How Stupid Are Our Local Councils?

[TIMMMAYYY]

I'm pissed off.

I live next to the airport where there were traffic restrictions for the opening of the international terminal. We have fives cars in our household. Three fit in the driveway, two on the street at all times. I got a fine on two cars for $48-ea because I have no where else to put them. How stupid is this!!! I immidiately called the council to which the chick on the phone said this shouldn't be a problem having removed. Apparently it is though? Some top shit mickey mouse f*ckwit sent me a letter today after I faxed him though a non violent letter because as could have clearly been seen by the bludgers who fined me, we had no where to put two of the cars other than on the road.

In his letter he explained that the area was a " no stopping zone ". Council guys went around first thing that morning, before I was awake at 7am or there abouts and removed the plastic bags from over the signs ( put in place especially for the airport opening). So unaware what these signs were about (cos i dont read the garbage the council sends us...and cos my old girl reads it instead) I get up like always at the crack of dawn to see two of my cars have $48 fines.

He claims that "rah rah rah flyers placed on all vehicles parked in the location on the days leading upto the operation of the parking restrictions" rah rah rah.

Has anyone else copped the short end of the straw because some dipshit from the local council doesn't understand your point of view?

Sorry for the rant, but I'm pretty f*cked off with this. Can anyone see any reason as to why I should have to foot the bill? The rest of my family is overseas and has been for near four weeks, so as if I am going to read the council garbage. My letter box says no junk mail.

Tim

[Nightcrawler]

sorry mate, sounds like you were fore-warned, and obviously the traffic rules were put in place for a very good reason (so traffic flow wasn't inhibited). Surely you had noticed the bagged-up signs (as per your post) and should have enquired earlier as to what is was all about. You have to cop it on the chin.

[TIMMMAYYY]

fore-warned? I dont get the advertiser, sit down and drink tea while reading the "messenger" and one of the cars was parked on the road for two months without being moved without having a sticker, pamplet or whatever put on it about the upcoming restrictions. I guess the fairy's must have just whisked it away into the nearest bin or gutter...

I shouldn't have to enquire about the signs, If i were so concerned I'd be on the phone to the council 24/7 asking about all the shit they are upto and never seem to get finished.

Cop it on the chin though? I need a permit to park my own cars out the front of my own house? I'll be visiting the council guy tomorrow for a friendly chat.

Andrew im not having a go at what you have said, but until you get shafted for something as stupid as this then you'd probably see a bit better where I am coming from.

Edited October 19, 2005 by TIMMMAYYY

[acsplit]

Well first of all SA is getting like VIC but our council people are not so anal.

you can always contest it in court

or just no pay the fine ...

make a phone call and demand yo speak to someone of importance and tell them you want the matter sorted. as you and your faily are community helpers who abide by all the rules but get stooged because of poor publicity.

if you speak to someone importanat and express your disatification with the councils response to your letter than you will get what you want.

alternativly just throw bricks at thier building windows.

p.s SA sux arse

[Nightcrawler]

yeah I get your point of view Tim, but you also have to look at it from other perspectives. I am not sure what your solution is, but I personally can't stand all of the people in our area who park on the street - it pisses me off no end having to always go around their cars - sometimes having to wait for a car coming the other way as there is a car parked on both sides of the road. I could take to their bloody cars with a sledgehammer. But alas I did it when Iused to live at my parents house, so who am I to complain?

But yeah, I guess you weren't given fair warning and didn't actively park there whilst the signs were exposed. You could explain that to the council and see if they will reconsider.

[gts-x]

acsplit, are you from vic or something cos SA friggen rules...... Why do Vic's and SA's hate eachother anyway? Is it like one of our guys screwed a Vic guys sister and it escilated from there or something??

[skipppy]

cough cough "thats a bummer man"

i got pined in my own driveway once with a quarter of my car hanging onto the footpath fine was round $50 blocking pedestrians or some shit

i just make sure i steal lots of doggy bags for my dog to mkae up for it

erin

[Tangles]

Nup, fight it mate - you & your family have rights like every other resident / road user.

Dont let the buggers win, keep at it and eventually you'll come out on top, maybe with some compo for the heartache???

[CheekyR32]

Sorry to hear your dilema timmy pimp.

Council's are completely useless.. they won't let us cut any trees down on our block, (that are likely to fall through our roof in a storm or windy weather) they won't let us kill the damn birds that are keeping me awake at night.. (damn tree huggers)

It's pretty gay when you can't even park outside the front of your own house.

Probably not much you can do though

[P1E]

Keep in mind parking offences are absolute liability offences - you don't need to have seen the signs or have any intention to be guilty of the offence.

But for all means fight it, they might be understanding of your specific circumstances.

