Geelong

Sigh, I keep receiving fines lately... I received one for parking at my Uni without a parking ticket ($72) which I am still meaning to contest, I received the one I explain about below from my local council ($72), and just the other day I received a fine for not returning a book back to my Uni library in time ($110)... that is a lot of money for doing nothing ha.

Anyways, I am attempting to contest them all, starting with the one from my council. Basically a few weeks ago I received an official warning to remove my car from the nature strip, as I usually laeve it parked there which apparently is not allowed.  I then moved my car off the nature strip and onto the road... however I was lazy and parked on the road facing the opposite direction of the flow of traffic... thus receiving a $72 fine for that...

Here is what I wrote to them, I am quite proud of it actually and thought you readers might get a laugh out of it ha ha.

"On the 21/09/2010 I received an 'Official Warning' to remove my car from the nature strip of my house.  I wasn't aware that that was a law here in Geelong, so with no intentions to receive further fines nor disobey the law I promptly moved my car from the nature strip onto the road by simply reversing off the nature strip then onto the road.  My car then sat there idle as I went away for a conference. 

A few days later I then receive another infringement (the infringement in question) upon returning home!  I just think it is a little ridiculous that I was happy to obey the first infringement (once I was aware that I was disobeying the law) but then get slapped with a whopping $72 fine for an equally innocent offense. 

I am a Uni student, I try and drive my car as little as possible (opting to take the bus) as I struggle to work part time, pay rent and support myself financially.  To put simply I can't pay this fine easily.  On top of that, I fail to see how councils are to falsify their public image of 'revenue mongers' when they opt to charge their citizens with any fee they can.

Surely there are more pressing matters the council can concern themselves with.
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/10/19/219691_news.html
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/10/18/219571_news.html
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/10/18/219531_news.html"

The links are articles from our local newspaper, linking to problems in our area that the council could instead be spending more time on ha ha! I thought it was a nice touch if I say so myself =)

Hopefully it gets me off the hook!