Nearly 70 per cent of the parking fine excuses penned by Nelsonians this year have been deemed acceptable, letting them off the hook.

Nelson City Council figures released to the Nelson Mail show 361 of the 526 explanations received in the last three months were accepted, with 165 dismissed.

The explanations were from drivers disputing their infringement notices, with 4484 tickets issued in total.

NCC parking manager Karen Robinson said most explanations were for warrant of fitness and registration offences.

Ms Robinson said whether people were let off the hook depended on how long ago their registration or warrant of fitness expired and if and when they obtained a new warrant or licence after receiving a ticket.

She said people's explanations were more likely to be accepted if their warrant or registration had expired within 28 days of getting a ticket.

"A lot of people just write in, `I have got a new licence now, please cancel the ticket' and that's not really a reason if it's outside the guidelines. We're looking for reasons that are exceptional – like medical emergencies," she said.

"For all other parking notices it is entirely on the explanation received," she said.

Ms Robinson said all the council wanted was compliance and people's appeals were accepted or dismissed by an independent adjudicator.

"I used to do this job in Christchurch and there were people who wrote poems and that sort of thing.

"I have heard some really good explanations, but I haven't come across any here. There's not a lot of far-out ones," she said.

Ms Robinson said the tone of people's appeals in Nelson ranged from "really nice" to "very aggressive" or "it's not my fault".

"We can appreciate that people do forget and that's why we have that [28-day] guideline. Let's face it. It's $200. It's a lot of money. We are sympathetic," she said.

"But stopping in Montgomery Square to pick up your lunch [on the way to get a warrant] negates that."

This reporter, feeling cheeky and sheepish, appealed a $200 infringement notice in January and was pleasantly surprised when it was accepted. The registration for my car had expired 11 days earlier and I promised to pay it the next day, which I did.

"I admit fault and I usually take note of these things, but I was distracted during the holiday period and failed to take note of its expiry," I wrote.

Nelson woman Gaile Noonan wasn't as lucky.

Ms Noonan got a warrant for her car in January, but the garage forgot to display it and she didn't check.

She got a $200 fine in March, but the council didn't accept her explanation despite it including an invoice from the garage proving the garage had issued a warrant in January.

The fine eventually got dismissed after she pursued the issue and got the garage to write to the council.

"It was a total waste of time. It was just unfair.

"I was quite surprised that they didn't let me off when I gave them the invoice," she said.