Payment of PCNs and debt recovery

We'll accept payment in a number of ways to make paying a penalty charge notice (PCN) easy. We'll pursue payment of an unpaid PCN and take action to recover debts.

Payment facilities

We accept payment by:

  • Cheque
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • Cash

Payments can be made by post (cheques only) or in person at Shropshire Council customer service points where a cash office is available (except Telford & Wrekin). Cheques should made payable to Shropshire Council. Internet payment is available, and telephone payments can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by telephoning 0345 678 9009.

Technology has developed in recent years, making electronic and telephone payment of bills and goods possible. As other technologies emerge, such as mobile phone payments, these will be evaluated and adopted if appropriate.

The issue of PCNs

Once a PCN has been issued, the motorist is offered a discount for early payment of the charge within 14 days. Once the payment discount period has passed, the debt owed reverts to the full penalty amount and will be increased in line with the regulations contained in the Traffic Management Act 2004, Part 6 (TMA).

The PCN will show the date by which a discounted payment will be accepted. Payments received after the printed date will be regarded as an underpayment.

  • PCN issued - 50% discount of full penalty offered for payment within 14 days of issue date
  • 14 day discount period reinstated after a challenge has been rejected by the notice processing office, if the challenge was made within the original discount period
  • After 14 days, full penalty due
  • Penalty amount increases by 50% on the issue of a charge certificate (28 days after service of the notice to owner), as can be seen from our diagram, a clear procedure will be applied

The ticket processing and recovery system, and associated IT, will be operated by the Shropshire Parking Service notice processing office, with links to accounting and other systems. It will also link to the DVLA and Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC), and will offer the advantages of document image processing and correspondence management.

Charge certificates

Shropshire Parking Service will issue a charge certificate to registered keepers who fail to pay the PCN within the time allowed. Under such circumstance, the penalty charge will have been increased by 50%. Should the motorist fail to pay the increased penalty charge within 14 days (allowing for service), registration of the charge as a debt will be made at the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) in accordance with government guidance. An additional £8 fee will have been applied at this stage to each penalty charge registered. Within seven days of a sealed order being received by Shropshire Parking Service from the TEC, an order will be issued to the registered keeper for payment of the outstanding amount.

The motorist must then pay the outstanding charge including the associated fees and registration amount, or send a witness statement to TEC requesting that the registration of the unpaid penalty charge should be revoked. A witness statement can be made on one of the following four grounds:

  • The motorist didn't receive a notice to owner document
  • The motorist made representations to the enforcing authority, Shropshire Council, about the penalty charge and didn't receive a rejection notice
  • The motorist appealed to a parking adjudicator (TPT) against our decision to reject the representations, but received no response from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal to the appeal
  • The PCN was paid in full within 28 days of issue

We may prosecute motorists for knowingly or willingly filing a false statement.

An application to revoke the registration of the debt doesn't cancel the PCN. We will, in most cases, on notification by the TEC, continue to pursue for payment.

Warrant of execution

Where a motorist has been served with an order for recovery of the unpaid penalty charge and fails to pay or to complete a witness statement, we'll ask the TEC for authority to prepare a warrant of execution. A warrant will only be prepared if all of the following criteria are met:

  • 21 days have elapsed since the service of the registration order was effected
  • Full payment hasn't been received
  • No witness statement has been filed
  • No time extension for making a witness statement has been approved
  • The motorist lives in England or Wales

Registrations with the TEC will be transferred so that enforcement can be carried out against motorists living in Scotland.

We'll then instruct appointed certified civil enforcement agents (bailiffs), who will seize and sell goods belonging to the registered keeper to the value of the outstanding amount plus their costs of executing the warrant.