A social media post about a parking fine initiated a furious response from residents. Photos / Google Maps, Facebook
A social media post about a parking fine initiated a furious response from residents. Photos / Google Maps, Facebook
An Australian has been slapped with what she believed to be an excessive parking fine of $A263 (NZ$279) after parking her car on the lawn outside of her home.
The New South Wales woman posted a picture of the fine to Facebook, adding a comment that the council told her that the lawn did not actually belong to her.
"$263 fine for parking on our own lawn out the front of our own house!!! Apparently it's not our lawn ... it belongs to council! Perhaps we should send them a bill for mowing it for the last 15 years." She wrote.
The woman was slapped with a $263 for parking on the lawn outside her home. Photo / Facebook
The women also calculated that she had spent A$10 a month on mowing and therefore the council would owe her A$1800.
The post initiated a furious response from residents of the same town, with one saying, "The world has gone mad."
"That's bloody ridiculous," another shared.
Facebook users recommended the woman to not pay the fine while others battled the argument that a homeowner's private property ends at the letterbox so any car on a nature strip is on council-owned land.
The Orange City Council Corporate and Community Relations Manager Nick Remond told Yahoo News "Residents and businesses have told council they are concerned about the added safety risk if they have to walk on to the roadway to get around a parked car."
Redmond added that the council appreciated residents going to the trouble of mowing grassed areas in front of their homes but the law about parking on these areas was clear.
Currently in New Zealand, controlling authorities in different cities have different bylaws about parking on council berm.
In Auckland, it is only illegal in 33 streets where signage has been installed.
The woman had parked on the lawn at her home. Photo / Google Maps
However, in August 2018, Auckland Transport advocated for a bylaw change to the Land Transport Rule 2004, because it does "not issue infringement notices for parking on the grass verge unless signage has been installed".
With about 9000 streets in Auckland, equating to 7500km of roadway, signs banning "off roadway" parking appears on only 0.36 per cent of roads.
In Wellington, parking on council grass is banned.
In Christchurch, Traffic and Parking Bylaw prohibits vehicles from parking on berms.
However, infringements would only be issued if someone complained, the council's head of strategic policy Helen Beaumont told Stuff.
"A warning will be given if challenged, provided the person has not been warned before."
