BS car parking infringement notice

DannyC on 09/08/2021 - 18:31
Last edited 11/08/2021 - 10:32

Heya Ozbargain peeps,

So went out last month before lockdowns in VIC for lunch in Abbottsford for some good Viet pho and 25 mins later return to car to my absolute delight, a $91 fine awaited me. I was fuming. The reason? I was apparently parked for more than 2 hours in a zone signed 7am to 6pm (2 hour limit, after 6pm it is a Permit Zone). Apparently my offence occurred from 7am in the darn morning….

So I did what any person would and contact the Internal review team for the City of Yarra. Being a council body I did not have high hopes and I was correct. They told me in their system is registered my car as being in that spot since 7am…. tough luck pay the fine or go to Court…. I call total BS that their system had me registered at 7am as my car was in a secure car port at my apartment, I was still having darn breaky at that time. I arrived in that spot at 12:01pm and it was 12:26pm when I left. They took pictures dated and time stamped 12:22pm (*EDIT) with no proof that it has been there since 7am…. I checked in via QR code at a post office in Collingwood around 11:30 and the restaurant at 12:05.

I live 2 suburbs away, not too sure how I can prove that my car was still in my apartment car port… I guess I could ask building management for CCTV screenshot of the front entrance as our car port is a Car lift system but it may not capture my number plate….

Out of principle I don't want to give these f****ers my hard earned money for no reason. Going through a Magistrates for $91 is a bit much. So peeved off right now.

Would like to know if people have had similar situations? If so, how did you fight it? Any proof etc?

P.S. I do not have a dash cam unfortunately. I do however, have geo tagging locations from Google Maps on where I went and the time stamps for when I was there on that day.

Poll Options

  • 365
    Fight it in Court
  • 10
    Pay the darn fine and move on
  • 6
    Don't pay it
  • 326
    Find proof - try to get CCTV screenshot of apartment entrance
Automotive

Comments

  • Nugs on 09/08/2021 - 18:33
    +45

    m f ers
    .

    • CalmLemons on 10/08/2021 - 22:14
      +5

      Especially the sp*stics at that council.

      We had a business on johnston st a few years back
      Then they planted 2 trees infront of the shopfront blocking the view of the shop.
      Then they or vicroads closed off main access to the street.
      Then they ask how they can help local businesses?

      Told them the recommendations and they replied back basically yeah sorry no idea how to help you, but here's a brochure that says over 40% of the shops in the area are for lease. Wonder why you complete fkwits.

      Fight it. If you need help, sent me a private message and I'll be glad to help you out in order to go through your court statement.

      That said I was in moonee valley today and parked longer in a 10 min zone and the inspectors came but then they saw I was eating lunch in the car so guess they couldn't fine me/didn't want to interrupt a guys lunch. I don't have a thing against councils, I just heavily dislike that yuppy yarra city council.

      • juki on 10/08/2021 - 22:52
        +1

        they are on fire or have catching up to do, prior to lockdown i was outside austin hospital and they were so annoyed and bothered to see me waiting for someone in my car (for about 30mn), eventually i gave in to their starring.

    • PopCounty on 11/08/2021 - 10:49
      +1

      ..other ..uck……
      .

  • Nugs on 09/08/2021 - 18:35
    +12

    i assume you checked in at the thai place
    .

    • SnoozeAndLose on 09/08/2021 - 18:49
      +33

      I think the Pho is for Vietnamese.

    • The General on 09/08/2021 - 19:55
      +8

      That will only prove that they had lunch there at that time, but not what time they parked their car.

  • SF3 on 09/08/2021 - 18:39
    +15

    Will go with, it's "revenue raising" on this one.

    Fight it!

    • Cheeper on 09/08/2021 - 21:49
      +1

      More like a faulty detection device. Nup.. was a parking cop according to the op lower down the thread.

      • smartazz104 on 10/08/2021 - 15:00
        +8

        More like a faulty detection device

        was a parking cop

        Same diff.

    • anonymous01 on 10/08/2021 - 22:05
      +6

      One time I parked around Edithvale/Chelsea beach (Melbourne) around 12:00pm. Got out of the car to walk to ticket machine (No boomgates) to pay for the ticket. Ticket machine had a sign saying download some app to pay alternatively. Downloaded the app, paid for parking (around 12:05pm including the download/sign up time), come back to my car and had a ticket waiting on the windshield stamped at 12:01pm. The m f er was waiting behind the bushes for me to leave the car.

