<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/melbourne" rel="" target="" title="Melbourne"><span>Melbourne</span></a><span> council has confessed to a "major major mistake" which led to hundreds of thousands of drivers being overcharged for parking fines over the past 12 years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Merri-Bek Council, which encompasses Melbourne's inner-northern suburbs, has admitted it failed to pass a required resolution when it more than doubled basic parking penalties in 2013.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That resulted in fined drivers being charged between $43 and $59 more than they should have been on 250,000 occasions between July 1, 2013 and June 11, 2025.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-anthony-albanese-meeting-in-doubt-after-white-house-announces-early-g7-departure/2a1d579c-528d-451e-9760-62be996785f5" target="_blank"><strong><span>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's office says Trump meeting cancellation 'understandable'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is a major, major mistake here - and it's a significant error on our part," Merri-Bek councillor Oscar Yildiz said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The council area spans suburbs such as Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner, Pascoe Vale, Oak Park, Hadfield and Glenroy. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The council said the mistake was first discovered last year, after it "misinterpreted legislation" in 2013.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-merribek-city-council-to-repay-millions-in-overcharged-parking-fines-after-admitting-to-admin-blunder/aa387ffc-e5f6-4901-8098-5afeaaff674d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We found the error and we're fixing it, it's the right thing to do for the residents and the motorists," City of Merri-Bek mayor Helen Davidson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I want this council to act with integrity and honesty and transparency."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The error is expected to cost the council approximately $12 million if each fine is refunded.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The council will start offering refunds next month, with impacted motorists required to apply for a refund online.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"People who have lost their actual ticket or thrown it out will still be able to access the refund scheme," City of Merri-Bek chief executive Cathy Henderson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is a one-off cost and we are managing financially around this, but there won't be any impact on council services."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The types of fines impacted by overcharging include the following:</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><span>Parking for a period longer than indicated</span></li><li><span>Parked failing to pay &amp; obey instructions on sign</span></li><li><span>Stopping contrary to a No Parking sign</span></li><li><span>Stopping on a bicycle parking area</span></li><li><span>Stopping on a motor bike parking area</span></li><li><span>Parking contrary to requirements of parking area</span></li><li><span>Parking not at an angle of 45 degrees</span></li><li><span>Parking not at an angle of 90 degrees</span></li><li><span>Parking not completely within a parking bay</span></li><li><span>Parking a long vehicle exceeding the minimum number of bays</span></li><li><span>Parking a wide vehicle exceeding the minimum number of bays</span></li></ul></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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