Oliver the 'Cash King' was hit with a $97 fine after parking on campus - now he's taking university to court
Oliver Griffiths, 21, has slammed the University of Wollongong (UOW)'s app where students pay for parking - arguing it excludes those who prefer to use cash.
The fourth-year student downloaded the app, CellOPark, but didn't like how it bulk-billed him at the end of the month instead of every time he parked.
The $40 deduction eventually put a restriction on his debit card, so Mr Griffiths stopped using the app and placed a handwritten note on his car instead.
He wrote that he was happy to pay for parking - as long as it was with cash.
Despite his efforts, he was slapped with a $97 fine.
Mr Griffiths now plans to fight the fine in local court and has started a GoFundMe to raise funds for his legal fees - which has so far raised $500 of its $5,000 goal.
'I am doing this out of principle - that cash is fundamental to the economic and personal freedom of Australians, it is our LEGAL TENDER and should not be refused for essential services, and that banks should not have the excessive control over our lives as they currently do,' he wrote on the fundraiser.
Mr Griffiths wrote on the GoFundMe he didn't have the money or legal backing to take his case to court so was relying on his own research and preparation.
'My name is Oliver and I am a fourth year law student at the University of Wollongong. On campus, like most universities, we have paid-parking,' he wrote.
'Raises over $3million from students per year. Around the start of second semester last year, UOW implemented 'cashless parking'.
'They require us to use an app called CelloPark which takes our car's registration details and bulk bills our parking fees. A few times, I have been short on 'digital cash' due to bills, textbooks and other payments - but I have always had cash.
'Since I discovered this change, I have always left a note on my windscreen offering to pay for my parking in cash and providing my contact details.
'I was issued a fine for the first time recently. I have until May 20 to take my claim to court, and I suspect my case will have grounds for appeal.'
A spokesperson for the university said CellOPark app was good for students as they only had to pay parking for the time they were there.
'However, UOW still retains parking ticket machines that accept cash, including at each of the four major casual car parks on the Wollongong Campus,' they said.
'There are also card-only machines, which provide another alternative to CellOPark.'
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