Yahoo Finance Aussie family fined $250 for noisy children
The family was told their children’s “yelling, screaming, crying and door-banging” was disturbing other residents.
A Sydney family has been “pushed to the limit” after they were slapped with a hefty fine for their children’s noise.
Due to the rising cost of living, Marley Evans is currently living in his mum’s unit in Dee Why on Sydney’s northern beaches with his two young kids and dog. Now, he has been dealt another cost-of-living blow.
The Evans family was recently hit with a $250 strata fine and told they had broken a by-law by “continuously making noise of yelling, screaming, crying and door-banging, which is disturbing other residents”.
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"I feel quite, really upset, to be honest. It pushes us to the limit," Marley told A Current Affair.
"Almost just trying to get by every week and having to deal with our neighbours."
His mum, Sacha, was issued the fine as the owner of the property and said if she didn’t pay up, she would be charged interest of 10 per cent per annum.
"Children cry and, you know, this is to be expected and it's not really 100 per cent within her control. You can't force a two-year-old to really stop crying,” Sacha said.
The letter came one month after the family was warned to keep their dog quiet.
‘Blindsided’
Marley said he felt “blindsided” by the fine, particularly since his neighbours had not confronted the family over the children’s noise beforehand.
He said they took the kids - aged two and four - to the local park to minimise the noise.
He also said his four-year-old was experiencing developmental challenges and wasn’t speaking yet, so they didn’t understand they were being too loud.
Sacha has asked her neighbours for “a bit of compassion”, while Marley asked them to give the family “a fair go”.
Sacha has sent several emails to the strata disputing the fine, but was told she would have to pay $210 per hour to continue to discuss the matter. She is hoping to get the fine revoked and an apology.
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