Hey guys, my mother just received a fine of $300 via mail. Now that's alot of money!
The reason for the fine is this, 'Stop at/near bus stop' and this is I think during/after school pick up.
Well, on her side of the story, she says that she parked in front of the BUS stop sign. She never parked before the sign.
So how should I tackle this issue?
Should i tell my mum suck it up and pay the fine?
OR
Should i call these guys up and contest the fine? (yolo?)
What should i do guys? thnks.
SRAYMOND, thanks.
Write them a letter, if they don't waive it, just pay the fine and move on, there are more important things to worry about.
That's a pretty stupid rule. If that much space is needed, why don't they just place the signs there in the first place and then everyone would know?
Because they would rather take money from you than spend money on the extra sign
The logic of gov. So true. Exact same reason that police use road side police trap vehicles they can park there all day and god do something else. No police presence = no improvement in safety, it's just a cash grab and if you didn't notice Lib's will do ANYTHING for money.
Just like hydrants, level crossings, street corners, etc., etc. All stuff in your written test/learners manual. Now for international drives…
What should you do? If you think you are in the right then write to the authority issuing the fine.
Check for a website for them and see if they outline any procedure on there.
Regular bus stops have before and after no parking distances as sraymond said.
Was it a stop with a sign at each end or just one sign in the middle?
She also says that she was never informed of such rules and regulations when doing her license back in the day.
Do you think its a possibility to waive this fine?
or pay it?
Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it.
Source: every single lawyer I've ever talked to.
If her record is clean and its the first offense she has done in a long time, then most likely, they will waive the infringement but that's up to the SDRO, not me or anyone on OzBargain.
EDIT: Even if her record is dirty, there is no reason she can't apply for leniency but her chances are about 2%, worth a shot? or perhaps ask them to review the amount.. hah, you cheap ass.. i mean ozbargainer..
Lol, Ha!
Awesome.
So she says she was never informed…. back in the day.
These regulations have existed since before I got my licence (in NSW) back in the day (1961). It is up to your momma to make herself familiar with the road rules and regulations. Nobody else is gunna do it for her.
If you write a respectful (look it up) letter to where it says on the ticket then you may have a chance at getting off.
Part of getting your license is reading the driver's handbook, and there's no way that bus zones aren't covered by the handbook. It's up to her to inform herself of all the rules.
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1950547?uid=3737536&ui…
An interesting read about promulgation and the rule of law. Even if some state's criminal codes do say ignorance of the law is not an excuse….the rule of law trumps that slogan anytime.
Is the ordinary person expected to know and understand ALL the laws when the top lawmakers in the country don't?
She was duly informed in the materials that she was supposed to read when she applied for her driver's license. Forgetting it is her fault, not the state's.
Pay the fine.
No wondering you're crying. You're doing it all wrong. You don't beat yourself on the inside.
im just wondering how he got text out of the comment box
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
First, can you ask for a photo? To proved what exactly has happened?
Also, if your mother has a good driving record, no outstanding fines… she could perhaps ask to have the fine waived. (Perhaps tell them your mother mis-understood the law) Won't hurt to ask!
My husband received a speeding fine (in Melbourne)in the mail recently, he had a perfect driving record. He applied to have the fee waived and he succeeded.
Yes, $300 is alot. Good luck
Speeding fines can be waived, never heard of parking fines being waved when you are in the wrong. Speeding fines are issued by the police, where as parking fines are issued by the council and are a revenue raiser.
I have contested a parking fine before, it got me nowhere. You really need to go to court if you are any chance of getting it rescinded. Given that the law is not on your side, I think your chances are bleak. Plus is it worth the hassle of court etc for $300.
Which council was this?
Parking fines can be waved. I have applied to waive my fines at least 3 times, and succeeded every time.
1st time: Parking within 10 meters of an intersection. (in a residential area, no signs) My 'excuse' was my house is at the corner, my car was parking outside my house, yes it was within 10m of the intersection, but the car was never blocking/obstructing the intersection. Also, there's always parking shortage in the area. (Location: Port Melbourne)
2nd time: Didn't pay for a parking ticket. Reason: parking meter was broken at the time, I had two young children, raining, no phone. I did left a note on the dash to say the meter was broken, but he/she still gave me a ticket. I complained, and they waived the fine. (Location: St.Kilda)
3rd time: Didn't pay for a parking ticket…this time I did have a 'valid' ticket, but I moved my car 200m down the road (same street, just across the intersection), and used the same ticket. But Council claimed that's a different 'zone' and I need to buy another ticket…but they waived the fine as a good gesture! (Location: Richmond)
You are lucky. I never even got a reply.
4th time: double parked at subway dressed as batman. Yes I was double parked but I needed my bat food (footlong Tuna on wheat). Wrote to council saying I was on stakeout and wasn't the hero they deserved and they waived the fine.
