Aussie motorist dealt savage punishment over parking act: 'Seems personal'

A motorist in Sydney who parked in a private car space has been dealt some citizen justice in the form of signs plastered all over their vehicle.

Pics posted to Reddit show the Holden Captiva parked in a spot designated to staff of ANZ Burwood, and covered in A4 sheets of paper that have been stuck down with tape.

"Warning!!! This is a private carpark for ANZ staff use only. You have illegally occupied. Please move your car immediately before further action taken. ANZ Burwood," reads the message on each sheet of paper.

"One note would have been enough, but this seems personal," wrote the Reddit user who shared the photos in a post captioned: "Burwood ANZ does not mess around".

ANZ responds

An ANZ spokesperson says they're investigating the incident. "We are aware of these social media reports and are working to understand what has occurred here," the spokesperson told Yahoo News.

Yahoo understands the vehicle was parked in the private spot for several days and while it remains there, the signs have been removed.

What the law says

Although the signs threaten "further action", this might be difficult to enforce. According to the NSW government, preventing uninvited parking is primarily the responsibility of whoever owns or manages the land. The government is unlikely to intervene in such incidents, instead advising property managers to "take reasonable precautions to deter uninvited vehicles from entering their land".

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Likewise, police have minimal power when it comes to preventing illegal parking on private property. NSW police can only tow a vehicle that poses a danger or obstruction to traffic, has been abandoned on the road, or is breaking specific road rules. Both police and council are unable to take action unless a parked vehicle is causing, or may cause, danger to the public.

Aussies back sign poster

Social media users overwhelmingly sided with the sign poster, saying the motorist got what he or she deserved. "There's no protection for private property owners against trespassers who illegally park on your property. If there were stronger laws we wouldn't have to resort to pranks," commented one Redditor. "When the law doesn't give you a reasonable way to deal with parking offenders," agreed another.

However, others argued that whoever posted the signs went too far. "Seems like a harsh response," wrote one concerned user, while someone else claimed the act "would qualify as vandalising private property".

Meanwhile, some people couldn't help but make light of the situation. "I can imagine everybody in the branch finding this more cathartic than a tow," chimed an amused Redditor. "Is it fair to do that to a Captiva owner? They've suffered enough," added another sarcastically. "I thought banks went paperless a while ago," quipped someone else.

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