Company Car PCN: The Fleet-Driver Liability Transfer and the Right to Appeal

You Got a PCN on a Company Car — Now What

If you drove a company car, pool car or fleet vehicle and a parking PCN was issued, the procedural chain is:

1. The PCN is issued to the registered keeper — typically the fleet operator or leasing company
2. Under the BVRLA driver transfer mechanism, the fleet operator names you as the driver to the issuing operator
3. The fleet operator charges you the PCN amount plus an internal admin fee (typically £20-£35)
4. Some fleets settle the PCN themselves and deduct it from your expenses or charge it to your salary

The 57-61% of fleet drivers who do not appeal do so because they think they cannot — that the fleet operator's decision is final. That's wrong. As the named driver, you retain full statutory appeal rights under POFA 2012 and the Civil Enforcement Regulations 2022, regardless of what your fleet operator has done with the PCN.

Step 1: Confirm Your Status

You are one of three types of driver:

1. Named driver via BVRLA transfer — the fleet operator named you to the PCN-issuing operator. You are now the legal liable party.
2. Direct PCN — for some council PCNs, the council writes directly to the driver if they can identify them. Less common with private parking.
3. Reimbursing the fleet — the fleet operator paid the PCN themselves and is recovering from you via expenses or salary.

The appeal route differs slightly between these. Status 1 gives you direct appeal rights. Status 3 means you need to challenge the fleet operator's internal decision first, then the underlying PCN if the fleet operator cancels their recovery.

Step 2: Confirm the Appeal Window Is Still Open

Most PCN appeal windows are 28 days from the Notice to Owner / Notice to Keeper. The BVRLA transfer process can take 14-21 days, which means by the time you become aware, the window may be nearly closed. Act quickly.

If the window has passed, the only routes are out-of-time representations to the council (for council PCNs) or treating the matter as a private dispute with the fleet operator.

Step 3: Appeal as the Driver

The appeal is structurally the same as any other PCN appeal — POFA 2012 §9, signage / CRA 2015 s.62, grace period, ANPR. See:

• ParkingEye Court Claim Defence for ParkingEye
• UKPC Court Claim Defence for UKPC
• Charge Certificate 50% Stop for council PCNs

The only fleet-specific element is the opening paragraph, where you reference the BVRLA transfer and confirm your identity as the driver.

Step 4: Manage the Fleet Operator Relationship

In parallel, write to your fleet manager:

```

[Your name and address]

[Date]

[Fleet manager / fleet operator]

[Company]

[Address]

Reference: Vehicle [VRM], PCN [reference]

1. I confirm I was the driver on the date in question.

1. I am exercising my full appeal rights as the named driver under

POFA 2012 and the Civil Enforcement Regulations 2022.

1. I respectfully request that any internal deduction or expense

recovery be held in abeyance until the appeal is resolved.

1. I will inform you of the outcome and pay any sums genuinely

owing within 14 days of the appeal being concluded.

Yours faithfully,

[Signature]

```

Most fleet managers will hold the deduction pending the appeal. If they refuse, raise it as a grievance under the employer's normal complaints process.

Step 5: If the Appeal Succeeds

If the PCN is cancelled, the fleet operator must:

• Cancel any internal admin fee
• Refund any amount already deducted from your salary or expenses
• Update the driver record so the PCN does not affect future fleet allocations

If the fleet operator refuses to reverse the deduction after a successful appeal, that is a separate employment / contract dispute. Raise it via your employer's grievance process and, if unresolved, ACAS conciliation.

Numbers That Matter

• Estimated fleet driver appeal rate: 39% (61% do not appeal — Fleet News research)
• Typical fleet admin fee: £20-£35 on top of the underlying PCN
• BVRLA driver-transfer window: 14-21 days typically
• PCN appeal window (council): 28 days from NtO
• PCN appeal window (private): 28 days from NtK

Related Reading

• Hire Car Parking Charge Admin Fee Refund — similar admin-fee challenge
• ANPR Misread Wrong Plate PCN Appeal
• Hospital Parking Fine NHS Staff and Visitor