Posted on July 16, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

Tut. Tut. Tut. In Scotland a 27-year old legal assistant has been declared bankrupt after running up a tab of £18,000 (€21,584) worth of unpaid parking fines.

Over a 12-month period, Clare Williams left her black VW Beetle in a metred space outside her office and sauntered off into work without paying the metre.

Aberdeen City Council is now taking her to court.  Yesterday, a sheriff gave the council the rights to seize her assets and sell them off to clear her debts.

Curiously, Miss Williams was not in court at the time. She had been in meetings and says she wasn’t aware that she had been made bankrupt.

When Williams first learnt of her debt problems she said: “I can’t afford parking – I can’t afford anything.”
“I have some debt problems, and to be honest, parking fines are not at the front of my mind.”

I have kept all the tickets and I have photocopies of them.  I have paid some of them back but I think I owe about £18,000.”

Williams promised to pay the fines.  However the council, who must cut their budgets by £120 million (€144 million) in the next five years are not prepared to wait for her to sort out her finances.

Local parking campaigner, Barrie Segal, who helps drivers appeal against illegal or unfair tickets said there was nothing he could do to help Williams.

He said: “This is extraordinary.  I think her only option is to throw herself on the council’s mercy.”

And don’t think you’ll get away with it by ignoring metres in a rental car.  You’ll always get found out in the end….

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