A single dad living in a block of units was left shocked after receiving a fine because his two young sons were too noisy.
Marley Evans was slugged with the $250 fine after strata claimed he broke a by-law because of the noise at the property in Dee Why on Sydney‘s northern beaches.
A letter to Mr Evans, who lives with his mother Sacha, claimed other residents were left disturbed by the children’s continuous yelling and screaming, crying and door banging.
Mr Evans said he frequently took his sons to a nearby park and beach to give their neighbours some peace.
He said his eldest son Jackson, four, has developmental challenges and doesn’t understand the meaning of being ‘quiet’. He is yet to speak, and is more prone to outbursts.
Marley Evans was fined $250 by the strata in Dee Why, Sydney, because his children were too noisy (pictured, the unit)
His other son, Finn, is just two years old.
‘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 told A Current Affair.
Mr Evans said he received no warning from strata before he was issued with the fine, and none of his neighbours confronted him about the noise.
‘I was pretty upset. I would have preferred them to knock on the door, give us a warning and say, “Hey, can you try and keep it down?” but there was none of that. It was just a straight up fine.’
The father and his two sons are living with Sacha to save money.
It’s not the first time Mr Evans has felt targeted by neighbours after he and Sacha were issued with an order to keep their dog quiet just last month.
Now he claims they feel like they’re ‘walking on eggshells’.
As the owner of the unit, Sacha was told she would face a 10 per cent interest fee every year the fine went unpaid.
Shocked by the strata’s lack of compassion, she reached out to try and get the fine revoked but was told it would cost $210 an hour to discuss the matter.
Mr Evans (pictured with one of his sons) said he frequently takes his children to the local park and beach to give neighbours peace
‘Children cry, this is to be expected and it’s not 100 per cent within our control. You can’t force a two-year-old to stop crying,’ she said.
‘I don’t want strata and body corporates to think they can continue doing this and I don’t want other people to be bullied or victimised in the way I feel we have been.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the strata for comment.
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