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Private Car Parking Companies - know your rights
This website explains your rights regarding "parking fines" from Australian private parking companies and councils. Government bodies (such as councils and police) have a legal right to issue parking fines. However, private parking companies, such as Australian National Car Parks, Care Park and Ace Parking (see list of more) are not legally allowed to issue parking fines. This website explains the options you have if you receive a parking fine, ticket, or infringement notice, from private car park companies or if you have received council parking fines.
All assistance by this site is general in nature and does not in any way constitute legal advice, please see disclaimer at the bottom of this and every page of this website.
In many cases, it is possible to have your parking fine withdrawn, if you carefully follow the instructions on this website (navigate this site using the links at left). In other cases it is possible to stop the barrage of letters. In cases where you simply cannot stop the barrage of letters, the site has government resources listed for you to complain to.
The Victorian Consumer Action Centre (a Victorian Government funded body) says: “We are inundated with complaints from consumers alleging that they have been fined unfairly, in most cases, consumers are only parking within the free period, yet are being fined between $60 and $80. These private companies do not have the power to issue fines” said Consumer Action Director of Policy & Campaigns Gerard Brody (read more). And similar provisions apply in other Australian states.
Note that when you receive one of these so called private "parking fines" the company does not know your address. Only if you contact the company or pay the fine will they know who you are. So do not contact them or pay their parking fines without reading this website, or getting independent legal advice, first.
To find out what to do if you receive a parking fine from a private car park company,please read the FAQ page (see links at left) on this site.
See this page for free legal advice and information.
This site used to be called Unfair Parking Fines, but has been renamed to Parking Fine Appeals.