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Woman fined after lines were painted under her parked car

A New Zealand woman was fined $60 when the local council painted new road markings underneath her car after she had already parked.


Adding insult to injury, the council workers who painted the lines dripped yellow paint on her bonnet, which itself had been repainted just two weeks earlier.

According to The Dominion Post, Hannah Johnston from Wellington legally parked her car along the kerb of an unmarked stretch of road in McKenzie Terrace.

While she was gone, Wellington City Council workers used a tow truck to remove her car, painted broken yellow lines (which represent ‘no stopping’ zones in New Zealand), and then repositioned her car where she parked it.

Following that, a parking inspector saw her car, now parked illegally on the yellow lines, and left a ticket on her windscreen.

 

Ms Johnston explained she though she the ticket was part of an elaborate practical joke, but became angry when she noticed the damage to her bonnet.

“I looked more closely and saw that the lines weren't only new but the paint had dribbled on to my car,” she said.

"How can they possibly be ticketing me for something that wasn't an offence when I parked my car?"

Ms Johnston complained to the council to revoke the ticket and pay to repair her car, and council spokesman Richard MacLean confirmed both requests would be met.

“What happened in McKenzie Tce should never have happened and we apologise for that,” Mr MacLean said.

"It was a perfect storm of poor timing and poor judgment."

He said it was common for the council to tow cars and replace them without notifying owners when road works were being conducted.

Ms Johnston said she was satisfied with the final outcome.

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