As members of the Seniors Discount Club, we know how important it is to save money wherever possible. Avoiding unexpected costs—especially hefty ones—is crucial to maintaining a stable budget and enjoying a peaceful retirement.

That's why we want to share a tale about pet ownership and the easily forgotten detail that landed one woman with a whopping $348 fine.

Despite Jo Marshall's consistent registration of her dog, Rose, she found herself facing a substantial fine for neglecting to inform a previous council about her relocation. Image by Julia from Pexels

Meet Jo Marshall, a single mother who recently moved from Queensland to New South Wales in 2020, along with her nine-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rose.

Rose has been faithfully registered with the local council in NSW since the move, but last month, Jo found herself slapped with a nasty fine in the mail.

Why? She hadn't cancelled Rose's registration in Queensland.

Jo, who relocated to Noosa in 2018 following a painful divorce, struggled to juggle her responsibilities as a single parent and pet owner. Unbeknownst to her, a debt had accrued because she didn't cancel Rose's registration in Queensland.

Over two years, Jo received digital notices from the Sunshine Coast Council. They informed her that she needed to renew her dog registration. As Jo no longer lived there, she assumed those notices didn't apply to her and deleted them.

The consequences of not updating her address became clear when the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) issued an overdue debt notice. It demanded payment of $348 within two weeks, threatening to suspend her driver's licence if she didn't pay up.

As many can relate, the cost of living can be overwhelming, and Jo was no exception.

Managing week-to-week, she had no option but to pay the fine. Losing her licence would mean making insurance claims impossible and not being able to drive her daughter to school—a 1000-kilometre weekly commute.

When Jo failed to update her address, she received an overdue debt notice from the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) demanding $348 within two weeks, with a threat to suspend her driver's license. Image by Julia from Pexels

In an attempt to dispute the fine, Jo cited the reasons for her relocation and highlighted the confusion around the registration process.

'They should be more transparent.' she posted on social media. But ultimately, the fine print was on the council's side.

This tale serves as a reminder for pet owners to ensure they've covered all bases when moving. Jo isn't the only one caught out by this easily overlooked detail.

Other former locals have experienced similar situations, struggling to reverse fines and facing the threat of their driver's licences being cancelled.

Evidently, this issue isn't isolated. Many pet owners assume that registering their pets with a new council automatically cancels their registration with the original council. However, this is far from the truth.

Key Takeaways

• A pet owner and single mother in NSW received an unexpected fine in the mail for not cancelling her pet's registration when she moved from Queensland.
• The fine amounted to $348, and the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) threatened to suspend her driver's licence if she did not pay within two weeks.
• The pet owner tried to dispute the fine but was unsuccessful due to the 'fine print' and was ultimately forced to arrange a payment plan for the sum owed.
• Many other pet owners have faced similar issues, with some commenting on social media about their experiences and urging others to cancel their pet registrations when moving.

To prevent such situations, it’s essential to stay informed and be aware of local regulations surrounding pet ownership.

The Sunshine Coast Council website states that failing to renew registration for a cat or dog may result in on-the-spot fines. However, it doesn't clearly state the consequences of not updating changes of address.

The key takeaway is to be proactive and vigilant! Ensure you've ticked all the boxes when it comes to pet registration and address changes. Taking the necessary precautions can save you an unexpected fine that could seriously impact your budget.

So, have you taken the necessary steps to ensure your pet's registration and address changes are up-to-date?

 

[MotherGoose]

This is NOT on the council (no matter whether you think it is a money-making exercise or not) but is fairly and squarely on the dog owner. Frankly claiming to be 'divorced, single mother, can't afford a fine ' etc etc etc are just reasons not to have the dog in the first place. She admits to receiving the notifications and ignoring them. That's on her. A single phone call after the first notification would have solved the issue. Did she learn nothing from the tribulations of COVID that QLD is for Queenslanders and will never co-operate with other states least of all NSW! Pay the fine, learn the lesson and move on with or without a dog.

And to all those of you proudly announcing you have never registered your dog, get over yourselves. It is the law in all states so you better just hope that you don't get found out. And BTW it is surprisingly easy to find out.

"BTW it is surprisingly easy to find out". Yes, I have heard (but I don't know if it is true) that some councils are utilising drones to check for things like unregistered dogs and spas, sheds and patios that have been erected without permits.

 

[Thecheesequeen]

Whenever our registered animals died we didn’t inform the council, just didn’t renew the registration. Nothing ever happened, no reminder, no fine.

 

[Jan Purcell]

greed as usual, and whats it to do with her driving license, they will do any thing to get more money out of you. Jan Purcell

 

[Aussie all the Way]

Well, how stupid was she to not tell them on the FIRST Notice that she had moved and the dog was being registered in another State. Would have taken all of 1 minute to tell them and she wouldn't have the fine Lazy doesn't payoff.

rhondda@benji what did I say that made you angry?

 

[MotherGoose]

greed as usual, and whats it to do with her driving license, they will do any thing to get more money out of you. Jan Purcell

It doesn't matter what the fine is for, whether for parking, unregistered dogs or whatever - councils turn over unpaid fines to their state's equivalent of the Fines Enforcement Registry, which is a function of the Magistrates' Court, and one of the penalties for noncompliance is that it will affect your driver's license and/or car registration, even if the fine is not vehicle-related.

