Civil Enforcement Ltd - POFA compliant PCN

MedMoot123

Hi all,

Sorry, new here so can't attach a picture. I borrowed my father's car for the day on 8/7/25 (as my car was in for repair) and took it to my gym which has a system where you need to register your car's registration plate for the car park or receive a ticket via ANPR cameras.

As I usually always just drive my own car which is registered with the gym, it didn't cross my mind that I'd need need to register my dad's car and so lo and behold I received a PCN from Civil Enforcement Ltd within 14 days of the contravention. I've checked the POFA guidelines and sadly my POFA is definitely compliant (apologies, I can't add a picture yet as I'm new to the forum but would be happy to send via DM if anyone is interested).

I followed the NEWBIES guide and messaged the gym to try and get the PCN waived that way. Annoyingly, I received the following generic AI-written platitude:

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Hi [my name],

Thanks for your email, and for being a member of the Club — we really appreciate your support.

I’m sorry to hear about the Parking Charge Notice (PCN), especially as you were here for the right reasons. It’s completely understandable how, with a last-minute vehicle change, registration can slip your mind.

As the car park is managed by Civil Enforcement Ltd, we don’t have the authority to cancel or waive fines ourselves — even in cases like this. The system is fully automated and managed externally to ensure consistent enforcement.

However, you can submit an appeal directly to Civil Enforcement via their website:

👉 [appeals link]

(Instructions will also be printed on the back of the PCN.)

When appealing, we recommend explaining that you’re a member of [my gym], that this was a one-off due to your own car being in for repair, and that your usual vehicle is already registered. You can also upload proof of your membership — this can be found in [my gym] Club app under the “Account” or “Membership” tab.

 I do hope they’ll take a lenient view given the circumstances. If there’s anything else we can help with, just let us know. 

Kind regards,

[Operations Manager Name]

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I'm at a bit of a loss on what to do next. As my ticket is POFA compliant, am I correct in thinking the usual approach of appealing based on this and not revealing the driver details wouldn't be successful in this case? Should I instead write an angry e-mail back to the club and insist they cancel the PCN else I will end my membership? 

I can't imagine doing what the Operation's Manager suggested (i.e. appealing and begging CE Ltd to kindly cancel the ticket as I'm a gym member) will be successful, but it may be my next best shot? 

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much everyone!

Nellymoser

I'd escalate your complaint to the club they may well appreciate your support being member but you don't appreciate their lack of support getting this pcn cancelled. 

If you do appeal, CEL should offer to reduce your charge to £20. See their CoP Annex F. 3 a)

https://www.britishparking.co.uk/code-of-practice-and-compliance-monitoring

F.3 Appeals where the charge should be reduced to £20 for a period of14 days :