Do tickets from Wilson Parking need to be paid? Aussie exposes little-known rule

A West Australian driver has told Australians to ‘ignore’ fines from private parking companies such as Wilson Parking and only pay for fines issued by councils.

Connor Wright found a ticket from Parking Enforcement Services, run by Wilson Parking, on the windshield of his car.

He tore up the ticket and told Aussies they should not have to pay fines to private parking companies as it is difficult for them to enforce.

“Make sure you read the fine print on these bad boys,” Mr. Wright said, holding the card,” in a video posted to social media.

‘If you read on the back it says: “Important information, this is not a parking fine”.

‘Useless, throw it in the trash. Don’t pay that shit.’

He went on to explain a good “rule of thumb” for tickets, saying, “If you see ‘City of…’, pay that fine!” If you see “parking enforcement,” read the fine print!

“It literally says ‘this is not a fine’.”

James Clements of Sydney Criminal Lawyers said drivers enter into a contract when they use a private parking company.

When drivers breach the contract, by overstaying or parking outside designated areas, companies will issue a ‘breach notice’.

“They are not fines, only a statutory body has the power to impose a fine,” he said Yahoo News.

Mr Clements described the tickets as ‘bullying tactics’ to ‘effectively try to scare people into paying for them’.

He says it is difficult for parking companies to enforce the fines because of the government’s ‘harsh action’.

The government recently adopted policies that prevent private companies from accessing driver information.

“They have to be able to prove that you were the driver at the time, which can be difficult because just because your car was driven there doesn’t mean you are the driver,” he said.

“RMS (Roads and Maritime Services) used to give them details of who a car was registered to, but they are no longer allowed to do that, under section 279 of the NSW Road Transport Act.”

‘They also have to prove that they have suffered a loss.

“Ignore it,” Mr. Clements said. “Or write back and say, ‘I dispute this and have no intention of paying.’

“What you don’t want to do is write to them and say you’re revealing that you’re the driver.”

Dozens of Aussies said they never faced consequences for not paying fines from private companies.

Mr Wright (above) explained that Wilsons Parking’s fines are in the fine print: ‘This is not a parking fine’

“I got one in 2019 and never paid for it, never heard of them and saved $90,” one person wrote.

‘I’ve probably had thirty. I never paid them, never heard anything,” said another.

To avoid fines and possible legal action, motorists are advised to read the terms and conditions for using a private car park before entering.