CarParkLetterAppeal letters for private parking charges

Parking charge letter arrived after 14 days

If no ticket was put on your car and the first you heard was a letter, the timing of that letter matters. Under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PoFA), a late letter can stop the operator holding the registered keeper liable.

The rule

  • Where no notice was given to the driver at the time, the Notice to Keeper must be given within 14 days, beginning with the day after the parking period ended (PoFA Schedule 4, para 9(4) and (5)).
  • A notice sent by post is presumed delivered on the second working day after it was posted, unless the contrary is proved. Working days exclude weekends and bank holidays (para 9(6)).
  • So the question is not the date you opened it, but when it was posted and presumed delivered.

Worked example

You parked on Monday 5 October. Day 1 of the 14 days is Tuesday 6 October, so the notice must be given by Monday 19 October. A letter posted on Thursday 15 October is presumed delivered on Monday 19 October, which is in time. A letter posted on Friday 16 October is presumed delivered on Tuesday 20 October, which is late. Check the posting or issue date printed on your letter.

What a late notice means

  • If the notice is late, the operator cannot use PoFA to hold the registered keeper liable. It can still pursue the driver.
  • If you are the keeper and do not name the driver, a late notice is a strong ground of appeal. See keeper liability under PoFA.
  • Windscreen tickets follow different timings: the Notice to Keeper cannot be given until 28 days after the ticket and must be given within 56 days (para 8).

Steps

  1. Find the date the parking ended and the date the notice was sent.
  2. Appeal within 28 days as the keeper, without naming the driver, and say the notice was not given within the period in PoFA Schedule 4, para 9(5).
  3. If rejected, go to POPLA or the IAS. See IAS or POPLA.

Common questions

Does a late letter mean I do not have to pay?

Not automatically. It means the operator cannot rely on PoFA to make the keeper liable. The driver can still be pursued, which is why you should not name the driver.

What if the car is a hire or lease car?

PoFA has separate rules for hire vehicles. The Single Code also requires operators to have a process for hire and lease companies to transfer liability (clause 8.4.3).

More detail: the 14-day rule explained.

Check your notice dates now

The new government Code

A government Private Parking Code of Practice was laid in Parliament on 20 October 2026. It is not yet in force. When it is, it will replace the Single Code and include a mandatory 5-minute consideration period and a 10-minute grace period. Until then, the Single Code applies.

Important

Not legal advice. CarParkLetter is run by Pricing Logic Limited. We provide templates and general information only. We are not solicitors. Check your letter before you send it.

No guarantee of success. Outcomes depend on the facts, the evidence, the operator and the appeals body. If an appeal fails you may still have to pay, possibly without the early payment discount.

Sources

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Parking charge letter arrived after 14 days | CarParkLetter