Aussies fine illegally-parked corpse - Dead man in car gets parking ticket

Register UK ^ | 10/24/2005 | Lester Haines

[BigEdLB]

Melbourne council is unlikely to collect a parking fine imposed on a 71-year-old man for exceeding his alloted time in the car park of the Croydon Market shopping centre since he had lain dead for "several days" in the vehicle when an enforcement officer moved in.

The man had been reported missing nine days previously and was known to be "seriously ill",

The Mayor of the eastern suburb of Maroondah, Paul Denham, explained that the "parking officer had not noticed the man when he attached the parking fine to the windscreen", offering: "The parking bays are 90-degree with cars parked nose in. A small garden bed is located immediately at the front of the parking bays. Our local laws officer checked and wrote out the ticket at the rear of the vehicle and placed the ticket from the passenger side on the windscreen. The local laws officer did not notice anything unusual regarding the vehicle, and is extremely distressed to have learned of the situation."

A female friend of the man was less than impressed with the explanation. She said: "From what the police had told me, it would have been very obvious he was deceased so I'm really disgusted."

Premier Steve Bracks last week expressed his condolences to the man's family and friends, noting: "I think the whole community would be concerned at that sort of development." Bracks added there would be a full coroner's enquiry into the matter and any recommendations "will be adopted by organisations such as councils".

[BigEdLB]

Parking enforcement. For people who don't have a life. I was ticketed when my car was parked on street sweeping day, when my wife went into labor and I was with her at the hospital. My city councilwoman was so embarassed when the fascists at parking gestapo refused to reverse it, she actually paid it for me ($36).

[EagleUSA]

Sounds like a good candidate for a lib voter!!! I wonder if they registered the corpse?? :-)

[bert]

It's law you know. Over parking while dead is no excuse.

[Billthedrill]

"The local laws officer did not notice anything unusual regarding the vehicle, and is extremely distressed to have learned of the situation."

Why? It was a fair cop and the guy ain't gonna appeal...

[taxesareforever]

This is the ultimate "squeeqing blood from a turnip".

[Malacoda]

They didn't notice a dead guy in the car -- a dead guy who had been in there, roasting, for a few DAYS?!?

Dayum. I guess it's a good thing he was dead -- not incapacitated and waiting for help that wouldn't come.

[No Blue States]

"The local law officer did not notice anything unusual regarding the vehicle"

Candidate for the Anti-Sherlock award.

[Grut]

It's law you know. Over parking while dead is no excuse.

And carries a stiff penalty.

(Sorry! Unclean... unclean....)

[Smittie]

I guess after the fine's due date, he officially becomes a deadbeat! Then he'll get a really stiff sentence!

[Luddite Patent Counsel]

Reminds me of Judge Roy Bean:

[Bean has just shot a man for shooting a picture of Lily Langtry]
Judge Roy Bean: Justifiable homicide.
[Goes through the man's pockets]
Judge Roy Bean: I fine this man, uh, $50 for disturbing the peace and $10 for lying around.

[Rakkasan1]

please notify Dead Corpse he needs to pay this ASAP

[OB1kNOb]

I bet that old man caused a big stink over that!