Camden in parking admin-charge row

12 November 2009

Camden LBC is to seek judicial review of two decisions by the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service (PATAS) after it ruled it illegal to charge a 1.3% administration fee where penalty charge notices (PCNs) are paid by credit card.

The council faces refunding up to £6.5m if it loses the case, but motorists’ organisations say it should repay the fines. ‘Camden believes the recent decisions by PATAS regarding the validity of PCNs carrying the credit card charge are legally flawed,’ said a council spokesperson. ‘We will be asking the High Court to review and overturn them.’

Camden has also agreed on 4 January to introduce legislative powers to enable it to impound vehicles with three or more unpaid fines. Camden has 2,716 such vehicles with 14,797 unpaid PCNs and is one of five London boroughs piloting the scheme.

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