By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A LONG-TERM parking permit holder says she has been “humiliated” by Greater Dandenong Council’s parking regime which forced her into court to have a fine dismissed.
Susan O’Neill has been a permit holder at Walker Street car park for the past 16 years.
Her latest $475 instalment was paid in September to cover the following six months.
In November she was issued an infringement notice for mistakenly placing an expired permit ticket on her car’s dash.
Ms O’Neill said she had accidentally left the correct ticket in her car’s glovebox.
She wrote to the council but it refused to withdraw the $91 fine even though Ms O’Neill had paid for a current permit.
She had transgressed once before when she forgot to display her valid permit three years ago.
On principle Ms O’Neill refused to bow, unlike workmates she knows who have copped it sweet for similar fines.
On 26 February a Dandenong Magistrates’ Court judge threw the matter out and overturned the fine.
“It makes me wonder why the council would go all the way to court,” Ms O’Neill said.
“It’s a waste of court time. In the end it’s pretty humiliating for a person doing the right thing to have to go to court.
“Am I the only one that they’re doing it to?”
Greater Dandenong city planning director Jody Bosman said the council didn’t comment on specific cases but said it was a condition that permit-holders displayed a valid permit at all times.
“If permit holders fail to comply with this requirement, they are in breach of their permit conditions and (the) council’s capacity to protect their entitlements is unnecessarily hampered.”
Mr Bosman said the council usually withdrew an infringement if the permit holder showed they had a valid permit.
“That courtesy is not generally extended to people who repeat that failure on subsequent occasions.
“Parking permits at the Walker Street car park are offered at significant discounts over daily rates and whilst purchasers have rights attached to their permits, they also have responsibilities.”
Have you received a parking fine in similar circumstances? Let us know at journal@starnewsgroup.com.au or on Dandenong Journal’s Facebook page.
