Even if an objection has already been dismissed you can make a formal representation after receiving the 'Notice to Owner' (NTO). To preserve impartiality, a different council officer considers the representation rather than the person who considered your initial objection.

The Notice to Owner details the grounds on which you can make a representation.

I have received an NTO but I do not think that the penalty charge notice should have been issued

The recipient of the NTO has 28 days from service of the NTO to make a representation to the council. This means writing to us with the reasons why you feel that the PCN was incorrectly served. Please note that if an NTO is posted first class the document is normally deemed to have been served on the second working day after the day of posting. For further details concerning the rules as to service by post - please see Regulation 3 of the Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007. 

We will not disregard representations received after the expiry of the time limit where evidence (for example a postmark) indicates that the representations were made within the 28 day period.

You can make your representations on the space provided on the NTO document and return it to us. If you prefer, a letter, fax or email is acceptable, as long as the representation is made in writing. This is because if a representation is rejected without there being anything in writing it will be more difficult to provide any evidence for an appeal.

On what legal grounds can I make a representation?

There are eight main legal grounds for making a representation:

1. I was not the keeper of the vehicle at the time of the contravention - You must include a statement of the name and address of the person taking possesion of the vehicle, or the person from whom the vehicle was acquired and the date of the transaction. Please also provide any supporting evidence such as a letter from your insurers setting out when they transferred cover to, or from, the vehicle, or copies of any documents such as an invoice or bill of sale.
2. The parking contravention did not occur - This means that the PCN was issued incorrectly because no illegal parking took place. For example, you might believe that the Civil Enforcement Officer was wrong because you were loading or unloading at a time when it is allowed but the Civil Enforcement Officer did not see this or the signs/markings were not in position or had been damaged or were not visible, etc.
3. The vehicle was taken without my consent - If the vehicle was stolen at the time of the issue of the PCN you will need to provide proof of this. This could be a Police Incident Number together with the name and telephone number of the police station that the theft was reported to.  This reason could also apply if someone without your knowledge was using the vehicle. You would need to explain why you believe this occurred.
4. The Traffic Order was invalid - The Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) is a legal document a council is required to produce which lists all the locations in the city where parking restrictions apply and what those restrictions are. This applies if the TRO has been found to be defective because, for example, the PCN was issued at a location not covered by the TRO. You should explain why you believe that the Traffic Order is invalid.
5. The vehicle is owned by a hire company and the hirer signed an agreement - If a copy of the vehicle hire agreement is sent, and it includes a statement of liability for PCN's occurring during the hire period, we would then take it up with the person named in the agreement by sending them an NTO.
6. The penalty charge exceeded the legal amount that the council is allowed to charge. The government determines the amount we are able to charge for a PCN and so, if we were charging a different amount, the PCN would be invalid. It also applies if you believe your payment was made within the discount period but we ask for the full amount.
7. There has been a procedural impropriety on the part of the enforcement authority. The regulations define a procedural impropriety as a failure by the enforcment authority to observe any requirement imposed on it by the Traffic Management Act 2004 in relation to the imposition or recovery of a penalty charge. You should set out the statutory time limit or other procedural step with which you believe that the council has failed to comply if you are making representations on this ground.
8. That the PCN has already been paid in full, or at the discounted rate within the discount period. You will need to indicate the amount of your payment and how it was made and include a copy of any supporting documents such as a receipt or bank statement. The discount rate is 50% of the PCN and should have been paid not later than the last day of the period of 14 days beginning with the date on which the PCN was served.

What about mitigating circumstances?

There will be occasions where there are mitigating circumstances which are not covered by the legal grounds for making a representation.  The council must take into consideration all mitigating circumstances when reaching a decision on representations. Under general principles of public law, the council have a duty to act fairly and proportionately and are encouraged to exercise discretion sensibly and reasonably and with due regard to the public interest. We will consider all mitigating circumstances that are raised. If your representations are rejected we will always fully explain why we are rejecting them. 

How long will it take you to reach a decision?

There is a legal requirement for us to reach decisions within a 56 day period beginning with the date that we receive your representations. If we fail to respond within the 56 day period the NTO and PCN will be cancelled. Our aim is to reply to representations within 21 days but some cases may require further investigation. If this is the case, a letter acknowledging receipt of the representation will be sent.

We will let you know our decision as soon as possible.

We will send you either a Notice of Acceptance or a Notice of Rejection.

The Notice of Acceptance cancels the parking ticket and explains why it has been cancelled.

The Notice of Rejection will explain why the representation has been rejected and will address any points you have made in your representation.

We will also send you an appeal form to enable you to appeal to the independent Parking Adjudicator should you wish to do so.

What can I do now?

Once you receive a Notice of Rejection you have 28 days from the service of the notice in which to either:

• Pay the penalty charge - which will normally be at the full amount 
  or
• Make an appeal by completing the form that came with your Notice of Rejection and send it to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal