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[Guide] Dealing with a Parking Eye fine

ParkingEye is the biggest private parking company in the UK, operating parking services for large retail chains like Aldi, Morrisons and Asda, as well as motorway service stations. It’s been known to dish out ‘Parking Charge Notices’ for overstaying their free limit or failing to pay the correct amount – up to £100 in some cases. It’s no surprise that this has caused its fair share of controversy online, with people questioning how best to deal with fines they’ve received.


This short guide will aim to explain how to deal with a ParkingEye fine. We’ll cover the legal basis of private fines, whether they’re enforceable and how you can appeal a Parking Eye fine you’ve received.


ParkingEye Fine – How Much Can I Be Charged?

ParkingEye typically issues a £60 ‘Parking Charge Notice’ if you’ve overstayed your free parking limit, with this rising to £100 if the fine isn’t paid in adequate time. The company is known to be stubborn when it comes to getting its notices paid – they’ve been known to send up to 9 letters to those who have violated its Terms of Services.


Appealing a Parking Eye fine

It’s possible to appeal a ParkingEye fine using their online appeals form or by writing to them directly at ParkingEye Limited, PO Box 117, Blyth, NE24 9EJ. You’ll need to outline the reasons for appealing the fine (i.e. that you didn’t exceed the free limit or paid the correct amount for parking) as well as enclose proof of this.


Getting In Contact with ParkingEye

ParkingEye only deal with appeals through either their online appeals form or via their post address. They do not deal with appeals over the phone.


Is a ParkingEye parking ticket enforceable?

The short answer to this question is yes, they are enforceable. ParkingEye is entitled to issue charge notices to motorists who have violated the rules of their property. This was even confirmed by the Supreme Court in 2015 during ‘ParkingEye vs. Beavis’.


It’s worth clarifying that ParkingEye isn’t issuing a ‘fine’ as such, as only government agencies or the police can issue fines. However, ParkingEye is able to issue a ‘charge notice’ for motorists breaching a contract on private property. When someone parks at a car park operated by PrivateEye, they have entered a contract with the company to abide by the rules of the car park. By violating these rules through overstaying or underpaying, PrivateEye can claim compensation for the damage caused by this contractual breach.


Can Parking Eye take you to court?

Yes, ParkingEye can and have taken people to court in the past for failing to pay their Parking Charge Notices. However, they have only tended to this for people with multiple outstanding notices, with some court cases involving motorists who have received hundreds of fines from ParkingEye. If you’ve only received a single notice, it’s highly unlikely that they will go to the effort of bringing you to court.


However, ParkingEye may lodge a county court judgement (CCJ) against you if you fail to pay the fine. This changes the seriousness of the fine somewhat, as it transforms the fine from a civil matter into a public matter. A CCJ means a court of law has now decided you owe ParkingEye money and failing to act on it could have consequences for your credit rating.
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