On street parking PCNs
Penalty charge notices from council controlled parking zones, single and double yellow lines, and residents' bays.
Planned at launchCouncil issued penalties first, because they escalate fastest.
Not every fine works the same way in UK law, and some of them we should not touch at all. Here is where we plan to draw the line.
Planned coverage
Penalties issued by a council or a transport authority.
These are civil penalties with a statutory escalation path. That path is exactly what makes them worth settling early.
Council car park PCNs
Overstays and non payment in car parks operated by the local authority rather than a private operator.
Planned at launchBus lane contraventions
Camera enforced bus lane and bus gate penalties, which are issued by post and often arrive after the fact.
Planned at launchMoving traffic contraventions
Box junctions, banned turns, no entry, and weight restrictions. Councils outside London gained these powers in 2022.
Planned at launchClean air and congestion charges
Penalty charges from Clean Air Zones, the ULEZ, and the London Congestion Charge.
Under reviewToll crossing penalties
Unpaid crossing charges such as the Dart Charge, where a missed payment converts into a penalty notice.
Under reviewWhat we will not cover, and why.
Some of these are the wrong legal instrument for what we do. Others would leave you worse off than the route already available to you.
Private parking charge notices
Notices from operators on supermarket and retail car parks are invoices for alleged breach of contract, not statutory penalties. They escalate differently, and a large share of them are successfully appealed. Take that route first.
Police and DVLA fixed penalty notices
Speeding, using a phone at the wheel, and similar offences carry licence points and sit in the criminal system. Settling one on your behalf is not a service we can lawfully provide.
Fines already with enforcement agents
Once a warrant has been passed to enforcement agents, paying the original penalty no longer closes the matter. At that stage a free debt adviser will do more for you than we can.
Anything you are appealing
A successful challenge cancels the penalty completely. We are not going to charge you for a plan when the fine itself may be about to disappear.
Court imposed fines
Fines handed down by a magistrates' court have their own statutory payment terms, and the court can already agree instalments directly with you.
Think the fine is wrong? Appeal it before you do anything else.
Council penalties have a formal challenge process that costs nothing. You can make an informal challenge, then formal representations, then take it to an independent tribunal. For England and Wales outside London that is the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, and inside London it is London Tribunals. Appealing usually freezes the discount window while your case is considered, so you are not penalised for trying.
If you are already struggling with debt, free and independent help exists. StepChange, National Debtline, and Citizens Advice will all talk to you without charging a penny, and none of them will sell you anything.
Is your fine on the list?
Join the waitlist and tell us which one you are dealing with. It shapes what we build first.