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

A woman has lashed out at ticketless parking fines after she was forced to cough up $960 for unknowingly breaking a road rule three times.

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

Ms Fumberger explained she went to the station last month but struggled to find a parking spot during the early morning rush.

After driving around for some time, she spotted a street which had a few spaces available and was within a 10 minute walk to the station. 

‘I looked around for ‘no parking’ signs on the road, and there was nothing,’ she told 9News. 

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

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

Ms Fumberger said she did not know that parking next to an unbroken yellow line was illegal under NSW’s road laws. 

She admitted that she was in the wrong after discovering that she had broken a traffic law, but added that many of her friends were not aware of the law either. 

However, she became outraged after another two parking fines, each for $320, swiftly followed. 

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

‘I was really hoping they’d show some leniency on the other two because I wouldn’t have made that same mistake if they had left an actual ticket on my car the first time,’ she said.

Since she was issued with her traffic offences, Ms Fumberger said she has spotted tickets on the windscreens of cars parked in the same street. 

Ms Fumberger lodged an appeal with NSW Revenue over the three fines amounting to almost $1,000. 

However, NSW Revenue rejected her appeal and sent her a letter explaining under NSW Law a fine could be issued in person or by mail. 

‘The issuing officer may post 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 read.

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

‘I can understand speeding fines being a little bit more expensive, because you’re putting other people at risk, but this just feels like revenue raising,’ she said.

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

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

She added parking around the Metro station had worsened since the extended rail line opened in August. 

The frustrated commuter said she had to leave her home almost an hour earlier just to find a spot to park – and even then she is still having to walk more than 10 minutes.

It comes after the Minns Government announced its plan to ban the ticketless fine system so that motorists receive an on-the-spot notification for parking offences.

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

The legislation has yet to pass meaning ticketless parking fines are still legal.

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

‘No one ever likes to get a parking fine, but the idea you only find out about a fine weeks later doesn’t pass the common sense test,’ Ms Houssos said. 

‘Frustration among drivers and community members about the ticketless parking system is high – and that’s fair enough. 

‘The ticketless parking fine system was introduced by the previous government without regard for the impact on drivers and families.’

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