Rafal Goral, 45, a refinery worker from Chelmsford, Essex, has won a three-year parking dispute after using ChatGPT to help draft his appeals and legal defence. The fine, originally £100, was cancelled in late December after years of back-and-forth with debt collectors and Smart Parking Limited.
Day Out Leads to Fine
Goral was visiting Newquay, Cornwall, in August 2023 when he used the Tower Road pay and display car park. He said the payment machine had a long queue and was only accepting cash, so he downloaded the RingGo app to pay. Due to poor signal, setting up an account took time, but he eventually paid.
Two weeks later, on August 25, Smart Parking issued a PCN stating he had paid 16 minutes after entering the car park. Goral appealed in December but heard nothing until January, when a debt collection company demanded £170.
Three Years of Appeals
Goral said he was in contact with debt collectors for four months until the case was put on hold. In November 2025, a different debt collection company informed him the case would go to court in October 2026.
Smart Parking allegedly offered to reduce the fine to £60, which Goral refused. On September 25, weeks before the court date, he received an email saying the case and fine had been dropped.
Role of AI
Goral credited ChatGPT for much of his success. He uploaded every letter and email to the AI, asking what to reply and how to prepare. He also called Citizens Advice a few times but said AI was more helpful.
“From start to finish I was asking ChatGPT every time I got a letter what to do. It was telling me what to say, where to go, and everything. I did it all with the help of AI. They even prepared my defense which I sent to the court,” he said.
A Smart Parking spokesperson said the company checked Goral’s appeal and found the payment machines were working that day. They said Goral paid for four hours but stayed over four hours and 11 minutes, and could have topped up via the app. The spokesperson added that Smart Parking follows IPC guidelines and operates an audited appeals process.