      I called the parking app company and got a receipt for paid parking. Sent the receipt, my google maps timeline screenshot, and the dash cam video. The council dismissed the fine, and said something along the lines "It's your responsibility to make sure ticket is being displayed on the dashboard before you leave your car". M f ers tried to make it look like it was my fault… like do you want me to stop in front of the machine, while there are 6 cars waiting behind me, hold them up while I insert my coins? The ticket machine wasn't even at the entry point, it was so ridiculous. It was in the middle of the parking lot.

      That was the day my dash cam paid for itself.

      • juki on 10/08/2021 - 22:59
        +2

        i know where this is, they make a killing there, the parking inspectors look so inconspicuous and just pounce. i usually keep my car in sight (or leave a kid in it).

      • lost in transit on 12/08/2021 - 08:45
        +1

        Everyone i know parks there vehicles first, walks to get there ticket and walks back to put the ticket in the vehicle Including myself.
        Unless your at a boomgate…

        I’d say there used to getting free money as a lot of people would just pay up…,

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 09/08/2021 - 18:39
    +61

    In summing up. It's the constitution. It's Mabo. It's justice. It's law. It's the vibe.

  • jjjaar on 09/08/2021 - 18:42
    +1

    How did you magically leave at the exact same time that they fined you?

    Do you have any photos on your phone or emails sent or anything else that might prove you weren’t there? Not 100% useful as it just proves you weren’t, not your car.

    • DannyC on 09/08/2021 - 19:07

      Edited: 12:22pm it was issued. 12:26 approx I got back to my car. Mistyped.

      They said my QR check-ins did not prove where my car was, that may be true if my car was lent to someone but the timings don't add up.

      • CodeXD on 09/08/2021 - 19:12
        +35

        I arrived in that spot at 12:01pm

        Ask them for proof you were parked there prior to 12pm.

        • cameldownunder on 10/08/2021 - 13:33
          +14

          Isn't it that they have to prove you are guilty, and not you that you are innocent?

          • Kangal on 10/08/2021 - 17:41
            +2

            @cameldownunder: Yes, but you see these aren't normal times.

            Now everyone is a sinner and destined for hell, and it is up to them to prove their innocence…

  • bazingaa on 09/08/2021 - 18:46

    do you have any dash cam footage with time stamp + something in the video showing time ?

  • Gervais fanboy on 09/08/2021 - 18:49
    +36

    My cousin works as a parking ‘inspector’ and he told me that they have targets to reach with issuing tickets or otherwise they are susceptible to performance reviews.

    No wonder these cretins do what they do.

    • pharkurnell on 09/08/2021 - 19:11
      +6

      Everyone has known that since Henry Ford built his first car

      • Gervais fanboy on 09/08/2021 - 19:26
        +15

        lol I was suspicious about it but he confirmed it.

        Btw there’s a lot of pro-establishment people out there that bow down to authority no matter what. I doubt that they know or care about the evil ways of this world.

        • Cheeper on 09/08/2021 - 21:58

          Some have no choice. Do the job and earn an income or have no income. Most of them don't like booking cars it's just that they do have a certain quota to meet or face a performance review.
          It is not a job most would choose, out in all the rotten weather, being abused and threatened by people every day.

          • Gervais fanboy on 09/08/2021 - 22:47
            +7

            @Cheeper: Well there are some good ones that conduct themselves ethically but unfortunately they never last too long in such professions.

            Bureaucrats now are really on point when it comes to recruitment. Especially when it comes to recruiting police officers and these parking officers, they are specifically looking for the narcissistic scum of our society.
            So it’s easier for them to turn them against us, as we are there fellow members of the society.
            ‘Divide and rule’ basically but just orchestrated in a very clever manner.

            Sorry to be crude with my language by the way,

          • DarwinBoy on 10/08/2021 - 18:08
            +2

            @Cheeper: It's not that bad a job. It keeps you active and better for your health then sitting behind a desk.
            I never had to deal with quotas thankfully.
            The actual job is a necessary evil, retail needs parking, without parking bays there is no customer, without regulations it only takes a few to crap on a business's trade.
            Always happy to have that discussion but quite a few drivers are a little short sighted.
            I wouldn't rank it as the worst job out there. But the experience probably differs across organisations.

