our parking services team