Private parking ticket

Callum995

Hi all,

I need advice on a private parking charge notice (PCN) from Parking Awareness Services Ltd at my gym. I’ve been threatened with enforcement action throughout this, and it wasn’t until I stumbled upon this forum that I realized they can’t do this without a court order—leaving me worrying for some time. My mortgage is up for renewal soon (June 2025), so a CCJ could really hurt me. Here’s my situation:

• Over a Year as a Member (Pre-August 2024): I’ve been a paid gym member for over a year with no parking issues—never had to register my vehicle before.
• August 2024 – Offence Occurred: I parked unsigned-up on one visit (my first under this new rule). The next time I went, I signed up.
• Signs Went Up Overnight: Sometime before August, signs (12 total, small text) appeared with no warning from the gym—no email, notice, or staff alert about a new registration rule or Parking Awareness taking over.
• October 24, 2024 – Appealed: Got a second letter, appealed online. They claim a website autoresponder warned me to check spam, but I don’t recall it. They emailed me (proven by screenshot) on October 28 (evidence request) and November 4 (rejection), but my system auto-deleted them—I never saw them.
• November-December 2024 – Silence: No follow-up for two months—I assumed it was done. Their failure to follow up with a letter of the rejection denied me my right to appeal to the IAS as the 21-day appeal window closed. Gym owner verbally told me to ignore all further letters mid-gap. Meanwhile, enforcement threats started.
• December 2024 – Debt Collectors: ZZPS letter arrived—first I knew of rejection, with more enforcement threats.
• January-February 2025 – Pushback: Texted them, ignored. Got more enforcement warnings. Sent owner’s letter to cancel—rejected as “past appeal stage.” I appealed to the IPC, but they backed the parking company 

Callum995

 Should I offer £60 to settle, or wait? Paying same-day avoids a CCJ, but I’m stressed about the impact on my mortgage.

Any advice on timelines, enforcement threats, signage, IAS appeal denial, IPC rejection, or court odds? Thanks!

Gr1pr

Wait for a court claim to arrive,  there is no chance of a ccj if you keep following the advice in here 

There definitely wont be any court hearing before june,  more likely in the autumn or winter 

Definitely no impact on your credit file,  as long as you diligently follow the advice here from now on 

Ignore the powerless debt collectors letters 

Le_Kirk

When you read the NEWBIE sticky did you see plan A, complain to the gym?  What was their response?

fisherjim

The BPA/IPC joint COP states that:

     3.4. Material changes – notices

Where there is any material change to any pre-existing terms and conditions that would not
be immediately apparent to a driver entering controlled land that is or has been open for
public parking, the parking operator must place additional (temporary) notices at the site
entrance for a period of not less than 4 months from the date of the change making it clear
that new terms and conditions/charges apply, such that regular visitors who might be
familiar with the old terms do not inadvertently incur parking charges.

NOTE: Examples of material changes can include introduction of parking enforcement
where none has previously applied, introduction of time-limited free parking, or reductions
in the time limit within which free parking is available. Given the need to avoid confusion
and clutter at entrances the test is whether the fact that a change has been made is clearly
signalled to drivers on entering the land and the nature of the change is clearly displayed
thereafter – it may also be necessary to install repeater notices depending on the scale of
the premises.

Both previous COP's (in force at the time of your incident) stated similar in other words they should have cancelled the charge, their refusal to cancel the charge at the gyms request due to passing the appeal stage is the tail wagging the dog.

Callum995

Le_Kirk said:

When you read the NEWBIE sticky did you see plan A, complain to the gym?  What was their response?

So i did complain to the gym who wrote me a letter requesting the accept my appeal as I am a member parking awareness said the letter is too vague and anyway they wouldn't accept anything from the landowner unless he went through the internal process but it's too late for that 

My argument is I only missed the sign up on one occasion on my next visit I signed up the landowner backs me(I'm trying to get a more forceful letter and him to contact them direct) and there was no prior notification to the change in circumstance i felt good about it until my citizens advice told me if it went to court chances are none of that would be enough 

fisherjim

Callum995 said:

Le_Kirk said:

When you read the NEWBIE sticky did you see plan A, complain to the gym?  What was their response?

So i did complain to the gym who wrote me a letter requesting the accept my appeal as I am a member parking awareness said the letter is too vague and anyway they wouldn't accept anything from the landowner unless he went through the internal process but it's too late for that 

My argument is I only missed the sign up on one occasion on my next visit I signed up the landowner backs me(I'm trying to get a more forceful letter and him to contact them direct) and there was no prior notification to the change in circumstance i felt good about it until my citizens advice told me if it went to court chances are none of that would be enough 

Ignore Citizens Advice they are sadly useless with private parking tickets, read my post above yours, the fact that the landowner has told them to cancel and is the person that engaged these greedy Muppets is very much in your favour.

Coupon-mad

citizens advice told me if it went to court chances are none of that would be enough 

Odd. The CAB don't give 'legal' advice so they should not be expressing an opinion as to litigation success. And that opinion was also hopelessly clueless.