Today I helped a recently disabled friend by driving them to a doctors appontment. My friend is on crutches and unable to drive or move far without pain and fatigue. We parked in a disabled space in a shopping centre car park, thinking this was the appropriate thing to do in light of her disabilty.
We left a note on the windscreen and one of her crutches in plain sight so that any inspector could tell that my passenger was genuinely disabled. On returning to the car, a $541 fine had been issued by the local council. Drove to the town where the Council Chambers were and were advised they could do nothing even if a mistake had been made. They advised to pay the fine or contact SDRO.
My friend phoned SDRO and was told repeatedly that I had broken the law because she did not yet have a disability parking permit and that even though the disabilty parking sign said nothing about the requirement for a permit we should have known the law and would have to pay the fine or go to court.
I cannot afford pay the fine or pay a lawyer to defend me in court for what was ostensibly a samaritan act. I am also concerned that many other recently disabled and their helpers must also be experiencing similar impositions of fines and unnecessay additiional suffering.
Please help
We left a note on the windscreen and one of her crutches in plain sight so that any inspector could tell that my passenger was genuinely disabled. On returning to the car, a $541 fine had been issued by the local council. Drove to the town where the Council Chambers were and were advised they could do nothing even if a mistake had been made. They advised to pay the fine or contact SDRO.
My friend phoned SDRO and was told repeatedly that I had broken the law because she did not yet have a disability parking permit and that even though the disabilty parking sign said nothing about the requirement for a permit we should have known the law and would have to pay the fine or go to court.
I cannot afford pay the fine or pay a lawyer to defend me in court for what was ostensibly a samaritan act. I am also concerned that many other recently disabled and their helpers must also be experiencing similar impositions of fines and unnecessay additiional suffering.
Please help
