POPLA appeals: how the free independent stage works

When POPLA applies

POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals) hears appeals against operators accredited by the British Parking Association, after the operator has rejected your first-stage appeal. The rejection letter must include a POPLA verification code, and you normally have 28 days from the rejection to use it.

What POPLA examines

POPLA is evidence-based. The operator must prove its case: authority from the landowner to issue charges, signage capable of forming a contract, evidence of the alleged breach, and — if it is pursuing you as keeper — full compliance with the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

Your job is to put the operator to proof on the points your situation supports and supply your own evidence: photographs of the signs as you found them, payment records, timelines.

The process

You submit your appeal and evidence online. The operator then files an evidence pack, which you can see and comment on before an assessor decides. Decisions typically arrive within a few weeks. There is no hearing and no cost to you at any point.

Outcomes

If POPLA allows your appeal, the charge is cancelled — the decision is binding on the operator. If POPLA refuses it, the operator will expect payment of the full amount; the decision is not binding on you, and you could still defend a court claim, but you should treat a refusal as a serious signal about the strength of your case.

Common questions

Related guides

• IAS appeals: escalating a charge from an IPC operator
• Notice to Keeper deadlines under POFA 2012 — and why they matter
• Should you pay or appeal a private parking ticket?