Guides › Parking Fines › Private Parking Charge: Court Claim Received
Private Parking Charge: Court Claim Received
If you receive a court claim about a parking charge, respond by the date on the letter or email. You can pay, offer a different amount, defend the claim, or ask for another 14 days if you are not paying in full. If you do not respond, you might get a county court judgment (CCJ), which stays on the register for 6 years.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Responding to the Claim
Your Options
You must respond by the date on the email or letter. You can pay in full, offer to pay a different amount, defend the claim if you do not think you owe anything, ask for another 14 days if you are not paying the full amount, or counterclaim. If you do not respond, you might have to pay more or get a county court judgment. source
County Court Judgments
A CCJ stays on the Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for 6 years. If you pay in full within one month, you can get it removed. Lenders use the register when deciding on credit. source
Private Parking Charges
Keeper Liability
Keeper liability (England and Wales only): under Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 Schedule 4 the operator can only pursue the registered keeper if it follows strict notice rules. A notice to keeper must arrive within 14 days of the parking if no ticket was left on the car, or within a set window after the 28-day period following a ticket left on the car; the keeper then has 28 days to pay before liability arises. source
Appealing to the Operator, Then POPLA
Private parking charge: you can appeal to the operator first, then to POPLA (BPA members) or the Independent Appeals Service (IPC members) for free; while a POPLA appeal is open the operator must not pursue you for payment. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- By the dateRespond to the court claimOn the claim letter or email
- 1 monthPay a CCJ in fullTo have it removed from the register
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Do not ignore it. Note the response date.
Step 2 of 5
Check the details: date, place, vehicle and amount.
Step 3 of 5
Decide whether to pay, offer less or defend, and respond by the date.
Step 4 of 5
If defending, set out why (for example signs, keeper rules, or that you appealed).
Step 5 of 5
Get free advice from Citizens Advice before the deadline.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Citizens Advice Consumer Service
Any time you need free help choosing the right route.
POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals)
Operator is a BPA member and has rejected your appeal; you have a verification code and are within 28 days.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Many parking disputes can be avoided by appealing the original charge within the time limit.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- gov.uk/respond-money-claim Checked 13 October 2026
- gov.uk/county-court-judgments-ccj-for-debt/ccjs-and-your-credit-rating Checked 13 October 2026
- legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/9/schedule/4 Checked 12 October 2026
- popla.co.uk Checked 12 October 2026
- citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/parking-tickets/appealing-a-parking-ticket Checked 12 October 2026