Recently, a couple found themselves facing a hefty fine of over $1,500 after they took it upon themselves to clean up a street littered with rubbish.
Veronika Mike, 41, and Zoltan Pinter, 46, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, simply wanted to improve their neighborhood by removing the unsightly waste that had accumulated over the years.
The couple decided to clean up the street littered with rubbish.
The couple had been dealing with an ongoing issue of people dumping rubbish next to bins in their area, leading to infestations of rats, cats, and seagulls.
“I’m actually afraid to walk past it in the street because I’ve seen a lot of rats and what looks like stray cats,” she said.
Ms. Mike noticed people dumping trash around the bins on their street. She said the waste wouldn’t get collected and attracted animals.
Mr. Pinter gathered the litter into a box with his name on it on April 29 after seeing it blow around. He couldn’t use the full bins and left the box nearby, hoping it would be picked up.
Frustrated by the lack of action taken by local authorities to address the problem, Veronika and Zoltan decided to take matters into their own hands.
They gathered the litter strewn across the street and placed it neatly into a cardboard box.
To ensure accountability and perhaps send a message to the culprits, they even wrote their names on the box.
However, they didn’t know that their well-intentioned act of community service would result in such severe consequences.
The couple was suddenly informed about a fine of $1,5K
Shortly after their cleanup efforts, the couple received a fixed penalty notice for illegal dumping, accompanied by a fine of $762 each.
In a letter dated May 8, the council said they didn’t properly dispose of household waste.
To their astonishment, even though Veronika’s name was not on the box, she was still held liable for the offense.
In an attempt to rectify the situation, they gathered support from their neighbors and submitted a letter to the council explaining their innocence and requesting a reconsideration of the fine.
Unfortunately, their plea fell on deaf ears as the council refused to rescind the $1,500 fine.
They vowed to never clean their street again
Now, Veronika and Zoltan are left with no choice but to pay the penalty through monthly installments.
Feeling disappointed by authorities’ handling, they have vowed never to clean their street again, even if the rubbish problem persists.
Veronika expressed her disappointment, stating, “We just wanted to clean our street, and that’s the thanks we get from the council. At first, I was very angry, and I cried.”
Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, the cabinet member for city pride, enforcement, and sustainability, emphasized that fly-tipping is indeed an offense and warned that all perpetrators would face penalties.
