PCN code 12: parked in a residents'
What this contravention code means, and how to appeal it · On-Street
Code 12 means the council or TfL recorded your vehicle as parked in a residents' or shared use parking place or zone without a valid virtual permit or clearly displaying a valid physical permit or voucher or pay and display ticket issued for that place where required, or without payment of the parking charge. A valid permit or payment that simply didn't show, or signage that wasn't clear at the time, is a real basis to challenge this rather than pay it.
Full description on the ticket: “Parked in a residents' or shared use parking place or zone without a valid virtual permit or clearly displaying a valid physical permit or voucher or pay and display ticket issued for that place where required, or without payment of the parking charge.”
Letter after the code, like 12a?
A letter after the number narrows down the exact circumstances: a means permit holder only electric vehicle charging bay, r means residents' bay, s means shared use bay, t means voucher/pay & display ticket used in a permit bay, u means electronic payment, w means wrong parking zone, y means obscured/illegible permit, 4 means virtual permit. We factor the exact suffix into your letter automatically.
Can I appeal this?
Yes. This is a statutory Penalty Charge Notice from a council or TfL, not a private charge, so you have a formal right to challenge it before it escalates into a Charge Certificate.