Wouldn't it be much easier to just write: "Because I'm BATMAN!" (Quote from super cafe)
1st time: Parking within 10 meters of an intersection. (in a residential area, no signs)
I tried to contest a fine for pretty much the same situation (small residential intersection no signs). I got knocked back. Council was City of Stonnington (Prahran area Melbourne).
Thought I had a strong case too because the next intersection some 100 meters down the street had a specific no standing sign within 10 meters of the intersection, whereas the one I parked at didn't.
Councils often have double standards regarding parking within 10 meters of an intersection. Many meter parkings are well into the 10m zone (City of Melb, Stonnington, Port Phillip….) Councils squeeze in as many meter parking as possible. Extra parking meter = extra revenue. So basically you are allow to park within 10m if you pay Council a fee (meter parking or time limit parking). It has noting to do with road safety.
I know a guy that doesn't pay parking. When he gets a ticket he crams the meter with paper, takes a photo and then complains to get it revoked. Apparently it's worked twice for him.
Its you isn't it.
I think a parking infringement within a school zone cannot generally be waived as the enforcement is to do with children's safety.
My husband got a parking fine in Wollongong NSW I tried to have it waived using my perfect record but got a reply back that there is no waiver provision you can only contest it if you think it was wrong. Unfortunately I had already admitted it was wrong when I asked for leniency.
I've had 3 parking fines, 2 I got waved.
1 was when the machine wasn't working, wrote a polite letter explaining as such.
1 was for over the time limit, the signs to indicate the start of timed parking and the end of untimed was behind overgrown bushes.
The time i didn't get waved was for parking facing the wrong way, I didn't realise it was law and I also thought I was on a 1 way street. $55.
letter tips:
-Do, give them the sob story
-Do, tell them you're very very sorry and you understand why the fine is important etc etc.
-Do, be very polite and ask for it to be waved.
-Don't threaten them
-Don't get angry
-Don't tell them the parking restrictions are stupid.
How did you get $55 for parking facing the wrong way, I parked the other way on a dead end street thinking I will get cornered otherwise and they issued me with a $169 fine (North Sydney). I appealed saying the country I come from its allowed to do that (which is true so pleaded no knowledge). They wrote back tough luck son you already had 2 speeding tickets (76 where 70 allowed and 68 where 60 allowed) in OZ since you are here…..
Poop, thats what it is
Not sure, that's what it was Bondi Jnt a few years ago.
I didn't bother writing the letter as it was after getting the fine waved for parking with the obstructed street sign. Figured I'd have no chance getting the second one waved.
odd that they would write back about your speeding fines… it would usually be be the council booking you, didn't realise they checked speeding history, maybe they do.
I appealed saying the country I come from its allowed to do that
Worst excuse ever, even if it's entirely genuine. No wonder you got knocked back lol.
Never plead ignorance, ever. You'll have no chance of it being waived.
I appealed saying the country I come from its allowed to do that
that's was my unsuccessful defence for polygamy :(
My Aunt contested and won a parking fine once.
It means appearing before a magistrate and making your case - in most cases magistrates are quite reasonable men.
But as Bargain_Knight says, It all depends on whether you consider $300 worth contesting.
If the fine is wrong its always worth contesting to stop power trippers abusing it.
GUYS THNKS ALOT, IGNORANCE AT ITS FINEST .. HER DRIVING RECORD ISN'T PERFECT.
So, ima tell my mumma to suck it up and pay the hefty fine.
Cheers guys, u are all beautiful people one way or the other.
Xo.
You may have a better chance of success if you use proper capitalisation.
Mate… Please…
Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaate
These laws are ridiculous. I get dropped off and picked up from a station which used to have plenty of "No Parking" areas on both sides of the street. However, as a result of construction work to the station (Fairfield, which is one of the busiest stations 30km out from the CBD!), the drop-off zone on one side is now completely obstructed by temporary barriers for the construction work while the other side is replaced with a "Taxi Zone" and a "Bus Zone".
Considered to be an "A" rated station based on the number of patrons passing through, drop-offs have become chaotic during peak hours with no permissible stopping zone for hundreds of metres from the station. I've seen people illegally stopping in the middle of the street, in the bus and taxi zones etc because they have no other option and I quite frankly don't blame them! I've also noticed on countless occasions a public servant sitting on a portable chair taking happy shots of all offenders with a big grin on his face.
Hey I'm close to there too! Hi five!
Honestly wouldn't suprise me if they has planned this the whole time.
Step 1 upgrade in a way that causes people to break the law.
Step 2 issue heaps of fines
Step 3 fines pay for upgrade
Profit.
have you heard the song
I fought the law and the law one
that's what will happen
One? Or won?