I wouldn't hold my breath though and I wouldn't pursue it too far as you are unfortunately in the wrong.

[Tangles]

How is he and his family in the wrong?

If you've been parking 5 cars in 3 spots on your property and 2 spots out the front of your house on the road, and been doing so for umpteen months, then surely the council have had plenty of time to issue 'warnings' before issuing you with car parking offences and the subsequent fines.

Just because it was a high traffic area for 2 days gives the council no right to fine residents......

Door knock West Lakes residents in regards to car parking and footy matches and see what their stories are in that particular situation, ie fines, warnings, notifications etc.

Damn Law!!!!

[Softy]

SEE no 1 likes u TIMMAY

[mad34]

councils suck ass!

Our Family has a shop which is next to the gepps cross markets. On sundays Our car park is full of tight arse bargain hunters going to the markets who should not be parking in our car park as they arent shopping at our complex. This Leaves no car parks for us the rent paying business owner. Once my brother had no choice, but to park in the disabled car space. He copped a $98 fine just becasue he had to park somewhere to open his shop and go to work otherwise he would have had to park 10 min walk away from work. The sign up says you arent meant to spend any longer than 15 minutes in the car park so the friken sticker licker ingnores the other cars that have been there for hours and fined my brother who owns the shop instead of the idiots who shouldnt even be parking there. We tried to contest this fine and nothing happened the council only offered a discount on the fine and longer to pay it. So They could have dropped it all together if they wanted, but bcoz they are a holes they didnt

Our local councils are a F*N joke.

Another example of fantastic use of the rates we pay them i have is.

In front of our house there was a gum tree that was obviously rotten(really badly deteriorating). We contacted the council to get it removed, but after they had sent someone to "professionally assess it" they said it was definately not rotten and was a significant tree Due this they wouldn't remove it nor allow us to remove it.

Needless to say two weeks later the bloody thing fell on the house crushed the fence and verandah. Now after all this who do you think paid for the repairs??? Definately not the council, they refused. The idiot that we dealt with said "well thats why you should have house insurance" which luckily we do. However, our premium went up as a result. A holes!

thats my 2 cents

Timmay fight it as much as you can all you did was park in front of your residence for which you and your parents pay quaterly to the council to live in.

[chops]

I need a permit to park my own cars out the front of my own house?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This already exists in places such as North Adelaide.

Spewing about your situation though Tim.

Not sure you will have much luck fighting it though, and you may end up more pissed off than when you started.

Is this situation ongoing? Do they plan to give you fines each and every day they are parked there, or is/was this a temporary thing?

[Deluxe]

councils suck ass!

Our Family has a shop which is next to the gepps cross markets. On sundays Our car park is full of tight arse bargain hunters going to the markets who should not be parking in our car park as they arent shopping at our complex. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeh i see these clowns trying to cross Pt Wakefield Hwy every sunday morning on the way out to Lalla for racing, we try and get heaps close to them cos they take thier time crossing and cause issues.

[TIMMMAYYY]

hey chops! It was a two day thing, saturday and sunday. Strangely though, I didn't move the cars for sunday ( no where to put them ) and I didn't get fined. I hopefully might be able to get somewhere because of this.

I rang the guy who wrote the letter at the council this morning (9am) who was a real smart arse and totally useless. Thankfully, his surname was the only one in the white pages.

He was a total jerk and said to write another letter. I asked who to address it to and he said his team leader, so I asked to speak to him ( after i wasted 30 minutes telling this idiot why i shouldn't have to pay the fine ). He was out of the office so I asked to have him call me at work. No call all day, I rang again at 3pm left a message. Apparently was out of the office still. Will ring again tomorrow, because I doubt he'll call back.

Tim

[chops]

hey chops! It was a two day thing, saturday and sunday. Strangely though, I didn't move the cars for sunday ( no where to put them ) and I didn't get fined. I hopefully might be able to get somewhere because of this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not sure about that part though Tim.

Not likely, but if they are as stubborn as you say they may just choose to issue a second infringement!

Best of luck mate.

[Deluxe]

Also folks watch out for "The Ranger" in the Mitcham council, he took a photo of my mates car when we were sitting in it parked illegal for like 2min when another mate was paying rego!

[Nozila]

Also folks watch out for "The Ranger" in the Mitcham council, he took a photo of my mates car when we were sitting in it parked illegal for like 2min when another mate was paying rego!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yeah whats with the coucil taking pics of your cars?? i was at a magill campus a while back and while looking out the window saw a ticket inspector issue a fine then for some odd reason took a front on photo of the vehicle. this happened to 3 cars in the space of 10 mins. <_<

[TIMMMAYYY]

Didn't receive a call from the guy at the council today. Who would've guessed.