Man's frustration over 'unjust' $266 parking fine
A Queensland man was baffled by a parking fine he received in the Whitsunday region, claiming it was “unjust”.
The man wrote on a local community Facebook group he received the $266 fine for apparently blocking the road.
But he says he wasn’t parked on the street and copied the email he wrote to the council appealing the fine into the post.
He also included photos claiming they show how his vehicle was parked at the time of the offence.
The man’s car is seen parked on the grass next to a footpath.
“I would like to dispute this fine as I believe it to be unjust for the reasons I will state below,” he recounted writing in the email to the council.
The man claims he was forced to park off the street due to tourists.
He included a photo of the ticket, but it was hard to make out what was written on the ticket.
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The man claims it was for “obstructing the length of the road”.
“I enquired at the office here in Cannonvale and the lady stated you take photos of the offence, I think you can clearly see that all four wheels are completely off the road that would indicate no obstruction to other vehicles,” he says he wrote in the email.
“Where the vehicle was parked it also did not obstruct the pedestrians and did not cause them to have to use the road as a walkway leaving then enough room to remain safe whilst walking.”
The man added the fine amount was also “outrageous”, but ended up paying it.
It is illegal to park on footpaths and nature strips in Queensland.
Queensland Police is responsible for enforcing the state’s parking rules, but some councils enforce rules and regulate fines.
One man called the fine a “cash grab”.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with your parking there,” he wrote.
Whitsunday Regional Council confirmed the fine was “correctly issued” and said the nature strip, where the man was parked, was included in the “road area”.
“So, it is illegal to park on the nature strip,” a council spokesperson said.
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