Never heard of a beautifully written song before.
Much love.
it's Juan
$300 is ridiculous.
It will take months, even years, of OzBargaining to make up for it…
I'm spewing ! Could've bought some beautiful knives with that money!
Depends on which state you are…..
You maybe able to get out of it if this is your mom's first fine within the last 2-3 years i think.
The key is admit that you did wrong, don't pretend you didn't do it.
In Victoria the rules for Official Warnings can be viewed here:
https://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?document_id=10369
Well, thanks alot. I'm from NSW but I've came to a conclusion, I'm telling my momma to suck it up and pay the f***** fine.
Thanks!
Lplau… its 10 years with a clean record in NSW where the op is from.
He can look up the rta website for details on that if it applies.
I received a parking fine once. It was an $11 fine for parking 4.5 hours in a 3 hour free parking zone. I didn't pay it until the last day, 55 days later (28 days notice + an additional 28 days after they sent a reminder notice threatening court action).
whatttttttt…… !?
What did you do after?
In the future I made sure to re-park my car around the car park every 3 hours.
I had to put aside 20 cents every day for nearly 2 months to pay off that fine :/
Councils love fines, its all gray and means they can pay the ever growing debts at YOUR expense.
How is $300 a lot of money? I don't understand how people can afford to run and drive a car then balk at such fines. $300 is barely 4 tanks of fuel in my car…
However, if you genuinely believe that the offence was not committed or was trifling, then of course you should fight it (taking into account the value of your time and effort). That isn't a matter of money though - it is a matter of principle.
Some ppl have run around cars only valued at $300-500?
True but they still pay rego for 700 $ ,
and if they make a mistake it is the fine…
$30 is a lot of money let alone $300 to some people…. including me. :-(
Welcome to the other world…
i have to agree with this
$300 is a lot of money for a minor offense
whats that almost half the weekly wage? for potentially inconveniencing a bus???
i like it how people here big note themselves as if $300 is nothing and yet they will snap up the latest bargains off the front page like ravenous wolves…
tell me why an offense that poses no danger to anyone should attract such a lot of money?
is it high range speeding? DUI? no
Agree, owning and driving a car is expensive. If I can't afford to pay fines, maintenance and insurance then I really shouldn't be driving. Third party property really should be compulsory, it's not fair that I can stuff up and wreck someone else's car then say sorry, can't afford to pay and I couldn't afford insurance. Better to save my money and catch the bus, they have loads of great reserved drop off spots. :)
Sure you are on the correct site? Most people on here are Bargain hunters and $300.- is quite a bit of mullah! Maybe you meant to post your comment in the Wall Street Journal?
If the op or his mother are unaware of the rules involving bus stops and parking near them I would suggest they pick up a road rules book from their local motor registry.
That question is asked when being tested for a license.
If your mother has not had a fine for the past 10 years she can ask for the fine to be waived. Check the NSW RTA site for details on that.(oops just saw not to be so .. like me lol)
No need for dummy spits bro… most people here are just trying to help.
If you are looking for a 3 word reply on how to get out of the fine then it wont happen.
If your Mum has no luck with the fine and she is not working, ask for time to pay. Offer the powers that be a paltry sum payable per month. Good luck
The same thing happened to me in NSW. I was ignorant or had forgotten the rule about drop offs in Bus Zones, so even when I saw a council compliance car near by, I thought I was safe to just drop off and was happy that anyone parking in a Bus Zone would get their just deserves. There were no buses in sight, I never left the car or turned off the engine, I didn't endanger anyone, but I was wrong. The compliance officer was sitting on a folding stool on the other side of the road and pretty well concealed happily writing down rego numbers. A fine arrived about 4-5 weeks later and I was very unhappy about it. A warning would have sufficed and I could have spend the next 4-5 weeks re-offending without even knowing about it.
To make matters worse, the infringement occurred in a school zone which is deemed serious, so when I wrote a letter appealing for clemency the response was basically 'Sorry, our hands are tied, we cannot offer clemency for a safety offence in a school zone'. This makes me even more unhappy with the council who are obviously using compliance as a revenue raiser, otherwise they would make a point of letting drivers know they were committing serious safety infringement rather than waiting weeks to process them. A simple sign at the bus stop saying 'It is an offence to stand a vehicle in a bus zone' would have been a far more effective safety measure and spared me the financial pain.
Also because the infringement occurred in a school zone and was a serious safety offence, a point was deducted from my hitherto unblemished licence.
Some weeks later, I watched a police officer policing the same bus zone. Instead of just taking the rego number of the woman that stopped to drop off her kids he pointed at her and gave her a very clear 'YOU MOVE ON' gesture. She actually refused and gestured back at him, to his credit the policeman then gestured back writing a ticket and gave her another 'YOU MOVE ON' gesture. The woman wisely moved on. Well done policeman, I wanted to shake his hand and thank him. That is how it should be done. Message received loud and clear straight away. Nobody is out of pocket and anyone that sees it understands.
