Sydney ranger issues parking fine while driver gets ticket from nearby machine

COUNCIL rangers have been labelled “predators” for slapping a $108 fine on a car while the driver was just metres away putting coins into a parking ticket machine.

Leichhardt businessman Shane McCarthy is fighting the Inner West Council over a parking ticket he claims he received from "predatory" parking rangers who issued him an infringement notice while he was at the parking ticket machine.

COUNCIL rangers have been labelled “predators” for slapping a $108 fine on a car while the driver was just metres away at a parking ticket machine.

Shane McCarthy had crossed Darling St at Rozelle to print out a ticket to allow him 30 minutes’ free parking when an Inner West Council officer ticketed his car.

Mr McCarthy, who runs a civil-engineering business in Leichhardt, claims the parking officer — who he did not actually see — must have been “hiding in wait” for him to park before putting the penalty notice on his windscreen while he was at the ticket machine.

The council rejects the claim, saying its rangers “do not act covertly”.

Mr McCarthy’s battle to have the fine rescinded comes as figures for the NSW Office of State Revenue show that in the 2015-16 financial year the pre-council merger councils of Leichhardt, Marrickville and Ashfield, issued a total of more than 97,600 parking fines, totalling close to $13.3 million.

Mr McCarthy, who was in Rozelle for a quick business meeting, supplied copies of the parking ticket and the infringement notice to the Inner West Courier.

Mr McCarthy was parked outside Tilly’s art supplies in Darling St, Rozelle, when he went to get a ticket from a nearby machine and was booked. Picture: Google Maps

Information on the ticket from the parking machine shows Mr McCarthy printed it out at 10.58am on February 20.

The penalty notice, for “park without current ticket displayed”, shows that it was issued at 10.59am.

Mr McCarthy said he crossed the road to use the ticket machine opposite to where he was parked outside Tilly’s Art Supplies in Darling St.

“So what the council is saying is that you can’t park until you have a ticket. But you can’t get that ticket unless you leave your car and go to the ticket machine.

“It’s nonsense. They just pounce on you straight away if they feel like it.

“It’s predatory behaviour by the rangers who are either instructed to do it, or they feel they have to do it to make their fine quotas.”

Mr McCarthy asked the council to review the fine.

Shane McCarthy’s parking ticket, left, and the council infringement notice.

“If you don’t bail the council up on it, they’ll keep getting away with it.

“And if I can’t get any satisfaction on this I’ll take the matter to court and make a real circus out of it.”

A council spokesman said if a vehicle is unattended its officers check the nearest parking machines prior to issuing a penalty “to ensure fairness and that people collecting a ticket would not be penalised”.

Batman fights parking fine

The spokesman said it should only take three to five seconds to obtain a ticket for free 30 minute parking.

“A review of the electronic contemporary notes made by the issuing officer detail that the vehicle was unattended and that the nearest meter was checked.

“Council rangers do not act covertly or make any attempt to conceal their presence.”

Council has forwarded Mr McCarthy’s request to review the fine to the State Debt Recovery Office.