A driver says he would rather go to jail than pay a parking fine he received when celebrating his birthday. Neil Dubnyckyj, 65, a carpet shop owner from Scunthorpe, visited Skegness in October last year with his grandson. The trip was for Mr Dubnyckyj's 65th birthday and they planned to stay overnight in the motorhome, which he temporarily parked illegally and was handed a £35 fine.
Mr Dubnyckyj admits he was in the wrong, but argues he should not have to pay the full £35, because he had already paid £8 on a pay and display. The council has since doubled the fine to £70. Mr Dubnyckyj said he would go to jail before paying, reports LincolnshireLive.
He said: "On my 65th birthday on October 9, I took it upon myself to get my motorhome out and go to Skegness with my grandson. We got to Skegness at around noon and we started to get hungry. We could not find anywhere to park [at first] so we parked on this wasteland area, and I paid £8 [on the pay and display.] We went out and had lunch and came back and got a £35 fine - which was fine, I had made a mistake.
"I paid the £27 difference because they had already had the £8." Mr Dubnyckyj refused to pay the £8 and so East Lindsey District Council doubled the fine to £70 and has taken him to court.
Mr Dubnyckyj added: "It has now become a matter of principle. Had I not paid the £8 I still would have got a £35 fine. I thought there is no way I will pay it. I will go to court and go to jail before I pay it.
"They've already had their £8." A letter addressed to Mr Dubnyckyj from the adjudicator, said his argument is "misconceived."
It read: "The payment of £8 he made was for a pay and display ticket for the car park; it was not payment of the penalty charge. Mr D cannot offset the payment for that ticket against the penalty charge, notwithstanding that purchasing the ticket was redundant because he not permitted to park his campervan in the car park.
"He should not have paid the £8 for a pay and display ticket because he was not entitled to park his campervan there. Mr D's mistake does not entitle him to transfer that payment to the penalty charge."
A spokesman for East Lindsey District Council said the matter had been passed on to an external body as part of the appeal process.
