Gran hit with fine for car of stranger

A Waikato grandmother says she’s been pulling her hair out trying to clear her name after being stung with a parking fine issued 10 years ago for a car she never owned.

Lorraine, who didn’t want her surname used, was shocked in March to receive a $461 fine in the mail from the Ministry of Justice.

It was for a car being parked on the side of a road, unregistered and without a valid warrant of fitness in 2011.

At first, she thought it was a case of mistaken identity. But her shock turned to horror when she found it was what she called a case of stolen identity — the abandoned BMW had been registered in Auckland in 2010 using her driver’s licence as ID proof.

The 78-year-old said she’s only ever owned one Mazda and hasn’t even driven in Auckland, let alone lived there.

Instead, she’s spent the past 54 years living on a farm in O¯haupo¯, south of Hamilton.

She’s now been to 19 departments and agencies to clear her name — but none has been able to help.

“I’m old — well, I’m getting old — and why should they put you through this?” she said. “It’s upsetting, frustrating and disheartening.”

As cases of stolen identity rise in the digital age, Terry Collins, principal adviser with motoring lobby Automobile Association, said the government agencies giving Lorraine the red-tape runaround seem to be failing to apply a common-sense test.

But the Ministry of Justice said fines never expire, and it is normal practice to pursue them, even 10 years after they have been issued.

It also declined to discuss the case, saying historic fines are matters chased up by the court. Lorraine must contact the court for any update.

After receiving the fine on March 8 this year, Lorraine immediately applied to the District Court’s deputy registrar to have it withdrawn on the basis she never owned the car, but was refused.

The court’s reply letter warned her to pay the fine within 10 days or risk having another $150 added.

It also warned the court could take enforcement action to recover unpaid fines, including making compulsory deductions from an income or bank account, seizing or selling property or issuing an arrest warrant.

Lorraine said she paid the fine because of the warnings, but then continued to try to clear her name.

That included seeking help from the police’s Financial Crime Unit.

A reply letter from the unit seen by the Weekend Herald told her that “sadly” it was not unusual for stolen identities to be used to register cars.

“Unfortunately, we will be unable to hold anyone to account for this due to the offending happening such a long time ago,” the police officer said.

The Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the car was registered in her name at the Auckland VTNZ outlet in Glen Innes in May 2010.

Lorraine remains determined to clear her name.

She had never set foot outside the law in 78 years and didn’t intend to start now, she said.

“I’m not going to stop on this one.”