“Not Written in Law”: Parking Fine Battle Reaches Supreme Court

A stubborn four-year legal battle over a parking ticket of 200 shekels, which David Mizrahi received from the Rosh HaAyin municipality, has reached the Supreme Court. The dispute began when Mizrahi received the ticket while unloading goods from his vehicle, and the inspector on the scene claimed that he should have placed a sign indicating the activity. Mizrahi, on the other hand, argues that there is no legal basis for this requirement.

“There is no possibility in the law for an inspector to issue a ticket because there is no sign saying 'inspector, I am unloading goods',” explains Mizrahi in an interview with “HaOlam HaBoker” (“The World This Morning”), adding that the authority's demand to present receipts is also not anchored in law: “The authority cannot force a citizen to present a receipt for loading and unloading, it is not written in the law.”

The stubborn struggle of Mizrahi, a pensioner and former police officer, went through the Magistrate's Court and the District Court, and now he is requesting a hearing in the Supreme Court. When asked about the time and resources he invested in the fight over such a negligible amount, he clarifies that his motive is not economic but principled.

“The moment you apply a Western rationale of cost versus benefit, there is no cost versus benefit here. The cost versus benefit is to bring about change,” explains Mizrahi.

His goal is to create a precedent-setting ruling that will bind all lower courts and prevent authorities, according to him, from exploiting innocent citizens. “They are 'schnorring' from citizens,” he said.

In response, the Rosh HaAyin municipality stated:

“The Rosh HaAyin municipality enforces parking laws in accordance with the law and equality for all residents and visitors to the city. The case in question was examined by the municipal prosecution, the Magistrate's Court, the District Court, and even the Supreme Court, and it was found that the municipality acted according to the law. If there is a pending legal proceeding, the municipality is not aware of it, and in any case, the municipality will respect any judicial decision that is rendered.”