A furious single mum has warned fellow dog owners about a surprising rule that saw her threatened with the loss of her driver’s licence if she didn’t pay a $348.80 fine.
Jo Marshall was slapped with the daunting choice because she didn’t cancel the registration for her Rhodesian ridgeback, Rose, when she moved interstate from Queensland to New South Wales in 2020.
Ms Marshall ignored digital reminders issued by Sunshine Coast Council about renewing her dog registration since that time – because she no longer lived there.
In 2020 she moved 1,282km from her Noosa home to regional NSW for her job, bringing her daughter and her dog with her.
But because Ms Marshall didn’t cancel the registration, her former council continued to accrue a debt in her name for Rose’s registration, even though the family resided elsewhere.
Jo Marshall was slapped with the daunting choice of a $350 fine or loss of licence because she didn’t cancel the registration for her dog Rose – even though she had moved across the country. Pictured, Rose with Ms Marshall
Ms Marshall expressed frustration at the size of the fine, considering a year’s dog registration with Sunshine Coast Council costs only $24
Eventually the debt was passed to the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER), run by the Queensland Revenue Office, which issued her with the Notice of Intention to suspend her licence.
But the notice warned her of an alternative punishment, stating in red writing: ‘Pay your overdue debt or we will suspend your driver’s licence’.
Ms Marshall cannot afford to lose her licence as she drives around 1,000km a week, and visits her daughter who is enrolled at a boarding school.
A frustrated Ms Marshall told Daily Mail Australia she couldn’t get out of the fine even though she didn’t use the service she was charged for.
‘There is no way around the fine. It’s in the terms and conditions and I can’t afford to fight it and lose,’ she said.
‘I just want others to know of this terrible hidden money making scheme by the Sunshine Coast Council.
‘Councils should not have the power to suspend drivers licenses something that is so crucial to daily life especially in the country or to charge such a ridiculous fine for not cancelling a dog registration.’
Ms Marshall felt she was being hit in the hip pocket even though she tried to be a responsible dog owner.
‘It seems they are punishing the people trying to do the right thing by registering their dog in the first place, rather than going out their and fining people who don’t,’ Ms Marshall told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I can’t believe they have to power to suspend your license in something related to pet ownership.
‘I just want to really raise awareness on the whole hidden condition.’
She also expressed frustration at the size of the fine, considering a year’s registration for a dog with Sunshine Coast Council costs only $24.
Even three years of missed dog registration payments would only equal $72, but her fine was $348.80.
In February, ABC reported more than 2,800 Queenslanders received a fine from the SPER in the preceding year for not paying their dog registration fees. Of those, over 500 lost their driver’s licences.
Ms Marshall also posted a warning to other dog owners at a Noosa community page on social media.
‘Word of warning to anyone leaving the area physically cancel a your dog registration or 2.5 years later you will get a fine for $350 or they will cancel your drivers license, no way out!’ she wrote.
‘In the fine print, I had no other notices only to say you need to renew your dog registration but I wasn’t living there so I deleted it.
‘Don’t assume it just lapses like I did.
‘They should be more transparent about such a disgraceful fine.’
Locals on the page were baffled by the Queensland ruling.
‘What has your driver’s licence to do with your dog?’ one man asked.
‘Why would they cancel a driving licence? Makes no sense.’
‘Are you sure it’s not a scam?’ one woman wrote.
‘I would absolutely dispute it,’ said another. ‘How can they charge you for no service?’
Ms Marshall felt she was being hit in the hip pocket even though she tried to be a responsible dog owner
Ms Marshall ignored digital reminders issued by Sunshine Coast Council about renewing her dog registration since that time – because she no longer lived there
Ms Marshall did dispute the fine and was told the fine print in her original registration for Rose covered the council’s actions.
Another man posted that he copped the same fine for the same reason.
‘Exactly the same happened to me and I spent hours on the phone and two visits to Noosa Council from Brisbane,’ he wrote.
‘All was a complete waste of time as the fine was unable to be reversed as it was now in the hands of SPER and again the threat of having my drivers licence cancelled was used.’
As usual, faced with what seems like administrative unfairness, commenters resorted to humour.
‘Let’s all learn from this,’ one man wrote. ‘This wouldn’t happen if you don’t register your dog in the first place.’
‘They have to pay for the Olympics somehow,’ was another person’s cheeky response.
Daily Mail Australia approached the Queensland Revenue Office and Sunshine Coast Council for comment.
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