{"id":52991,"date":"2024-05-25T14:21:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-25T04:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=52991"},"modified":"2024-05-25T11:24:42","modified_gmt":"2024-05-25T01:24:42","slug":"melbourne-tourist-slams-gold-coast-after-surfers-paradise-parking-fine-shock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=52991","title":{"rendered":"Melbourne tourist slams Gold Coast after Surfers Paradise parking fine shock"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Melbourne man has vowed to never return to the Gold Coast after a family trip to the city ended with debt collectors on his mother\u2019s tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael, who didn\u2019t want his surname used, said he visited the Gold Coast with his wife and young child for a week in late January to celebrate his mother\u2019s birthday with his parents, who are both retired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However memories of the trip have been ruined after his mother received a SPER notice for $191 over a parking fine they claim was for being one minute over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were visiting the Gold Coast from Melbourne. My parents are from northern NSW,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe stayed on the Coast for a week to celebrate Mum\u2019s birthday and went for a morning to see the peak site that is Cavill Ave, and we got pinged.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tourists walking along Cavill Avenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man said the family believed they had returned on time to the car, parked at The Esplanade on Surfers Paradise, but it appeared they were a minute over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The location is where in-ground sensors are used to monitor when a parking space is occupied and how long the vehicle stays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man said although it occurred on January 28, the family had no knowledge of the fine until a SPER notice was recently received by his mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t see the ticket on our window,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019ve got a photo of one, but it\u2019s either slipped off because it was a wet day or someone\u2019s pulled it off. There was four people in the car and we absolutely would have seen it stuck to our windscreen had it been there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause we didn\u2019t see the ticket, Gold Coast City Council has apparently sent us a reminder which we never saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve since been referred on to SPER. They have sent us a debt collection notice. For some reason that notice made its way to mum\u2019s house, but the initial reminder notice didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo the amount we\u2019re being chased for now is $191.20. The fine was originally $113.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It comes months after Deputy Mayor Donna Gates called for a review of the size of parking fines <\/a>due to overwhelming backlash online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Traffic on the Esplanade at Surfers Paradise. Picture: Mike Batterham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man, who said the family was also unimpressed by the appearance of Cavill Ave, said his mother had been upset to receive the notice and vowed to never return to the Gold Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis has left a really sour taste in our mouths. Due to this experience we will 100 per cent never be going back to the Gold Coast ever again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are so used to brutal parking inspectors in the City of Melbourne and your Gold Coast parking inspectors would put them to shame.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man said his mother had contacted council but was told there was little that could be done. However a council spokesperson said there were avenues for fines to be appealed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Melbourne man has vowed never to return to the Gold Coast after being stung during a visit to celebrate his mum\u2019s birthday. Vote in our parking fines poll.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":52992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[273,999,6917],"tags":[7465],"class_list":["post-52991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-australia-politics","category-gold-coast","tag-queensland"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t