Appeal those Parking Fines

[Ktee]

MORE than a quarter who appeal against Adelaide City Council parking fines are having success, denying council coffers of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the past year the council has written off 2329 fines worth $233,600 from 8679 written appeals - a 27 per cent success rate.

Breakdowns, medical emergencies and faulty ticket machines are among claims drivers make to beat the parking inspectors.

A further 7227 fines have been cancelled after drivers appealed in person or by phone, or when the council could not determine who owned vehicles, owners were too old to bother pursuing or their cars had been defected.

The total value of the 9556 fines and reminder fees waived in 2012/13 to June 26 was $958,700.

Drivers have had about $2.5 million of fines written off in the past three years.

The council's finance and corporate services general manager Mike Philippou said: "We believe (the) council has achieved a good balance when it comes to parking infringement notices, and we assess each dispute individually.

"The easiest way for people to avoid parking fines is to abide by parking rules and time limits."

 

Mr Philippou said watch alarms and smartphone apps such as Parkbud were good ways to avoid overstaying time limits.

Over the past year, the council has enforced the payment of almost 20,000 fines worth more than $2.15 million through Magistrates Court orders.

It is still owed more than $3.7 million in unpaid fines and reminder fees.

One motorist has racked up a staggering 256 fines and has $25,077 to pay back through a court-ordered payment plan.

The number of written appeals lodged with the council jumped markedly in 2011/12, after the State Government doubled the cost of a standard parking fine from $22 to $43. It is now $44.

Reminder fees are $48, plus $7 for councils to have the Transport Department search for vehicle owner details.

Written objections to fines may be lodged with the City Council by letter, email or through an online form on its website.

The council does not keep records of how many non-written appeals are rejected.

[Blossom]

A guy I work with has just got a fine from one of the other councils, for parking in a bus stop. This is for a work truck, and he doesn't remember stopping there. He had no ticket left. It says if you appeal then you are agreeing to go to court! Crazy

[Diane]

My daughter got one from ACC recently - for overstaying by about five minutes - I wish the ticket HAD been for $44 but it was over $80!! I wonder if an appeal based on her being blonde would have any success....

[Blossom]

Yes I think his is $80 something too. He was not impressed.

From his mumbling I'm not totally convinced he didn't do it, but you would think they would have to leave a ticket, or take a photo of something. They could have written the rego down wrong.

At least you can get photos now for speeding and red light cameras.

[Ktee]

Don't know what its like for speeding tickets in SA but in Vic if you appeal they usually let you off for a first offence, not that I'd know

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Yes I think his is $80 something too. He was not impressed.

From his mumbling I'm not totally convinced he didn't do it, but you would think they would have to leave a ticket, or take a photo of something. They could have written the rego down wrong.

At least you can get photos now for speeding and red light cameras.

 

From what I've seen out and about in Adelaide the parking inspectors do take a photo when they issue a ticket (no doubt so people can't say 'but I was never even there!'), so there should be evidence of him having been there Blossom.....

[Blossom]

Don't they normally leave a ticket as well though. It just seems odd that they didn't.

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Yeah but maybe it fell off or someone thought it would be amusing to take it off ( or perhaps the chap is v embarrassed and pretending he knows nothing about it )

[Blossom]

True. His attitude was very different to how mine would have been. I don't park illegally, so I would have been like 'appeal, take me to court coz there will be no proof'. He was more complaining about coming to work costing him money.