Melbourne council issues parking tickets to residents before finding signs ‘tampered with’

It happened without notice. Residents of a suburban Melbourne street discovered they – and their neighbours – had received parking tickets on vehicles they had long kept in front of their properties.

They found out on Tuesday that the parking signs along Malane Street in the south-eastern suburb of Ormond had been changed, and they were shocked.

The new signs said there were two-hour restrictions in place. There had previously been unrestricted parking.

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First there was anger. Then came the confusion.

Emails were written and calls made to the City of Glen Eira council. One resident told the Herald Sun that he had received no warning from the council about the amended parking restrictions.

Then, in a letter to residents and posted to social media by 3AW radio presenter Jacqueline Felgate on Wednesday, the City of Glen Eira council said an investigation found signage had been “fraudulently modified”, and since modified by council traffic engineers.

“All infringements issued yesterday will be cancelled,” the email said.

“This will be followed up by a letter-drop in the location.”

It said those responsible were “unknown parties outside of council”.

The council’s acting chief executive, Kellie Vise, confirmed the contents of the email on Wednesday, and said all the fines had been cancelled after it was notified about the issue late on Tuesday.

“Parking signs in Malane Street, Ormond were recently tampered with and the Glen Eira City Council apologises to residents and commuters who inadvertently received parking fines as a result,” she said.

“It goes without saying that we urge people not to tamper with or install their own parking signage, and we do apologise to those who were caught up as a result.”

The council has amended the signage, although parking inspectors had already issued the fines.