Private parking ticket myth that could land you in court

Believing in one particular parking myth could put motorists in a heap of trouble, legal fees, and even court. When parking in a private car park, you may receive a ticket demanding that you pay a charge for breaking rules. It's important to be aware that there are three types of parking tickets that could affect you. A Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN), Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and a Parking Charge Notice (PCN).

While sharing the same acronym as a Penalty Charge Notice, a Parking Charge Notice is the only type of 'fine' issued by a private company for not following their rules while on their land. It's important to note that technically these aren't fines, and are instead invoices for a breach of contract.

Because of this, people may incorrectly assume that they will face on legal consequences if they simply ignore the parking notice. However, private companies have the power and right to take people to small claims court over unpaid parking notices which could lead to you paying far more than you would have otherwise if you paid the notice when you received it, especially if a discount is applied for paying it off early.

When you receive a Parking Charge Notice, you should first consider whether the ticket was justified and if you were actually in blatant breach of the rules. You may also consider whether there was any reason the rules were not made clear to you or if a breach of rules was unavoidable, for example if signs in the car park were unclear or if all ticket machines in the area were faulty or broken.

If you choose to challenge the ticket, you should ensure that you take pictures or witness statements that could back up any reason you provide in challenging the ticket. Once you have done this, you should contact