Woman forced to pay someone else’s fine after innocent mistake

"I was like, 'Are you joking? This can't be real. This can't be happening!'"

Imagine receiving a fine in the mail that isn't yours but you're expected to pay it. That's the dilemma that Aussie Natalie Franz recently faced after an innocent mistake made online. 

The Aussie, who moved to Queensland from Melbourne back in 2021, was required to change the number plate on her car, so hit up Facebook marketplace at the time to earn some money out of the simple exchange. 

She managed to sell the personalised plates for $270 but recently discovered she didn't walk away a winner financially, after all. 

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The parking fine that wasn't hers

Natalie received an unusual parking fine earlier this year that threatened to suspend her drivers licence if she didn't pay a $103 parking fine.

The problem was, it wasn't her infringement at all but rather belonged to the person who purchased the number plates off her. 

After consulting the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) about the fine, the Aussie was informed that the new owner of the plates never transferred them into their name and therefore, legally still belonged to Natalie. 

"I was like, 'Are you joking? This can't be real. This can't be happening'," she told ABC News. 

RELATED: Woman threatened with fine for park outside hospital

The woman was forced to pay a fine that wasn't even hers. Image: iStock

What people don't realise when selling licence plates online

Natalie's simple error is one that many people don't realise when selling items such as licence plates for vehicles online. 

According to authorities, motorists are responsible for informing state transport about a sale and transferring the names across to avoid being landed with infringements that are not theirs. 

It was a process that Natalie unaware about - along with many Aussies who have made similar sales. 

"I just assumed that when you receive plates, you would have to go and register them, put them into your name and never gave it a thought," she said.

According to ABC News, VicRoads Chief Operations Officer Michael Hooper revealed that a complete transfer of rights form is needed in order to change the ownership of the plates officially.

With the plates sold three years ago, the woman has been unable to trace the person she sold the plates to, which means more fines could be on the way. 

"It's a terrible feeling each day," she told the publication. "I was naive. If I had known, of course, I would have done the right thing."

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The little-known road rule that could get you a $387 fine

Fines that people are unaware of are increasingly making headlines. Earlier this month, a local Aussie council issued a reminder to motorists about a fine little people knew about. 

Bayside Council took to Facebook to share a reminder about the road rule, saying: 

“Did you know that unbroken yellow edge lines indicate ‘No Stopping’ zones at intersections and along roadsides? These lines are a durable alternative to traditional signage and are enforceable under the same rules as ‘No Stopping’ signs.”

The penalty? A decent $387!

More than a few people had questions about the rule, commenting on the post saying that it’s confusing, not enforced, or just plain unfair.

“Would love to see a continuous line in a 90 degree angle in the direction of the middle of the left lane to indicate where it finishes, as in most cases the line beside the curb ware's out easily,” one commenter said.

“They just don't work put the signs with them NO STOPPING. Easy tickets but no compliance with just continuous yellow lines only. Same with 10 metres from intersections.” said another.

Originally published as Woman forced to pay someone else’s fine after innocent mistake