Fines Victoria slammed by Ombudsman Deborah Glass in new report

Fines Victoria has attracted a flood of complaints including suspending the wrong drivers and sending fines to dead people. Now the new universal payment system for infringements has been slammed by the state’s top watchdog.

Fines Victoria has been slammed by the state’s ombudsman.

Victoria’s new universal infringement payment system has been slammed by the state’s top watchdog, with hundreds of complaints received about Fines Victoria since it was introduced.

A new report has revealed Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass received 605 complaints about the body in 2018, a 74 per cent increase on its predecessor Civic Compliance Victoria.

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Since it was introduced, major flaws have been exposed in the streamlined system that has taken responsibility for all fines issued by police, courts and other state authorities.

Ms Glass said many complaints were about delays in processing nominations, completing reviews and introducing payment plans.

“Others were about call wait times and difficulties making contact, many by people deeply anxious about the impact of delays.

“The impact of these issues should not be underestimated.

“People had their licences wrongly suspended, or were treated as liable for substantial fines, when they had committed no offence.”

Ms Glass said payment plans for people facing financial hardship were also not being administered properly.

“The worry and frustration were then compounded by people’s inability to get through to the agency and have their complaints fairly resolved,” she said.

“They plainly were causing sleepless nights; people told us of frustration, anxiety and sometimes, trauma.”

In one instance, a father reported that he kept receiving letters for $7600 fines owed by his deceased son and could not have the fines withdrawn despite repeated attempts to contact the service.

A pensioner from country Victoria was also asked to pay $1, via a legal letter, despite believing he had already paid off his infringement.

He was later told he could not pay the fee online or at his local post office.

Ms Glass said Fines Victoria would stay under review.

“We continue to receive complaints, and it is too early to tell whether any improvements have had an effect,” she said.

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