Council Parking Tickets in a Residential Zone

stueylala

Hello

I got a parking ticket after parking in a residential area where you need permits to park while I was in uni for the morning.
However, I feel it was unfair as there were no road marking whatsoever to indicate there are restrictions and the only sign saying it was permits only was at the far end of the road 50 or so metres away facing the opposite way from where I turned into the road. Hence I was completely oblivious to there being any restrictions and only saw the permit sign when I wandered down the road after receiving the ticket.
I've explained this to the council and they say I still have to pay it. I really think this is unfair as I would never had parked there if I had known it was permits only.
Is there any way I can get out of paying the fine as it's a lot of money to me at the moment?

Cheers

Stuart

Coupon-mad

Well if I ever got a Council ticket I would continue to appeal it to the adjudicator, even if I thought I might be 'bang to rights'. Make the Council work for the money, and maybe get off it altogether.

There are no costs for appealing as far as the adjudicator and all you gamble is having to ultimately be ordered to pay the full fine (rather than the discounted amount).

So in your case as there were no road markings at all (no lines, no bays?) you'd want to include that in your formal representations. FYI there are 3 stages to a Council PCN:

1. Informal appeal against the PCN (you've done that I assume)?

2. If that's declined, then it's formal reps once you get a Notice to Owner (NtO).

3. If that's turned down, then it's off to the adjudicator with your side of the story.

You will need to ensure you meet ALL deadlines and appeal in good time as required. Get help with the actual appeal on pepipoo forums here:

http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showforum=30

Their wise posters can get most people off a Council PCN, maybe on a technicality in the wording. Start a new thread there after reading their FAQs and stickies first, and include pics of the PCN front and back (leave visible all small print and all dates, just blank out your car ID). Also pics of the bay where you parked, the signs and lines, a pic of the Council's reply to your appeal and in due course a pic of the NtO once it arrives (all pages, all appeal blurb). Don't delay once you get that NtO.

HTH

muckybutt

An easy get out for a controlled parking zone ticket is the signage, have a look at the beginning of the zone there should be two cpz signs there if the road is over 5 meters wide, if there is only one it contravenes the Road Traffic Act and therefore makes the ticket unenforceable. Council will reject the claim but at adjudication it should be a winner.

Bear in mind that he particular cpz might have more than one entry so it worth checking ALL entry routes for the correct signage.

http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?LegType=All+Secondary&Year=2002&searchDay=7&searchMonth=1&searchYear=2010&searchEnacted=0&text=controlled+parking+zone&extent=E%2bW%2bS%2bN.I.&extentMatchOnly=0&confersPower=0&blanketAmendment=0&sortAlpha=0&PageNumber=1&NavFrom=0&parentActiveTextDocId=2917794&ActiveTextDocId=2917805&filesize=58612#qa_anchor_2