Vehicle Breakdown — RAC/AA/Roadside Assistance Callout Evidence

A vehicle breakdown that prevented the driver from moving the vehicle or caused the vehicle to be left in a prohibited location is a recognised mitigating circumstance. If you have a callout record from RAC, AA, Green Flag, or any other breakdown service, this is powerful contemporaneous evidence that the vehicle was incapable of being moved. Most councils and private operators will cancel charges where a genuine breakdown is evidenced.

Legal basis

Mitigating circumstances (POPLA, IAS, London Tribunals); BPA/IPC Code of Practice; Road Traffic Act 1988 s.42 (immobilised vehicle defence in some contexts)

How to identify this in your case

Your vehicle broke down and could not be moved from the location where it was parked/stopped. You called a breakdown service and have a callout reference number, job number, or engineer's report. The PCN/charge was issued to your broken-down vehicle.

Sample appeal wording

I am writing to appeal parking charge/PCN [reference] on the grounds that my vehicle broke down and was immobilised through no fault of my own. On [date] at [time], vehicle [registration] suffered a [describe fault: flat tyre / engine failure / electrical fault / etc.] at [location]. The vehicle was unable to be moved and I was forced to leave it at that location while I arranged recovery. Breakdown Recovery Evidence: - Provider: [RAC / AA / Green Flag / other] - Callout Reference: [number] - Date/Time of Call: [time] - Engineer's attendance: [time] - [Copy of callout confirmation / engineer's report attached] I had no choice in where the vehicle was left — it was a genuine emergency. I request cancellation of this charge on grounds of exceptional circumstances. This is supported by the breakdown service record attached.

Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.

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Sources

POPLA guidance on exceptional circumstances
AA/RAC callout evidence as accepted by tribunals