"Ignore it": The one parking ticket Aussies can chuck in the bin
Western Australian driver, Connor Wright, has gone viral after sharing his advice on how to handle penalty notices issued by private parking companies.
The TikTok, which now has over 1.5 million views, started off with Wright recalling the moment he walked back to his car to find a ticket issued by Parking Enforcement Services (PES), a division of Wilson Parking.
Wright then proceeds to rip up the ticket and told others to "make sure to read the fine print on these bad boys".
"If you read at the back, it says important information: 'This is not a parking fine'," he said.
"Useless, throw it in the bin, don't pay that sh*t."
Many have commented how they "wish they knew this earlier".
The ticket itself is a 'breach notice' which starts at a $65 penalty from Wilson and is only issued when a person drives into private car park, for example in a shopping centre, and break the terms and conditions issued by the private entity.
"What they try and do is recover the debt for the loss incurred, effectively like a breach of contract, but they're not fines — only a statutory body has the power to issue a fine." Sydney Criminal Lawyers James Clements told Yahoo News Australia.
Clements also called the penalty a "bullying tactic" to "effectively try scaring people into paying them," but it is difficult to enforce it due to government "crackdowns."
However parking fines from bodies like councils, some universities and hospitals should be paid.
Clements advises that when you receive the breach notice you should "ignore it" or "write back and say, 'I dispute this and do not intend to pay'."
"What you don't want to do is write to them and say that you disclose you were the driver."
Drivers are also encouraged to read signs and the terms and conditions when entering a private car park.
Images: TikTok