        • afoveht on 09/08/2021 - 23:26
          -6

          Btw there’s a lot of pro-establishment people out there that bow down to authority no matter what

          This site. Full of bootlickers.

          • Gervais fanboy on 09/08/2021 - 23:55
            +3

            @afoveht: Yeah, I have come across a lot of them myself..

            But this website is a just a reflection of the actual society that you and I exist in. Anyways, don’t blame the people. I personally marvel at the evil prowess of the ones manipulating and controlling our every thoughts..

            • SF3 on 10/08/2021 - 09:04
              +3

              @Gervais fanboy:

              evil prowess of the ones manipulating and controlling our every thoughts

              Interesting hypothesis.

              There is also a school of thought (but usually less accepted, due to cognitive dissonance), where our collective behavior is influencing the society. Another way to think about this is, the butterfly effect at scale (an example could be, FOMO). Often we don't consider the 2nd, 3rd or beyond order effects of our actions and the flow on effects are often not visible and slow to appear.

              • Gervais fanboy on 10/08/2021 - 11:45

                @SF3: Wow, I had to read your comment a couple of times so to grasp It. Its a point of view I had never even considered before..

                Btw, when it says our ‘collective behaviour’ is influencing the society. What does that mean exactly ? I mean our society is complex and varied, I can’t think of anything we do that would be considered as a collective behaviour?
                Or does it mean the actions of large groups ?

                • SF3 on 10/08/2021 - 21:16
                  +2

                  @Gervais fanboy: I'm not sure what's the best way to respond, but some food for thought, (googled) on critical mass and inflection point.

                  "Sometimes it can seem as if drastic changes happen at random, One moment a country is stable; the next, a revolution begins and the government is overthrown. One day a new piece of technology is a novelty; the next, everyone has it and we cannot imagine life without it. Or an idea lingers at the fringes of society before it suddenly becomes mainstream.

                  "intransigent minority" and the "dominance of the minority" and proposes that this minority need be no larger than 3 or 4% of the whole population.

                  Source: https://www.zen-tools.net/inflection-points.html

                  • Gervais fanboy on 12/08/2021 - 01:09

                    @SF3: You have just plunged me into a rabbit hole that I didn’t think I was intellectually ready for..
                    Really interesting stuff.

    • Pluto88 on 10/08/2021 - 06:13
      -2

      I wouldn't call them cretins then, just someone in a bad position

      • Gervais fanboy on 10/08/2021 - 11:49
        +2

        Well it all depends on the courage of your convictions.
        Rich or poor, some men will never do the things like what happened to the op.

        In my comment above, i should have specified that only some of them are ‘cretin-like’ and not all.

        • Pluto88 on 10/08/2021 - 16:17

          unless they are getting a commission or bonus for going over their quota it seems like a pretty poor working environment to me.
          No doubt they get their fair share of abuse on the job more then most occupations

          • Gervais fanboy on 10/08/2021 - 16:40
            -1

            @Pluto88: They would put them on commission basis if they could but Ofcos that would be beyond illegal.
            Instead they quite slyly incentivise them by paying performance bonuses at the end of the year. Basically highest ‘earners’ gets the bonuses…

      • smartazz104 on 10/08/2021 - 15:01

        You mean someone bad in a position.

    • capslock janitor on 10/08/2021 - 12:33
      +5

      that should be illegal

      • Gervais fanboy on 10/08/2021 - 12:48
        +2

        Yeah, should be
        But as long as it keeps raking in the dollars. Government doesn’t care

        Look at the Tobacco and Alcohol industry, some would argue they should be shut down too.
        But they just keep hyping up the tax rates on them.

        • techie8055 on 10/08/2021 - 21:27
          +3

          Look at the police. They swear they don't have quotas, yet we all know they do.

          • Gervais fanboy on 10/08/2021 - 22:21
            -2

            @techie8055: Ohh yes, apparently on top of that they have recently made a killing with all these Covid related fines that they have been levying on unsuspecting Citizens..

