Fines for illegal signs

By Lia Bichel
A NARRE Warren resident said Casey council has issued him with two unfair infringement notices after he placed a sign on its land last month.
Graeme Griffiths, 60, bought a piece of land on an unnamed street near Pound Road, Hampton Park.
Mr Griffiths said he asked a woman who lives on Pound Road if he could place a sign in her yard stating directions to his house for his builder.
“The only way I could get trucks and deliveries to the back was to place a sign with directions.
“I posted the signpost without doubting whether the spot (the resident) advised is, in fact, council or public land,” he said.
On 6 April Mr Griffiths received two infringement notices and fines – a failure to comply notice and a fine of $500, and a notice to comply with a fine of $200.
He said he believed he did not receive the initial notice to comply because it was sent to the vacant block near Pound Road, which had no letter box or post office address.
“How can I be fined for breaking a failure to comply notice when at no stage did I receive the initial notice?
“As well, there was no notification to me that my sign was illegally posted on the council property,” Mr Griffiths said.
“If my sign was illegally posted on council land, then surely all the signs advertising garage sales and memorials for road accident deceased as well as hoarding advertising goods and services located on footpaths will and should be illegal.
“The City of Casey must exercise equity in enforcing the by-laws and not be discriminatory in singling me out.”
On 16 May, Mr Griffiths received an invoice for $250 from the City of Casey to cover the costs of the removal of the sign.
“When I called the person who removed it, the man told me he was from Ringwood East,” Mr Griffiths said.
“Why would Casey employ someone from Ringwood East? I could have removed it for less money than that,” he said.
“This is not only costing me a lot of money which is hard to come by, but a lot of stress and pressure which I don’t need at my age.”
Acting Manager Community Safety Jem Belcher said that on 19 May, the council received a formal request from the resident to review the infringement notices issued.
The review is currently being undertaken and the Mr Griffiths will be notified of the outcome within two weeks.