18 April 2013

Fine dodger Heidi Gully wants to work off $85,000

A HARDCORE fine dodger is pleading in court to have $85,000 in traffic fines converted to community service because of financial "hardship".

The move comes as the Adelaide City Council seeks to further penalise fined motorists by charging interest on overdue parking fines.

Heidi Gully, 32, appeared in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday seeking a remittance on 156 existing penalties - the majority for speeding, driving unregistered and uninsured - while also facing three new unpaid traffic fines.

The offences date back to 2007, when Ms Gully was fined $480 for driving more than 30km/h above the speed limit on O'Sullivans Beach Rd, Lonsdale.

At a defendant's request, a court can convert fines to a period of community service if it believes the person cannot afford to pay the penalties.

Ms Gully, whose case was adjourned to later this year, is not the state's biggest fine dodger.

Figures released last year showed the worst culprit owed $171,000 while another person had racked up $131,000 from 175 unpaid penalties.

Latest figures also show there are $267 million in unpaid fines, an amount which has doubled in the past six years and prompted a crackdown by the State Government.

New measures will be introduced in Parliament by Attorney-General John Rau next month.

These include withdrawing money from defaulters' bank accounts or wages, selling their home or impounding vehicles.

However, under federal laws, Centrelink payments cannot be docked to repay outstanding fines.

Adelaide City Council will also clamp down on fine dodgers. It is owed an average $1.6 million each year, predominantly in unpaid parking fines, which it refers to the court system for enforcement.

The council said courts recovered less than $1 million in outstanding fines last financial year.

news.com.au 18 Apr 2013

There are many illegallities of the machinations set out by the Adelaide City Council.

Not all information provided by the corporate media is accurate.

The "... withdrawing money from defaulters' bank accounts or wages, selling their home or impounding vehicles.", is illegal under many laws.

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