A paraplegic man given a ticket for parking in a disabled car park is taking authorities to court after a five-year battle to get them to drop the fine.
Wheelchair-bound Melburnian Ben Williams found the $141 fine on his car windscreen after parking in a disabled car park in Kings Way, Glen Waverley, in September 2012.
The 49-year-old, who was paralysed in a car crash when he was aged 13 months, said he had a disabled parking permit, but the sticker wasn't displayed.
"Fair enough the policeman has given it. I don't have a query or problem with that. But the sticker may have fallen down; it's always in my car, I don't have another car," Mr Williams said.
He said he went to the Glen Waverley police station and he was told to write a letter to request the fine be revoked, which Mr Williams said he did.
Instead of dropping the fine, the Sheriff's Office eventually issued a warrant.
Mr Williams — who has worked with Telstra for more than 20 years — said he has supplied a copy of his disabled parking permit to both the Sheriff's Office and infringements office four times since.
"They haven't accepted it," he said.
"It's just insane. I've supplied them with a copy of it, it should be: 'Ok, thanks very much, see you later'."
He said at one point he was told if he didn't pay the fine, his car registration wouldn't be renewed.
"So, I supplied it to them again and they didn't accept it so it was like: 'Looks like we're going to court'," he said.
Mr Williams will now make an application to revoke the fine in the Ringwood Magistrates Court on Friday.
Victoria Police — who have discretionary powers to revoke fines — wouldn't comment because of the impending court case, but even they said "it shouldn't have gotten to this point".
They say Mr Williams may not have asked for a review soon enough, meaning the issue would be elevated to the Sheriff's Office.
Mr Williams said it could be a lesson for all councils to adopt a permit that hangs off the rear-view mirror, rather than what he calls his "piece of cheese"; a permit that can be stuck on a windscreen.
"These permits are designed for people like me and there's going to be occasions when the sticker might fall off," he said.