A Queenstown man is "fuming" after he received an $85 parking ticket while driving on the road - while the enforcement agency responsible has been slow to apologise to him.
On November 7, Greg Dorn drove through Queenstown Central shopping centre about noon, returning to the shopping centre and parking outside Hallensteins about two hours later.
Arriving at his car after half an hour of shopping, he was shocked to find an $85 infringement notice.
Having parked in an official parking spot for less than 60 minutes and with no signs, he was confused as to why he had been ticketed, Mr Dorn said.
"I thought that’s funny - why did I get a parking ticket if there was no sign?
"I was fuming ‘what’s going on?"’
A closer look at the photo of his car’s "chalk time" revealed Mr Dorn was driving, not parked.
"I look at the picture more closely and I realised one of the pictures was me just driving — I am on the road.
"It looks like they [parking enforcement] stopped to have lunch because I’m right opposite Coffee Club and when you look I’m on the road."
That photo was taken about 12.35pm while the infringement was issued at 2.47pm.
He contacted the issuer, Parking Enforcement Services (PES), a division of Wilson Parking New Zealand Ltd, and tried to appeal the infringement, but was twice declined, Mr Dorn said.
The fine was waived on November 22, four days after Mr Dorn contacted Queenstown Central management regarding the issue.
The issue caused a lot of stress and he was upset his two appeals were initially dismissed, leaving him concerned others might also be fined when they were not in the wrong.
Mr Dorn said he wanted assurances it would not happen again.
A PES spokesperson said a breach notice was issued to Mr Dorn in November last year for unauthorised parking on a road.
Parking Enforcement Services enforce the access way Mr Dorn was on, on behalf of Queenstown Central, for over-stays and unauthorised parking.
Mr Dorn’s matter was "thoroughly investigated and Parking Enforcement Services have contacted him directly to waive the breach and apologise for any inconvenience".
Mr Dorn confirmed PES issued him an apology at 1.53pm yesterday, two minutes before the company issued its statement to Mountain Scene.
