Two coffees ended up costing one Bay of Plenty painter more than $100, and he is not alone.

Painter Pete Wise, who bought two coffees from BeanNGone, a drive-thru coffee cart in Tauriko near Tauranga, was left stunned when he got a $96 parking fine for the short time his van was on the gravel getting coffee.

“I know coffee’s got more expensive, but not that much,” says Pete Wise.

Wise replied to the email, which had no name or phone number to dispute the charge.

He got a reply saying:

“The vehicle was on Bean n Gone private property car park area without their consent, this area is reserved for their business use 24/7.”

Wise was astonished.

”I never even got out of my van.”

A camera has been installed at a coffee cart, and Tauranga locals are shocked at getting hundreds of dollars in parking fines. Photo supplied/Stuff.

He’s not alone. A number of Tauranga people have been receiving these letters, and have been unsure why – with some mounting to hundreds of dollars as penalties of $75 each week are added to the original $96.

Tauranga Tasting Tours owners Lyn and Paul Marston were also perplexed to receive a fine.

“We were taking people from a cruise ship to Waitomo, but a girl from the Lakes wanted to join, so we arranged to meet her at Gull station.

“When our driver pulled in, the station was busy with lots of cars at the pumps, so he moved the van out of the way to the open space. Anyone would think it was part of the petrol station,” the couple says.

When they queried the bill via Parking Services email, they were told they must pay.

Tauranga mum Tracey (whose surname Stuff agreed to withhold for her son’s privacy) pulled into Gull to meet her father who had been looking after her son when he’d become severely ill.

“I didn’t turn off the engine.

“In the photos that came with the fine, my arm is sticking out of the car.

“I was well away from the coffee cart, not obstructing anyone.

“I was told it is still parking.

“I sent a definition of parking as ‘the action of bringing a vehicle that one is driving to a halt, and leaving it temporarily, typically in a car park or by the side of the road.’”

The signs were small and difficult to see, she says.

“The back of the signs face the entrance, and one sign appears to be in the Gull area.

“I hold a disability parking permit, so didn’t need to park there.

“As soon as my father arrived with my son, we left.

“The coffee cart says it does a walk-up service to the car, but no one approached.”

She received a reply that she had to pay the fine on time, or penalties would be added, and the courts were mentioned.

The signs for parking are difficult to see. Photo supplied/ Stuff.

The land is next door to Gull service station, and is owned by Gull.

Gull lease it to the coffee cart BeanNGone, a Gull spokesperson confirmed.

It was only when Stuff inquired about the parking fines that Gull found out about the issue, he says.

“We have now spoken to BeanNGone, who lease the land from us, and have learned that they had contracted a private parking company which has installed cameras and put up signs.

“We advised them that we had not been informed of this activity, and it is not mentioned in the original lease agreement,” says the spokesperson.

The Auckland-based owner of BeanNGone, Steve Wood, told Stuff that he’d originally contracted Parking Services Ltd, because he was having issues on the land with people parking in front of the truck, or stopping to urinate.

“It seemed easier to hand it over to a local company.

“It’s not like I benefit from the fines.

“It’s become a headache and taking up my time as people keep contacting me.”

Tauranga tasting tours stopped to pick someone up at Gull but the petrol station was busy, so they waited behind. Photo supplied.

He told Stuff Gull had contacted him, and they didn’t want the signs, cameras or parking business operating on their land.

Wood was going to remove them.

Owner of Parking Services, Jake Thomas, says he didn’t believe people’s reasons.

“They’re all liars.

“Give someone a parking ticket, and they will come up with no end of excuses.”

Stuff saw photo evidence that Tracey did not leave the car, as well as medical evidence that her son had visited a doctor with severe tonsillitis which that day had been obstructing his breathing.

Thomas had not asked for any such evidence.

The day Stuff visited the site, the signs were hard to find – you would have to get out of your car to read.

One is behind a pile of pallets, so it is unclear what they refer to.

“If they can’t read signs they shouldn’t be driving a car,” says Thomas.

A camera has been installed at a coffee cart.Photo supplied/ Stuff.

Stuff relayed to Thomas the definition of parking, which involved leaving the vehicle or switching off the engine.

He disagreed.

“You must be stupid if you don’t know how parking works, if you put your wheels on private property, doesn’t matter how long or if you keep the engine on, you’re going to be fined.

I have a business to run, and I'm here to make money.”

A worker from the garage next door to the land told Stuff that he got a fine for simply driving over the gravel, and had spoken to a distressed woman who had come regularly to get coffees, not realising there was any issue, and now had a bill of more than $700 in fines.

Law firm director Joanna Pidgeon parking terms must be clearly displayed.Photo supplied/ Jason Dorday/ Stuff.

Lawyer Joanna Pidgeon, who specialises in property and business law, says landowners and tenants have the right to take action such as ticketing vehicles when you park on their land as this is trespassing, but the parking terms must be clearly displayed.

“Signs should clearly state what the rules are, including time limits, fees and action that will be taken for breaking the terms. The charges also need to be reasonable – if they exceed the cost to the landowner, tenant and the parking enforcer, they will be unreasonable,” she says.

“If the writing is too small or not clearly relating to the area in question, this may impact on the ability to charge a fine.

For example, if the vehicle was only there for three minutes while getting a coffee, is the amount of the fine reasonable?

“If the amount is unreasonable, you can try to negotiate a lesser amount. If they won’t agree you can complain to the Disputes Tribunal which will only cost $45, and to the Commerce Commission,” she says.

The land where the coffee cart sits, is next to the Gull service station in Tauriko Tauranga. Gull own the land and lease it to the coffee cart, but Gull had no idea the parking business was operating until Stuff asked. Photo supplied/ Stuff.

Tracey was so stressed about the fine and court threats, but was relieved to hear Gull was getting involved.

Wise is still waiting for a call back about why he was fined $96 for getting two coffees.

“Don’t they want any customers? I am a painter, not a coffee business, but it seems odd to fine your own customers. Hell no, I’m not going to pay, it’s a racket.”

Annemarie Quill/Stuff