Man is fined for littering after trying to donate books at Salvation Army

An elderly man has been left outraged after he tried to donate a box of books to a Salvation Army store only to be hit with a hefty fine for littering.

Dan Alessio, 78, went to a Salvos store in Fairfield in Melbourne’s east one morning in March to drop off two bags and a box of books before going to work.

A month later, he received a fine in the mail to the tune of $322.38.

Mr Alessio was tracked down by the council through CCTV footage that allowed them to identify his car registration, the Herald Sun reported. 

He was told the fines were meant to prevent people from dumping their unwanted goods on the street.

Mr Alessio, who works as a hairdresser in Thornbury, said he wasn’t aware about the laws and tried to appeal the fine but was denied.  

‘My only mistake was not to bring it in when the shop was open,’ he said. ‘I should have thrown it in the bin.’ 

He’s accused the council of revenue raising and said he’s been struggling to pay the bill ever since.  

‘They only care about the money. It’s a lesson for everybody,’ he said.  

Darebin Mayor Susan Rennie said signs had been placed outside the stores to warn people they could be fined for dumping items.  

In fact, many of the donated items that are left outside are usually not received by the charity, according to Salvation Army spokeswoman Aife O’Loughlin. 

She said goods were often damaged by the weather, animals, or passerby. 

Mr Alessio was told the fines are meant to prevent people from dumping their unwanted goods on the street