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#Post#: 124087--------------------------------------------------
APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: porcupine666
Date: July 8, 2026, 11:02 am
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Hi all, I, the registered keeper of a vehicle, received a
parking charge through the post on Friday 3rd July 2026 for an
alleged contravention on the 26th May 2026 from APCOA for the
car being parked at a South Western Railway car park with no
registered payment. It looks like this was administered by a
person rather than cameras.
I have read the forum and I am unclear how to proceed as I
believe there might have been some change to the law as of 1st
January 2026 so previous methodologies might not be relevant? I
could be wrong though!
Any advice if I should engage with APCOA on this, or do I just
ignore? I'd rather not get tonnes of "debt" collection letters
but am happy to do so if ignoring is the preferred option.
Thank you very much in advance!
Attached front and back of Parking charge from APCOA and a
notice that is displayed in the car park in question: HERE.
HTML https://ibb.co/album/MBkyfv
#Post#: 124090--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: jfollows
Date: July 8, 2026, 11:11 am
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APCOA don’t “do” court, so you will have to put up with debt
collectors and only need to take action if they change their
modus operandi and you get a Letter of Claim from a solicitor,
which recent history implies will not happen. The only way you
avoid letters from debt collectors is if you pay now!
The law changed at the end of 2025 so that land covered by
railway byelaws is now “relevant land” for the purposes of PoFA
2012, and APCOA can issue Parking Charge Notices and transfer
liability to the registered keeper in the normal way. Any
defence about not being “relevant land” is no longer valid.
#Post#: 124091--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: porcupine666
Date: July 8, 2026, 11:13 am
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Thank you very much for your quick reply.
I shall just ignore then, unless anyone else has a view on this.
Edit: Just seen your edit about the law change at end of 2025,
useful, thank you.
#Post#: 124095--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: porcupine666
Date: July 8, 2026, 11:21 am
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Also, is there a length of time that the risk becomes lower? 6
months?
#Post#: 124104--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: jfollows
Date: July 8, 2026, 12:22 pm
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--- Quote from: porcupine666 link ---
>
> Also, is there a length of time that the risk becomes lower? 6
months?
>
--- End Quote ---
Yes.
Six years.
Again, you’re thinking of the previous regime in which Penalty
Charge Notices were issued (by APCOA, who didn’t have the right
to do so, but overlook that) for criminal summary-only offences
which have to be brought to the court within six months. That’s
all changed now. Under civil law, prosecutions for breach of
contract can be brought within six years.
See
HTML https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/1256/introduction/made<br
/>for the legislation change.
--- Quote ---
> 2. At the end of paragraph 3(4) of Schedule 4 to the
Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 insert “, but not byelaws made
under section 219 of the Transport Act 2000(1) by the Strategic
Rail Authority, confirmed under Schedule 20 of the Transport Act
2000 and preserved by section 46(4) of the Railways Act
2005(2)”.
>
--- End Quote ---
--- Quote ---
> The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (Definition of Relevant
Land) (Amendment) Order 2025
>
> Made 27th November 2025
> Coming into force 26th December 2025
> The Secretary of State, in exercise of powers conferred by
paragraph 16(1)(a) of Schedule 4 to the Protection of Freedoms
Act 2012(1) makes the following Order.
>
> A draft of this instrument was laid before Parliament in
accordance with paragraph 17(2) of Schedule 4 to the Protection
of Freedoms Act 2012 and approved by a resolution of each House
of Parliament.
>
--- End Quote ---
#Post#: 124170--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: Jackisback123
Date: July 9, 2026, 6:43 am
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1. Can you post a picture of the serial number towards the
bottom-left of the page? I want to see when the letter was
actually generated.
2. If the Notice was sent (as stated) on 26/05/2026, how on
earth has it taken til 3rd July to reach you?
3. If the date of contravention is the same date as the Notice,
then keeper liability cannot apply. Paragraph 11(1)(b) of
Schedule 4 of POFA requires that the application for the
keeper's details is made during the relevant period for the
purposes of paragraph 9(4), which starts the day after the
specified period of parking ended. The Notice is dated the same
date as the parking event and, as such, the request must have
been made outside of the relevant period.
Edit as we are assuming there was a windscreen ticket, so this
point is irrelevant.
4. APCOA don't sue (historically, anyway, and there's no reason
to think you're the exception to that rule).
#Post#: 124190--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: porcupine666
Date: July 9, 2026, 9:08 am
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Thanks for the reply.
1. Picture of serial number in bottom left of front of letter
here:
HTML https://ibb.co/wFTTMVk0
HTML https://ibb.co/wFTTMVk0
2. It doesn't have an (obvious) sent or generated date, it just
says "Date of Issue of this charge": 26/05/2026, presumably the
date they ticketed the car but I don't know as I am just the
registered keeper. I've only just received the letter on Friday
3rd July.
3. How long is the relevant period? I'd expect
[member=636]jfollows[/member] to have picked up on that if it
were relevant? 56 days is what ChatGPT is telling me?
#Post#: 124196--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: jfollows
Date: July 9, 2026, 9:56 am
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--- Quote ---
> (5)The relevant period for the purposes of sub-paragraph (4)
is the period of 14 days beginning with the day after that on
which the specified period of parking ended.
--- End Quote ---
#Post#: 124200--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: porcupine666
Date: July 9, 2026, 10:08 am
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Thanks, is that relevant here though? ChatGPT saying not if
there was a windscreen ticket, which there might have been and
presumably they would have a photo of that.
#Post#: 124205--------------------------------------------------
Re: APCOA - No Payment - South Western Railway Train Station
DIR By: Jackisback123
Date: July 9, 2026, 10:41 am
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--- Quote from: porcupine666 link ---
>
> Thanks for the reply.
>
> 1. Picture of serial number in bottom left of front of letter
here:
HTML https://ibb.co/wFTTMVk0
HTML https://ibb.co/wFTTMVk0
>
> 2. It doesn't have an (obvious) sent or generated date, it
just says "Date of Issue of this charge": 26/05/2026, presumably
the date they ticketed the car but I don't know as I am just the
registered keeper. I've only just received the letter on Friday
3rd July.
>
> 3. How long is the relevant period? I'd expect
[member=636]jfollows[/member] to have picked up on that if it
were relevant? 56 days is what ChatGPT is telling me?
>
--- End Quote ---
Thanks, it seems they've changed them; probably because they
realised people were getting wise to them backdating them!
Surely you know whether or not there was a windscreen ticket?
But if there was, then that could explain the delay. It would
also mean my previous point is not relevant.
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