Bill McMurray decided to stay an extra night at a free lakeside freedom camping site to keep safe from wild weather - but the local council stung him with a $400 fine and is unmoved by his pleas.
The pensioner has spent nearly 11 years living on the road with his two dogs and said he had never received an infringement before.
But now, McMurray said he is facing "anguish and frustration" over a $400 ticket issued at New Plymouth's Lake Rotomanu, where he reached the maximum three-night stay on February 15.
While the 80-year-old intended to move on, weather records from MetService show high wind affected Taranaki that day, with gusts in New Plymouth reaching up to 100km/h.
Freedom camping is free at the site but limited to a maximum of three nights.
McMurray says he believed navigating the roads in his 3.3 metre-high, 7 metre-long vehicle posed too great a risk.
“At 80, nothing is so important, that it can’t wait until tomorrow,” he said.
McMurray said a gust of wind “violently rocked” his motorhome that day, confirming to him he’d made the right decision.
"I stayed put, figuring the council would understand.”
But the following day, after leaving the campsite, McMurray found a $400 infringement notice under his windscreen wiper.
For the past three and a half months he has been trying to have the fine overturned, arguing he overstayed for safety reasons.
New Plymouth District Council acknowledged the high winds and placed the fine on hold while it investigated.
However, they ultimately decided to uphold it.
"I was an emotional wreck," McMurray said. "The pension is my only income.”
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Figures obtained by 1 News show 359 freedom camping infringements have been issued at Lake Rotomanu since June last year - generating $68,600 in revenue for the council.
New Plymouth District Council transportation operations lead John Eagles said the money helped cover the cost of monitoring freedom camping areas.
"Our stay limits are in place to protect the environment and ensure everyone has the chance to enjoy some of our most popular sites," Eagles said.
Consider individual circumstances
The council said it did not have a specific policy for suspending enforcement during bad weather but would consider individual circumstances.
"If someone can show that they were really unable to move their vehicle when required, we would certainly consider cancelling the infringement notice," Eagles said.
Since June last year, 95 of the 359 infringement notices issued at Lake Rotomanu have been successfully challenged or cancelled.
"We did a detailed review of Mr McMurray's infringement," Eagles said.
He added that McMurray was travelling in a fully self-contained vehicle and could have parked in most legal parking areas throughout the district, apart from 14 locations where freedom camping is prohibited.
"If he was worried about his safety and the security of his vehicle, he might have tried one of the three campgrounds within a half-hour drive."
However, McMurray maintains that driving a large vehicle anywhere in those conditions was unacceptable.
“I made the only decision that made sense and stayed put,” McMurray said.
He said the only way he can afford the fine is by paying it off in $20 instalments from his fortnightly pension.
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