r/auckland • u/No-Choice2546 • 20h ago
Question/Help Wanted AT Infringement Opinion
I just want to get your guys opinion on this before I also consult a lawyer on monday.
On the 29th of July on my way home from uni, i received a fine notice on my windshield for a expired rego in the park-and-ride carpark. Immediately, the next day, I paid the fine and renewed my rego expecting it to be a one-time occurance.
However, six to seven weeks later, I get a letter in the mail of a reminder notice for the same expired rego issue. I rung them up only for them to tell me it was a new fine for another day that I had not previously known about. I tried to dispute it however AT rejected my claim stating that they can serve notice anyhow and it does not need to appear on my windshield. Currently, my options are take them to court or pay the fine.
I don’t know how strong my argument is since i’m arguing on a fair grounds basis where if i had previously known or been informed of that fine the issue would have been corrected avoiding me the other fine.
I feel as if i have a weak argument. Thoughts?
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u/Status-Habit7191 20h ago
If you committed the offence on two separate occasions - it's likely it will stand. I wouldn't recommend going to a lawyer. Just do an online dispute and show you've already paid another fine and updated your rego. They may show mercy.
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u/No-Choice2546 19h ago
Well i tried and they rejected my claim. I’m not exactly sure if i can keep disputing the claim with them but on the email they gave me it said i could take it to court. I don’t really think i have a strong argument but i really don’t want to pay since i’m studying and it’s a massive blow financially. I’ve already accountsd $300+ for the fine and new rego and now if i pay that will add to $500.
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u/nisse72 8h ago
You would have had to pay the new rego regardless, or you can't really afford to own a car.
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u/No-Choice2546 6h ago
Yeah the rego is fine. It’s just the added $400 cost and in this economy that’s like a massive burden to me.
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u/why-complicated 20h ago
Find out when the fine was issued. This will determine if it’s a mistake or not. There’s no necessity for a warning to be issued for an expired rego fine.
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u/azzutronus 18h ago
Legally they're correct. Plus there's no legal requirement for an infringement left on the car. The posted infringement notice is the legal document.
Your best chance here is to write a letter explaining the situation in detail and hope that they waive the second infringement.
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u/Classic_East_8742 19h ago
You could have been fined for not displaying a current rego anytime from when your rego label expired, up until the new one arrived and you put it up in your windscreen.
Your argument is pretty weak tbh. The purpose of AT fining you isn't to remind you to renew your rego. They're sometimes nice and waive the second fine if it was issued while you were waiting for the rego label arrive though.
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u/Fatality 19h ago
Yeah AT suck, at least for me they got the wrong number plate so some poor guy in the south island got the ticket.
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u/Smaug_1188 8h ago
From my experience its just cheaper to pay the fine. Getting lawyers can rake up and be even costlier.
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u/korutech-ai 12h ago
Last year we went through a spate of AT issuing fines that added up to about $500. I disputed every one of them and got nowhere.
Car parked outside of our house on the curb; WoF expired but we weren’t using the car. $200. It never occurred to me we could be fined under with it parked at home. If the police catch you driving without a WoF you have 28 days to get one and have the fine waived. Not AT.
Daughter finished high school. We didn’t reapply for school student concession. Didn’t know we could apply for Uni student discount. She got checked on the bus. The high school concession was still on the card. $150 fine. They wouldn’t reconsider.
Son at Uni on the bus. Didn’t have his Uni ID on him. $150 fine. Wouldn’t even reconsider it after we sent proof he was entitled to the concession at the time and he’d simply forgotten his ID at home.
AT suck. They’re cash-grabbing, heartless bureaucrats that just want to bleed every last drop out of whoever they can.
Don’t waste your money on a lawyer. You’ll lose even more money 😞
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u/dessertandcheese 7h ago
All the things you mentioned, AT was correct and all those rules are public knowledge. You being wrong doesn't mean that AT is cash grabbing
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u/OkEstablishment6410 9h ago
In this economy if safety was the concern around WOFs and you went and got one within the same timeframe as the police allow; AT should let it be. Same goes for registration. In this climate its the poor who are being fined. If you don’t forgive the fine you are a money grasping heartless bureaucrat without a soul. AT mantra: It’s the rules. They made me do it. Cruel and unnecessary.
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u/punIn10ded 7h ago
and you went and got one within the same timeframe as the police allow; AT should let it be.
AT do not have the legal authority to do this. Only the police do.
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u/punIn10ded 7h ago
and you went and got one within the same timeframe as the police allow; AT should let it be.
AT do not have the legal authority to do this. Only the police do. What you want them to do is illegal.
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u/howyouseetheworld 19h ago
It's pretty c**ty of AT to hand out fines for no WOF/reg with no warning, when even the police give compliance.
They should also give warnings for first-time bus lane/T2/3 lane offences.
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u/Enzown 12h ago
Or, you know, people with card could just do the bare minimum and look at their windscreen more than once a year and see what dates are on their labels.
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u/UnlimitedPosting 10h ago
Alternatively, why the fuck are we still wasting time printing rego labels when it's all very easily accessible online. You can pay your Rego and get reminders in the NZTA app now, there shouldn't be any need for labels.
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u/No-Choice2546 10h ago
Yeah true highkey stupid of me not to. But i still kinda think it’s unfair for me to resolve the issue only for them to send me a reminder notice 6 weeks later for it bc i got another ticket :/
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u/punIn10ded 6h ago
It's pretty c**ty of AT to hand out fines for no WOF/reg with no warning, when even the police give compliance.
AT can not do this, they do not have the legal authority to issue compliance tickets. Only the police can do that.
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u/samamatara 20h ago
ive read accounts of AT waiving fines (if they received multiple for the same offence) when people showed proof of getting rego after getting fined and they just had to pay the single fine, so this does seem a but harsh. but i guess ultimately its AT's discretion.
dont understand consulting a lawyer, that would cost more than the fine itself no?