Man furious after being fined for parking in his own driveway
A man from Queensland has been left fuming after coming home to see a $94 ticket on his car which was parked in his own driveway.
Reese Gerhard from the Sunshine Coast suburb of Birtinya, discovered the shock fine on Sunday.
The ABC Sunshine Coast reported that he was issued the ticket for “restricting access to the driveway”.
A picture reveals that his car’s rear was extending slightly over the boundary of the driveway.
Reese said he called the Sunshine Coast Regional Council multiple times but was told he must either pay the fine or dispute it in court.
“Our whole street got done, if you were parked on the nature strip or exceeding the mailbox, you got hit,” he told the Sunshine Coast Daily.
“It is just wrong. I've parked my car as close to my garage door as possible and it still goes past my letterbox.”
On Tuesday, the Sunshine Coast Council released a statement claiming there were discrepancies in Reese’s story.
“(Mr Gerhard) does not show the true position of the motor vehicle when the infringement was issued,” it said.
“The vehicle in question was parked at the lower end of the driveway and was compromising the nature strip and safe pedestrian passage.”
The council spokeswoman said the car endangered pedestrians and the fine was issued for restricting access to the driveway.
“On private property, it is the driver's responsibility to ensure their vehicle is parked within the property boundary,” she said.
Reese is not the first Australian resident to be fined for parking in their own driveway.
In March, Melbourne resident Tanyia Johnson received two $93 fines for parking in her driveway.
She also received a ticket for parking on a nature strip which is located directly opposite her house and “does not block any pathway”.
Tanyia said her family had used those parking spots for 60 years and was shocked she was expected to pay for parking in her own driveway.
“It's a joke,” Ms Johnson told Leader Community News.
“For 57 years I’ve parked in that driveway. We’ve never had a problem.”