 

[Linwar]

I live in this jurisdiction and I must say SCC are the worst local council I have ever come across. Self serving ……

Before Jamieson became Mayor ,all ratepayers got a discount of 10% if paid before the due date, Jamieson droped it to 2%, You cant tell me he isnt being paid under the counter for some of the rezoning he has done and allowing high rise without the right number of car spaces per unit, and the white elephant car park hirise he built charging $5 an hour to park at Mooloolaba.....most of the shops are empty now because tourists go to Cotton Tree and Maroochydore where there are no parking fees..... I could go on and on.

 

[SGH]

Money raising all this is, the revenue enforcement agency cannot chase for registration once it was paid in NSW. She need only show a receipt, government are not entitled to look into every bit of your life. What if her EX was an abuser and worked for the council. Should she have told the council, I'm sorry I'm now living in such place with my dog, please cancel my registration.
The last time we were living in NSW our dog was registered for life in the entire state. No council crap, I was ecstatic because we were being moved due to my husband's employment and trying to keep up with all of the petty changes you have to do get out of hand. So I understand why people don't tell where they are leaving things have changed.
I changed electorates and received a fine from the NT for not voting at a council election, I filled in the the paperwork and told them as I had moved states two months previously and notified the electoral roll at the time I should have been ineligible to vote in that state. Never heard any more from them.

 

[MariaG]

Just a couple of comments...
(1) registration of dogs is legally required in all states of Australia so it is a bit risky to not register your dog;
(2) registration of cats is required in all states except Tasmania.
(3) When you move, whether interstate or just to the next local government area, you can usually transfer your registration. In WA, there is no additional fee for this.

REGISTERING YOUR PET - STATE BY STATE BREAKDOWN​

Registering your pet - Our state by state breakdown - My Pet Warehouse

Here’s what you need to know about your state’s pet registration and microchip laws.

www.mypetwarehouse.com.au

I still have to ask why.
I know rules are rules, but why are they there?
I believe it is every owners responsibility to microchip and desex. It is important to keep chip details up to date in case of an animal being lost. Also, no renewals for chips.
This reminds me of the years of death duty. We had to pay for the right to die. Took years to get rid of that stupid legislation. For some folk, a little dog is their lifeline. So, we are supposed to pay for the right to have love and comfort in our world.
The more I think about it, the more I have to question such a legislation. Common sense should prevail and councils mind their real business the way it should be.

 

[MotherGoose]

I still have to ask why.
I know rules are rules, but why are they there?
I believe it is every owners responsibility to microchip and desex. It is important to keep chip details up to date in case of an animal being lost. Also, no renewals for chips.
This reminds me of the years of death duty. We had to pay for the right to die. Took years to get rid of that stupid legislation. For some folk, a little dog is their lifeline. So, we are supposed to pay for the right to have love and comfort in our world.
The more I think about it, the more I have to question such a legislation. Common sense should prevail and councils mind their real business the way it should be.

Allegedly, "the fees you pay for pet registration isn’t just to ensure that your pet is kept safe in the community, it also goes towards funding the local government staff who patrol and audit Domestic Animal Businesses like pet shops, shelters, catteries and kennels. This also includes the upkeep of dog parks, the services of animal management staff and on some occasions, it pays for educational animal seminars and domestic pet leaflets made available to the public".

 

[SGH]

I still have to ask why.
I know rules are rules, but why are they there?
I believe it is every owners responsibility to microchip and desex. It is important to keep chip details up to date in case of an animal being lost. Also, no renewals for chips.
This reminds me of the years of death duty. We had to pay for the right to die. Took years to get rid of that stupid legislation. For some folk, a little dog is their lifeline. So, we are supposed to pay for the right to have love and comfort in our world.
The more I think about it, the more I have to question such a legislation. Common sense should prevail and councils mind their real business the way it should be.

We spent over $20,000 keeping our puppy alive. He was 3 and 1/2 years of age when he passed, was I thinking I should contact the council, hell no. I was thinking, all my dogs live till they are 16 - 17 years of age what is happening here. What is wrong with my beautiful puppy who will never reach maturity, he was the kindest most sensitive dog that I have ever met. He could take a crying child to a smile in an instant just by being there. His whole life seemed to be the joy of others. And he was taken away from us.
You know what, I am tired of all this state crap, just do national licencing. What's the problem, are local and state government going to loose to much revenue

 

[Ezzy]

I live in W.A. & have always notified our City Council when one of our registered dogs has died, thereby cancelling further notifications from them.

How does a Queensland Authority have the power to cancel a person's drivers licence if they live in another state, in this case NSW? Isn't this out of their jurisdiction?

The fact this notification had to be sent to another state should have made it quite clear that she no longer needed to have her dog registered both in that council & state.

Who raised the initial complaint about unpaid registration? Was it her city council who would have been aware she no longer lived there if she owned & sold the property? Renting would have been different.

So she overlooked the fact the council should have been notified & should have answered the first message, but in her situation this is of no surprise. The authority threatening her as they did is disgusting.

l believe she should have sought legal advice before paying the fine given she had two weeks.

 

[MotherGoose]

Australia’s road and traffic authorities are independently run by each state and territory. However, the systems are all interconnected so a licence suspension in any state applies throughout Australia. So the NSW Authority would be notified by the QLD Authority of the licence suspension and it would apply in that state as well.