          • arend on 11/08/2021 - 16:11
            +3

            @techie8055: I once asked a friend in Vic Highway Patrol (yeah, somehow he had a friend) whether they had quotas. His response with a smile: "Why would I limit myself to a quota…?"

            • techie8055 on 11/08/2021 - 16:28
              +2

              @arend: I heard VIC's highway patrol will pull you over for going 3 over. A friend of mine got fined here in NSW for not turning off his engine (it was in park) and using his phone when he was getting up his digital driving licence at an RBT stop.

    • DarwinBoy on 10/08/2021 - 18:00

      I spent a few years working as a traffic inspector. No ticket quotas for me but depends on the organisation I guess.
      In the years I did the job it was upper management that drove behaviours more than anything else.
      If they wanted numbers up they pushed and made it happen. Seen some bad managers come through in my time.

      • Gervais fanboy on 10/08/2021 - 19:40

        My cousin works for ‘Tenix solutions’ and normally gets rostered to work in the Glen Eira/City of Yarra council jurisdictions.
        He told me, officers that aren’t issuing much tickets get a talking to, told to be more ‘aware’ and ‘proactive’..

        But yes as you said, all this crap must come from the top.

        • DarwinBoy on 10/08/2021 - 20:47
          +1

          Yeah. I guess when the council contracts out its enforcement that would change things significantly. I can see where numbers would start to make a significant element of performance.
          During my time I was a FTE of Council and to be honest I spent 60% of the time enforcing traffic and 30% PR/customer service as you got approached by everyone asking questions about traffic and directions. The last 10% was meetings and breaks.

  • SnoozeAndLose on 09/08/2021 - 18:51
    +33

    Just ask the evident of your car in the same spot at 7am.

    • JIMB0 on 10/08/2021 - 08:14
      +21

      I bet the parking officer wasn't even on the clock at 7am.

      • Montyjpm on 10/08/2021 - 19:46
        +2

        They were probably getting donuts and think they have the same power as coppers.

    • Montyjpm on 10/08/2021 - 19:49

      In order to book the op shouldn’t they have 2 pictures with more than 2 hours gap? So if no pic at 7am then it is BS. Get good lawyer and sue for pain and headache!

    • DannyC on 10/08/2021 - 20:51
      +7

      Yep I asked where is the evidence of this. Their answer? O it is in their system…. i'm like seriously? Couldn't believe this.

      • SnoozeAndLose on 10/08/2021 - 21:37
        +5

        you can ask them to provide the evidence, if not ask them if they are going to charge you and it is mandatory to provide such evidence.

        • picket23 on 10/08/2021 - 21:57
          -2

          Charged with a civil offence? This is not a criminal matter…

        • Name on 11/08/2021 - 19:44
          +3

          Yup. Say "I've been advised to request the evidence placing my car in that position two hours apart for when I take this matter to court, I've been advised that my ticket should be voided if you do not have the evidence that proves me guilty."

  • Melb69 on 09/08/2021 - 18:58
    +8

    Just for my info what street did you park in and area. Not wanting to go down this path.. Those MFker's. Thought this was going to be another OP fine whinge. Feel for you. They have set this up where even of it is wrong you are the one that has to fight it. There should be an independent auditor. How can the finer make the ruling.

    • DannyC on 10/08/2021 - 20:53

      Charles street… it would be the most expensive bowl of pho i've ever had if i had to pay a $91 fine…

      • mfazackerley on 11/08/2021 - 19:34

        I live on Charles Street (Victoria Street end) and those little sensors don't even line up with the car spaces in most places

  • pharkurnell on 09/08/2021 - 19:10

    PITCHFORKS TIME AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 09/08/2021 - 19:26
      +43

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      WE GOT 'EM ALL!

      Traditional —-E
      Left Handed Ǝ—-
      Fancy —-{

      WE EVEN HAVE DISCOUNTED CLEARANCE FORKS!

      33% off! —-F
      66% off!—-L
      Manufacturer's Defect! —-e

      NEW IN STOCK. DIRECTLY FROM LIECHTENSTEIN. EUROPEAN MODELS!

      The Euro —-€
      The Pound —-£
      The Lira—-₤

      • Slippery Fish on 10/08/2021 - 11:40

        Do you have the$ fork?

