So Angry

[nickojoy]

Update - Letter sent today to the state debt recovery also a copy to council, a copy to my local member and a copy to the premier. I have also supplied a letter from the neighbours about the fence and the owner of this house. Copies of all letters I received in the mail from council about the Seizure of the dogs (funny I received that in the mail dated 24 Feb 10) and copy of the letter with the fines I received this week.

[rottidogspotty]

When my old rickerty gate was missing a couple of pickets, passer bys (or neighbours) must have complained to the ranger they were worried about my dog behind the gate, so the ranger visited me, he just gave me a warning to fix the gate (I ended up putting a whole new gate on)... but also for some reason it never occurred to me to get her registered (when I adopted her) (even though I had got her mirco-chipped), and all I got was a warning.

$1000 would really put a financial strain on me if I had to find that sort of money out of the blue.

[nickojoy]

And for the record, not all dogs in rescue are required under their clauses to be life time registered. When the rescue group collects a dog from the pound, they just ensure that the dog is transferred into the rescue groups name with the carers details on there and pay for the chipping. It was always up to the new owner once re-homed to register that dog, not the rescue group.

[Little Gifts]

It would have been cheaper for me to leave them there for 14 days then get a friend to buy them. Then the council would not had received my upto date details and therefore could not fine me from another state.

I'm sure they'd appreciate being left at the pound for 14 days just to save you money Hopefully that was a joke.

It was a joke, but you can see why we have so many dogs in our pounds being killed day because of these fines.

I agree - those amounts will mean a dog is PTS if the owner can't afford it or doesn't really care about the dog, and those careful owners who lose a beloved pet temporarily just get a smack in the head for usually being a responsible dog owner. It doesn't stop the main issue of deterring bad pet owners and encouraging good ones. You might have a case re the registration because they are clearly registered - just not at the right address, but that address still led the council to you then that's really what matters.

Sorry for all the stress you've had over this.

[doit4thedogz]

Both dogs were registered. I just failed to update my details when i moved house with my boy, lucky I only got a warning, the fine is $165.

In the envelope there was a 'Chip In' paperwork, the fines are NSW wide. But what I have been hit with the Fines for "unregistered" doesn't add up, there is nothing to say dog registered in public place.

How do you fight with the state debt recovery?

As far as I know the SDR is an organisation that chases you down for fines, increases your fines if not paid etc . And if you finally do pay then the SDR get a percentage of what you pay and the rest goes to the people who fined you(i.e. the council)

With most fines you can either pay up, write a letter to SDR (unlikely to work) or take it to court. If you take it to court(local) you are up against the council NOT the SDR. If you have all the evidence to back it up then you should be good.

[tdierikx]

I called the SDR about a speeding ticket once (a pretty big one at that - $240 and 3 points)) - I was very nice about the whole thing and asked the person on the phone if they could look up my record. The person found that I had an absolutely spotless driving record over at least 17 years, and then they waived the fine and downgraded the notice to a warning instead. I never disputed the fact that I had been doing 60k in a "school zone" (40k limit at certain hours of the day) at 8:25 in the morning, and was asking where I could pay the fine with my credit card.

Worth giving them a call and just querying the fines politely and calmly methinks...

T.

[Pug64]

I guess it pays to have our dogs registered and all their details up to date and to make sure they cannot get out of your yard.

[hoffpig]

Any response from our avaricious, grasping, bullying bureaucrats? We have had a spate of rangers hard at it in our 'burb recently. Among fines imposed was $330 for a woman carrying her puppy on a beach, a teenager who copped three fines for his bicycle, not on the road but at the skateboard rink in the park ... it is madness. It is grossly unjust. Fingers crossed that some sanity prevails in your case.