You had already sold the car before the ticket date
If you sold or transferred the car to someone else before the date of the alleged offence, you are not the person who should pay the penalty — that responsibility falls on whoever was using or keeping the car at the time. DVLA records can take several weeks to update after a sale, so the council may have sent the penalty notice to you simply because you still showed as the registered keeper. If you can show proof of the sale, the council must redirect the penalty to the person who actually had the car.
Legal basis
SSI 2021/177 reg 5(3); reg 8(4)(b)
How to identify this in your case
Sale date on bill of sale or V5C/2 slip is before the detection date.
Sample appeal wording
Dear [COUNCIL] LEZ Team, Re: PCN [PCN_NUMBER] Representation under reg 8(1); ground reg 8(4)(b). I sold the vehicle on [SALE_DATE], [N] days before the detection date of [DETECTION_DATE]. Evidence: — Bill of sale dated [SALE_DATE], buyer [BUYER_NAME / ADDRESS / DOB if known]; — Copy of V5C/2 sent to DVLA on [DATE]; — DVLA confirmation of disposal letter. Under reg 5(3) the penalty is payable by the user/keeper at contravention time — not me. Please cancel; council may serve a fresh PCN on [BUYER_NAME] under reg 9(5). Yours faithfully, [NAME]
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
Beat It writes this argument automatically
Scan your PCN — our AI checks if this ground applies to your specific ticket, drafts a properly-cited appeal letter, and submits it to the council on your behalf. Only pay if you win.
Scan my ticketSources
- SSI 2021/177 reg 5(3)
Related appeal grounds
- Aberdeen Clean Air Zone ticket issued too early
- Appealing a Scottish tribunal's legal error to a higher tribunal
- Attorney acting for keeper under Scottish power of attorney
- Bailiff acted without proper advance warning notice
- Bath CAZ — Sunset Period for Pre-Registered Commercial Vehicles
- Bay Obstructed or Too Small — Could Not Park Within the Bay Markings