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#Post#: 115352--------------------------------------------------
Solihull - PCN for failing to display parking ticket
DIR By: TheRtHon
Date: April 8, 2026, 8:03 am
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Good afternoon,
I had a PCN back in February after parking in a pay and display
car park. The car park is free for 3 hours provided you display
a ticket, which I did do; the ticket was placed under a
windscreen wiper as I had already locked the car and was in a
hurry. The ticket was face up, I am totally confident of that.
I returned to the car to find the face up ticket, and a PCN for
not displaying the ticket. I took photographs and appealed. The
council rejected the appeal, saying my ticket was face down. I
have until tomorrow to pay the reduced rate of £25 rather than
£50.
I have since emailed the council and asked for the photographs
of the offence, which show my ticket face down under the wiper
blade. I then called the ticket office, and was told that the
parking wardens cannot touch the vehicle at all, and so could
not examine the ticket.
Honestly, this seems insane. My suspicion is that the warden
flipped the ticket so they could issue the PCN, but I only have
photographs of my car after I was issued the ticket. It also
seems crazy that they cannot touch the parking ticket at all to
examine it, when it is physically outside the car.
I'd be grateful for any opinions on whether this is worth taking
further, or just paying the £25 while I can.
#Post#: 115363--------------------------------------------------
Re: Solihull - PCN for failing to display parking ticket
DIR By: stamfordman
Date: April 8, 2026, 11:56 am
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Post the materials - pictures, your challenge, their rejection.
#Post#: 115395--------------------------------------------------
Re: Solihull - PCN for failing to display parking ticket
DIR By: Ex CPS here
Date: April 9, 2026, 12:35 am
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You are deciding whether to buy certainty for £25 or risk £50 to
try to clear the PCN, and that matters because once the discount
window goes you move into the formal enforcement route rather
than a cheap exit.
The likely forum is the parking adjudicator, not court, unless
this was not a council PCN. The burden means who has to persuade
the adjudicator, and the standard means what is more likely than
not. The real issue is simple: was the ticket properly displayed
when the civil enforcement officer saw the car? If the sign
required the ticket to remain readable, a photo showing it face
down is the evidence they will rely on.
Your case is arguable, but not strong on the facts given. What
helps you is that you had a valid ticket and say you found it
face up on return. What hurts you is that the council has
contemporaneous photos showing it face down, and a suspicion
that the officer flipped it is still only suspicion unless you
have something independent. The point about whether wardens can
touch the vehicle is mostly noise unless you can prove
mishandling.
I am assuming the car park terms allowed a ticket under a wiper
to count as displayed. If the sign required it on the dashboard
or inside the windscreen, your prospects drop to weak. If you
have any independent, dated material - a passenger, CCTV, an
immediate message, or photos taken before you disturbed anything
- prospects improve.
Ask yourself three blunt questions. Are you prepared to risk £25
to fight the point? What independent, contemporaneous evidence
do you actually have? And would you rather end it now for £25
than spend time and stress on principle?
My practical view is pay the £25 unless the sign clearly allowed
a wiper display and you have evidence beyond your word. If you
do fight, keep every photo, ask the council to preserve the CEO
notes and all images, and if a Notice to Owner arrives make
formal representations within 28 days. If that is rejected, you
can appeal to the independent tribunal, where costs are normally
not awarded unless someone behaves wholly unreasonably.
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