      • Intoxicoligist on 10/08/2021 - 13:14
        +2

        At those prices you can get forked.

      • cameldownunder on 10/08/2021 - 13:40
        +1

        Would you by chance have an Ethereum fork?

      • OzzyOzbourne on 11/08/2021 - 07:38

        I just need fork handle

      • S2 on 11/08/2021 - 10:41
        +2

        Don't think I could ever get tired of this.
        Thanks.

      • bigbadboogieman on 11/08/2021 - 13:50
        +2

        How about demonstrator models or clearance models?

        • Loopenip on 11/08/2021 - 22:45

          Grey market models

    • Lastchancetosee on 10/08/2021 - 09:34
      +4

      B. Sc.

    • tomsco on 11/08/2021 - 08:32

      I mean, it was a bad joke, but I don't think it was a 19 negative votes bad joke.

  • Lexan on 09/08/2021 - 19:25
    +4

    Anyhow to track down your movement in Google data?
    It will be helpful if you have a dash cam recorded

  • redforever on 09/08/2021 - 19:28
    +1

    Is it a 2P meter spot?

    • DannyC on 10/08/2021 - 20:54

      Not metered

      • readeral on 11/08/2021 - 12:07
        +1

        What I wanna know is why they didn’t book you sooner (I mean I obviously know the answer is because your car wasn’t there). They had 3.5 hours within which to book you, I’m sure they wouldn’t police the strip only twice a day surely?! Of course logic isn’t going to be sufficient an argument, but you’d think they could use some common sense to look at the existing evidence

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 09/08/2021 - 19:40
      +10

      Hey op don’t pay the fine.
      We want you to win the case and be the feel good story of 2021.

    • DannyC on 09/08/2021 - 19:44
      +46

      It's the principle buddy. I ain't paying sh*t just cause a lazy arse inspector decided to get a freebie off me. If I knew I was in the wrong I'd suck it up n pay.

    • SF3 on 09/08/2021 - 20:30
      +15

      Come on pops, not when the shoe is on the other foot. ;)

      • Gervais fanboy on 09/08/2021 - 22:52
        +2

        How can you possibly remember everyone’s posts like that..
        Damn, you are scarier than my ex-girlfriend..

        Respect

        • SF3 on 09/08/2021 - 23:01
          +1

          Thanks, I happen to be on that thread too, therefore recall pop’s “antics” lol…

          @kerfuffle take it to a new level with past post recalls.

    • dogboy on 12/08/2021 - 11:00

      For some people principles are worth a lot more than time or money

  • Ash-Say on 09/08/2021 - 19:49
    +15

    Ask council to provide evidence of you being parked there at 7am or statuary declaration from parking inspector and then you are happy to pay fine. In absence of this, be firm that you are happy to provide this Dec to validate your claim and it will be concluded that council's inspector is lying to meet their targets.

    • Cheeper on 09/08/2021 - 22:01
      +6

      What is to stop the parking inspector from lying on a stat dec? Not that you will ever get one.

      • TEER3X on 10/08/2021 - 06:36
        +2

        What's to stop anyone?

        I don't think your question makes any sense, sorry.

      • gee-man on 10/08/2021 - 07:33
        +7

        Well, a stat dec is something you can beat them over the head with pretty hard if it turns out you have evidence that your car was elsewhere.

        They’re unlikely to Stat Dec something that can be proven false that easily.

        Worth a shot.

        • Ash-Say on 10/08/2021 - 09:15
          +17

          If council agrees to provide stat Dec and Op can provide evidence such as apartment CCTV footage or Google location, the fine will be thrown out in the court and it becomes a criminal offence against parking inspector.

          • Love a bargain on 10/08/2021 - 14:13
            +3

            @Ash-Say: Should only do that if OP has said evidence. Otherwise, if the council does manage to get someone to make such a stat dec, OP is pretty much screwed.

            • DannyC on 10/08/2021 - 20:58
              +2

              @Love a bargain: Ye contacted Building management, hopefully can get a screenshot of my car at my apartment.

              • tomsco on 11/08/2021 - 08:34
                +2

                @DannyC: I'm sure you will, but let us know what you evidence you get. All the best, mate.

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