I park on the street about 5 mins walk away from my apartment in Ryde, NSW. On Sunday, 12 May it was difficult to find a park in the normal spot so I parked in a different spot a couple of streets away. The spot was reasonably close to a corner but there was no sign to indicate it was a No Stopping Zone. I double checked this before leaving the car.
As I tend not to drive during the week, I didn't return to the car until Saturday 18 May and discovered that a No Stopping sign had been installed and that I had two parking fines on the windscreen, $263 each or $526 in total.
The offence was 'disobey no stopping sign'. I immediately moved the car then went back to take photos of where I had parked, including close-ups of the sign that clearly showed it was brand new and had recently been installed due to the fresh earth around its base. I went back home and lodged a review request for both fines.
Today (21 May) I have received an email stating that the fines stand. Their response was:
" We considered the circumstances you presented. We also consulted the Caution/Review Guidelines, legislation and information provided by the issuing authority. Our investigations conclude the penalty still applies.
We acknowledge your comments indicating signs were erected while you were away, however, we are unable to cancel the penalty. The issuing authority notes the new signs were installed in-lieu of the old signage, the restrictions did not change and have been in place since 2011.
No stopping zones are often in areas where it is unsafe for vehicles to stop or park, such as where
they may cause a hazard to other vehicles or pedestrians. It is important to keep these areas clear
to ensure the safety of road users."
I am outraged by this decision. There was no sign when I parked the car. How can I be guilty of disobeying a sign that did not exist? Of course, I have no proof that the sign wasn't there at the time.
I'm tempted to take this to court but I can barely afford to pay the fines so if I lost and had to pay costs on top it would make things worse. Would appreciate any feedback.
As I tend not to drive during the week, I didn't return to the car until Saturday 18 May and discovered that a No Stopping sign had been installed and that I had two parking fines on the windscreen, $263 each or $526 in total.
The offence was 'disobey no stopping sign'. I immediately moved the car then went back to take photos of where I had parked, including close-ups of the sign that clearly showed it was brand new and had recently been installed due to the fresh earth around its base. I went back home and lodged a review request for both fines.
Today (21 May) I have received an email stating that the fines stand. Their response was:
" We considered the circumstances you presented. We also consulted the Caution/Review Guidelines, legislation and information provided by the issuing authority. Our investigations conclude the penalty still applies.
We acknowledge your comments indicating signs were erected while you were away, however, we are unable to cancel the penalty. The issuing authority notes the new signs were installed in-lieu of the old signage, the restrictions did not change and have been in place since 2011.
No stopping zones are often in areas where it is unsafe for vehicles to stop or park, such as where
they may cause a hazard to other vehicles or pedestrians. It is important to keep these areas clear
to ensure the safety of road users."
I am outraged by this decision. There was no sign when I parked the car. How can I be guilty of disobeying a sign that did not exist? Of course, I have no proof that the sign wasn't there at the time.
I'm tempted to take this to court but I can barely afford to pay the fines so if I lost and had to pay costs on top it would make things worse. Would appreciate any feedback.