Appealing a Penalty Charge Notice

If you have received a PCN for a parking contravention, a formal representation can only be made upon receipt of a Notice to Owner (NTO). An NTO will be issued to the keeper of the vehicle 28 days after the issue of the PCN, if it remains unpaid (except where the vehicle has been removed, when you will be given a representations form at the car pound). The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency would normally provide the Council with the keeper's details. However, the Council has a legal right to send an NTO to the person they believe to be the keeper at the time of the contravention.

Upon receipt of the NTO, the recipient can make a formal challenge against the PCN within 28 days on one of the following grounds:

• I was not the owner of the vehicle at the time of the contravention 
• The contravention did not occur
• The vehicle had been taken without my consent
• The traffic order was invalid
• We are a vehicle hire firm and have supplied details
• The Penalty Charge exceeded the relevant amount
• The parking attendant was not prevented from serving the Penalty Charge Notice
• Procedural impropriety
• The PCN has already been paid