Subj : 'Incorrectly charged': 20 months of parking tickets refunded
To   : All
From : News
Date : Fri May 24 2024 01:10 pm

Invercargill City Council is set to refund nearly two years' worth of
incorrectly-issued parking tickets after acknowledging a bylaw wasn't
properly enforced.

The tickets eligible for cancellation and a refund were issued between July
1, 2022 and February 29 this year.

The council said any tickets for "failing to activate the parking meter in a
metered space" during that time will be refunded.

A council spokesperson told 1News that 12,272 tickets were incorrectly issued
in that time.

"Each infringement notice is $40, meaning the total amount to refund is
$490,880."

In a statement, chief executive Michael Day said: "As a council, it's
important that we take ownership when a mistake has occurred and ensure that
we remedy the situation as quickly as possible.

"In this instance, we will be refunding and cancelling a number of parking
infringement notices, which have been incorrectly charged."

The tickets were incorrectly issued under the city's Parking Control Bylaw.

The problem was the subject of an Invercargill District Court ruling, which
found the meters didn't clearly state that people using a park for 30 minutes
or less - which meant parking was free - still needed to enter their number
plate into the meter and activate it.

Day said the council had an "obligation to the community" to ensure the bylaw
was accurate and correctly enforced.

"We have already started the process of identifying those impacted and will
continue to work with the community as we move through this. If you believe
you have been impacted, please visit the Council website for further
information."

Any outstanding and unpaid tickets had automatically been cancelled.

But anyone who had already paid a fine during this period will have to
request a refund online.

"Council is currently proposing amendments to the Parking Control Bylaw which
will be open for consultation from May 29 to June 28, 2024," the council
said, adding "proposed changes include making the bylaw easier to understand".

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