Richard is the authority on these matters but in the absence of a response from him I would guess your appeal has only a small chance of success. The standard operating practice at Hounslow seems to be to reject almost every appeal regardless of circumstances and, even when there is clear mitigation, bring the case to the adjudicator if necessary. I believe the adjudicator's hands would be tied in your case as you are not disputing the validity of the fine just the unfairness and, the adjudicator doesn't have the authority to allow an appeal on that basis.Remember you can contest the fine and still pay the discounted rate if your appeal is rejected so, if you have time, it may be worth doing so if only to highlight the callousness of the system.
Jeremy Parkinson ● 223d