Western Sydney woman exposes $1,000 problem with ticketless parking fines

A woman has lashed out at ticketless parking fines after being forced to cough up $960 for unknowingly breaking a traffic law three times.

Kate Fumberger lives in Box Hill, western Sydney, and regularly takes the train at Tallawong Metro station for her commute.

Ms Fumberger explained that she had gone to the station last month but had difficulty finding a parking space during the early morning rush hour.

After driving around for a while, she saw a street that still had a few spots available and was within a 10-minute walk to the station.

“I looked around for ‘no parking’ signs on the road, but there was nothing,” she said 9News.

Ms. Fumberger parked her car on the street on September 9 and two other days that same week.

However, about a week later, she received a $320 fine in the mail for parking next to a yellow line.

Ms Fumberger said she was unaware that parking next to a solid yellow line was illegal under NSW traffic laws.

She admitted she was wrong after discovering she had broken a traffic law, but added that many of her friends were also unaware of the law.

However, she became irate after two more parking fines, each for $320, soon followed.

Ms. Fumberger said she would not have made the same mistake a second and third time if a physical ticket had been left in her car after her first offense.

“I was really hoping they would be more lenient with the other two because I wouldn’t have made the same mistake if they had left a real ticket on my car the first time,” she said.

Since her traffic violations occurred, Ms. Fumberger said she has seen tickets on the windshields of cars parked on the same street.

Ms Fumberger has appealed the three fines of almost $1,000 to NSW Revenue.

However, NSW Revenue dismissed her appeal and sent her a letter explaining that a fine under NSW law could be imposed in person or by post.

“The issuing officer may issue a fine for a number of reasons, such as when it is not safe to stop or if a vehicle leaves the area before a fine can be issued,” the letter said.

Ms Fumberger said she was also shocked that the parking violations cost $320 each – and that the total $1,000 in fines further added to her financial stress.

“I can understand that speeding fines are a little more expensive because you’re putting other people at risk, but this just feels like an increase in revenue,” she said.

Ms Fumberger said she would not have made the same mistake a second and third time if a physical ticket had been left in her car after her first offence.

Ms Fumberger slammed the NSW government and council for not providing adequate parking for commuters around the Metro station.

She added that parking around the metro station had deteriorated since the extended rail line opened in August.

The frustrated commuter said she had to leave her house almost an hour early to find parking – and even then she still has to walk more than 10 minutes.

It comes after the Minns government announced its plan to ban the ticketless fine system so motorists would be notified on the spot for parking violations.

Finance Minister Courtney Houssos presented the new laws to the NSW Legislative Council on September 26.

The legislation has yet to be passed, meaning parking fines without tickets are still legal.

The new rule would ensure that drivers receive a physical notification that they have been fined.

“No one likes getting a parking fine, but the idea that you only find out about the fine a few weeks later does not pass the test of common sense,” Ms Houssos said.

“Frustration among drivers and community members about the ticketless parking system is high – and rightly so.

‘The ticketless parking fine system was introduced by the previous government without considering the impact on motorists and families.’

In the 2023 to 2024 financial year, NSW councils recorded a whopping 822,310 fines – a 49 per cent increase on the previous year.