Featured Image Credit: 9News
Topics: Australia, Money, Crime, Cost of Living, Parenting
Ella Scott
A family has been fined after children were reportedly ‘screaming’ and ‘disturbing other residents’ in the area.
The Evans family, who live in the costal suburb of Dee Why in Sydney, New South Wales, have been issued a letter that claims they breached a by-law.
Strata and property management company, Fresh Strata, ordered the family to pay ‘$250 AUD (£130) for noise disturbance related to children crying’.
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The owners corporation also claimed the Evans’ were 'continuously making noise of yelling, screaming, crying and door banging which is disturbing other residents'.
The fine stipulates that if a payment is not received within the allotted time, it will continue to accrue interest of ‘10 percent per annum’.
Speaking to A Current Affair, father Marley Evans said: "I feel quite, really upset, to be honest. It pushes us to the limit.
“Almost just trying to get by every week and having to deal with our neighbours.”
Due to the cost of living crisis, he and his children, Jackson, four, and Finn, two, live with Marley's mother, Sacha.
“We love living down here,” Marley said. “There's a local park, and it's just a walk away from the beach, and it's really handy.”
However, as Marley’s mum owns the apartment in Sydney, she is the one who has been ordered to pay the fine.
Speaking about the alleged disturbance, Sacha herself said: “Children cry and, you know, this is to be expected and it's not really 100 percent within her control. You can't force a two-year-old to really stop crying.”
She also said that she wished her neighbours could show a ‘bit of compassion’ for her family and that she wants the company to revoke the fine.
“I don't want Stratas and body corporates to think that they can continue doing this and I don't want other people to be what I see bullied or victimised in the way that I feel that we have been.”
With neighbours’ concerns being related to his son’s crying, Marley told the outlet that the two-year-old is experiencing ‘developmental challenges’ and has received a non-verbal diagnosis
“They don't know what's going on just yet so they don't know what they're doing if they're being too loud,” he said.
Marley also claimed that to minimise noise in the apartment, he takes the kids to the park.
Discussing the moment he realised his neighbours had complained about him, the Aussie dad said: "I was pretty upset. I would have preferred them to knock on the door, give us a warning and say 'Hey, look, can you try and keep it down?’ but there was none of that. It was just a straight-up fine.”
After being asked if he felt like the family was now ‘walking on eggshells’, Marley said: “Yes, definitely walking on eggshells. It's quite annoying to be honest to live here and to put up with all of this.”
As per A Current Affair, Fresh Strata said that the owners corporation has followed the law by serving the Evans family the fine.
Tyla has contacted Fresh Strata for comment.