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Section 10 at Kogarah Court.
This morning my wife and I went to the Kogarah Court for me to answer a double parking ticket.
It sarted back in March when this came in the mail.
They have got to be kidding .
Parking is a nightmare in Kogarah, so I drove my wife in to see her kidney-stone specialist,
Rather than stopping outside the building in Kensington street as there was no parking on this main road, I turned left into a small side street, and as my wife hasn't learnt how to do a commando roll into the gutter from a moving vehicle, I pulled over and paused 3 or 4 seconds to let my wife alight, and drove off.
Society has to have rules to avoid anarchy, but to pause 3-4 seconds in a small side street to let your wife get out of a car, and that is worth $236...... I don't think so.
By mail I was told I have three options
do what the majority of people do, (my words )
1 Pay the fine.
or
2 Write to the State Debt Recovery Office and plea for mercy.
or
3 Go to Court
I chose to go to Court.
This decision started work for SDRO staff and Australia Post
Letters came postmarked
19/3/14 8/5/14 11/7/14 12/7/14 28/7/14 9/8/14
I was told my wife had to make a stat dec to say I was driving.and gave me the options, plea, or pay the fine or go to court .
11 July Another letter stated I was driving, and had 3 options, pay, plea, or go to court,
The next day the 12th July another letter to pay plea or go to court.
another letter postmarke 28th July from the Kogarah council. " in the iterest of settling this matter prior to hearing Kogarah coucil has compiled this list of options to assist you in this matter" 1 pay the fine, 2 write in with an excuse, or 3 go to court.
Court Day 28/08/014
At 9.30 am we (my wife and I) attended Kogarah court and after a number of cases, I was called out, The magistrate looking at the charge sheet, asked the prosecution person how long I had double parked as it doesn't say so on the ticket. She didn't know so I helpfully said I paused 3 - 4 seconds to let my wife out of the car to see her kidney stone doctor, and he said case proven and dismissedunder section 10, and with that we went home at 10.30 am.
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Kogarah Council has on its website, guide lines for traffic management
It states that the ranger or authorised council person has three options when they see a traffic infringement
(1) give a verbal warning.
(2 ) Send a written warning
or
(3) send a ticket.
If I had double parked wandered across the road, bought a pie, chips, and smokes, then by all means fine me a thousand dollars, but to send a ticket for $236 for letting my wife get out of the car so she could see her kidney stone doctor. That to me, is not the "discrection" that the guidelines talked about on the council web site.
September 02 The Daily Telegraph
THE ST GEORGE ANND SUTHERLAND SHIRE LEADER SEPTEMBER 9 TH
I ALSO RANG ALAN JONES ON 2GB, AND HE AGREED WITH ME THAT IF DRIVERS ARE TREATED LIKE ME BY OVER ZEALOUS CONCIL RANGERS, GO TO COURT.
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