Bath UK Fines Pensioner $815.52 for .40 Parking Underpayment

Glenn Swanson
by Glenn Swanson
bath uk fines pensioner 815 52 for 40 parking underpayment

Wait, it's worse than that… The Bath Chronicle reports that Ilya Galic drove into the spa town and parked in a pay-as-you-go parking lot. He fed a ticket machine £1.20 ($2.38) for his one-hour stay. The meter only registered £1, missing 20 pence (about 40 cents). Galic complained to the parking attendant, who told him the machines often “went wrong,” and promised to sort out the matter. Just to be sure, Galic phoned the parking office, who told him someone would look it. Last month, Galic received a letter demanding a £353.74 ($701) parking penalty payment. A bailiff turned up at Galic’s house to claim one of the family’s cars as payment for the debt. When Galic asked the bailiff to leave, he called the police. Four policemen arrived at his Newbridge home. The bailiff eventually “settled” for £410.99 ($815.52), around six weeks worth of Galic’s pension income (which covered assorted additional fees). A council spokeswoman was unmoved. The authority had not received any complaints in writing, so that’s that.

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  • Johnny Canada Johnny Canada on Mar 07, 2008

    What the hell is going on in that country? England's citizens are happily pissing away their freedom to Government bureaucrats. What a waste of a great country.

  • Incitatus Incitatus on Mar 07, 2008

    The whole story doesn't make any sense. I don't believe it. I bet ya there is much more to it which is not covered by the paper because the real story would not sell.

  • on Mar 07, 2008
    incitatus : March 7th, 2008 at 3:27 pm The whole story doesn’t make any sense. I don’t believe it. I bet ya there is much more to it which is not covered by the paper because the real story would not sell. You could be right, but what's so hard to believe about a beaurecrat insisting that he is right and you are wrong? Or, does that only occur in the US?

  • Redbarchetta Redbarchetta on Mar 07, 2008
    incitatus Truth is stranger than fiction, especially where government beaurecrats are concerned.

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