+1, good post, man.
Good post, it would be great if they did nail up a sign suggesting that.
Nevertheless, plain ignorance.
To me this sounds like your mum is in the wrong and was hindering the flow of traffic and therefore it is suitable to be issued a fine
Elect to go to court. After you receive the summons, you can ask for the 'evidence' to be sent to you (I forgot what the legal term is) to get an idea of what they have against you.
Then show up in court and tell the magistrate you don't recall parking in a bus zone. The onus is on the prosecutor to provide the evidence which clearly shows your car (and number plate). In many cases they don't have this (or not a clear photo) and the magistrate will throw the case out.
It's a gamble as if you lose, you'll get hit with court costs as well (not that much).
This is the worst advice in the whole thread that I feel compelled to comment.
A finding out guilt in court will result in a criminal record, whereas just paying the fine will not (matter considered dealt with administratively).
Contesting a charge will mean multiple attendance at court, and you will need to be cross-examined by the prosecution at the final hearing.
The prosecution is not required to show photo/video of the alleged offending for them to successfully prosecute someone. If it comes down to the prosecution's words against an individual's words, which one do you think the magistrate would prefer? Generally, and I say generally, a prosecuting agency won't fine/charge someone if they were completely innocent.
Of course, if you think your mother has not breached any legislations/regulations, and that there are no basis to fine for committing such offence, by all means contesting the infringement to the fullest extent as you see fit. It is after all her right to do so.
However, with the benefit of having the relevant Road Rule pointed out to you, I failed to see any sensible option other than to pay up.
I suppose it comes down to this, if the fine was $10, would she just cop it on the chin? And if the answer is yes, are you really denying that your mother committed the offence, or just not happy about the quantum?
My advice if you're interested. Write to the local council requesting for an internal review on the basis of exceptional circumstances, and put whatever excuses you can think of. If it works, great, if no, cop it sweet on the chin. No one is disagreeing that $300 is steep, but your local court isn't the appropriate forum to raise your displeasure.
I stopped reading after you said 'criminal record' for a parking infringement…. speaking of WORST advice… go read a book or get a clue or something.
Ahoy there!
Damn those pesky stop signs.
I was nearly run over by some jurko that didn't stop at a stop sign the other day… what a bs
yea some Dorks really cant drive
the same thing happened to my wife and 5 other mothers waiting to pick up the kids. all of the 5 mothers paid the fines but i wrote a letter to SDRO asking for a review. They rejected our review, so we elected to have the matter heard in court. 2 weeks before we were scheduled to attend court we received a letter from the councils prosecution informing us they were dropping the case not proceeding with the fine.
Have your mum write a letter (write it for her if you like) stating she is sorry and it won't happen again. State that she understands the reason for traffic rules to ensure the safety of road users and pedestrians and always does her upmost to abide by them. This was a once off mistake on her part.
If her record is clean they will very likely let her off this time.
Some rules they have a policy of never letting anyone off, like standing in a no standing area. I'm not sure if that applies to bus stops. Probably not I'd say since it's a no parking zone and not a not standing zone.
If they don't let her off just pay. It's not worth trying to contest it in court.
Good luck.
Many years ago I parked in Melbourne CBD and as I approached my car the inspector was placing the ticket on the dash. Instead of going off at him I asked him what options I have. Surprisingly, he gave me two options:
If you have roadside assist and have the time to wait, you can disable your car (remove battery cable, put it in gear etc) and call to say that your car has broken down. Get it fixed and have RACV write a report. Hand this in to the council as an excuse for overstaying the meter.
If you are at the single timed parking meter (not ticket) call up the fault line and make a request to get the meter checked as you think its faulty. You had an alarm set to the correct expiry time and was still fined. A third party company will head out to check the meter and if its out by 30sec they will retract the fine (this worked when they had the analogue meters, but i'm sure the single digital meters would have issues as well).
GUYS,
THIS IS AN UPDATE.
SUCCESSFULLY PAYED THE F***** FINE. BITCH!
Thank you all for contributing to such a simple post.
Anyways, hope you all a beautiful, prosperous and fulfilling life.
Note: Wash your eggs before you use them. (tip)
past tense of pay is paid.
;)
No wonder, thanks. Lol.
Excuse my spelling. Please.
(Here's the part where I complain about the youth and education in schools blah blah blah)
i dont think he went to school…
Sounds more like you're the one who received the fine.
For saying Yolo you deserve the fine…
YOLO IS THE MOTTO
No parking 20 metres on the approach and 10 on the departure is the rule.
http://www.pittwater.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/…