Check the dates first
For a camera charge with nothing left on the windscreen, the law in England and Wales says the Notice to Keeper must be delivered within 14 days, starting the day after you left. A posted notice is treated as delivered on the second working day after the date it was posted. If it arrives later than that, the keeper can’t be made to pay. Enter the two dates in the builder and it works this out, including weekends and bank holidays.
Camera systems also get things wrong in two common ways: two separate visits recorded as one long stay, and misread number plates. Both are worth checking against the photos on the notice.
Which grounds actually win
- Proof you paid or had a permit. This is the strongest. Bank statements and app screenshots count.
- Keying errors. Under the industry’s Single Code of Practice, a minor typo in your registration should not lead to a charge. A bigger error is a mitigating circumstance that cuts the charge to £20.
- Grace periods. Operators must allow 10 minutes after your paid or permitted time ends.
- Late notices (England and Wales). Camera charges must reach the keeper within a strict 14-day window. The builder checks the dates for you.
- Unclear signs. Worth arguing with photos. Without photos it rarely works.
One argument the builder leaves out on purpose: that the charge is “a penalty” or too high. The Supreme Court rejected that in ParkingEye v Beavis (2015), and using it weakens your appeal.
If the car park is in Scotland
The law that lets private operators chase the registered keeper (Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012) only covers England and Wales. In Scotland there is no keeper liability, so the operator can only pursue the driver. You do not have to tell them who that was. Pick “Scotland” in the letter builder and it uses the right wording.
Common questions
How long do I have to appeal a ParkingEye charge?
28 days. If ParkingEye rejects your appeal, you have 28 days from the rejection to appeal to POPLA using the 10-digit code.
ParkingEye sent the notice weeks later. Do I have to pay?
In England and Wales, if nothing was left on the windscreen, the notice must be delivered within 14 days of the visit for the keeper to be liable. If it was late, say so in your appeal. The builder checks the dates.
Do I have to tell ParkingEye who was driving?
No. The registered keeper does not have to name the driver. In Scotland the operator can only pursue the driver.
Is ParkingEye part of POPLA?
Yes. ParkingEye is a British Parking Association member, so the independent appeal goes to POPLA, which is free.