The acclaimed artist Michael Forbes has accused Highland Council of “lacking common sense” in pursuing his 80-year stroke victim father for a parking fine.
Mr Forbes says the penalty was imposed a year after his father stopped driving and more than two years after he sold his car.
The Black Isle-based pop surrealist says the council has adopted a “computer says no” attitude in the case.
Roy Forbes, from Muir of Ord, was issued with a £100 fine in May in relation to a parking offence in Cromarty.
Car had already been sold at time of fine
The penalty was imposed a year after he suffered a stroke, leaving him wheelchair-bound and having speech difficulties.
Michael Forbes says the fine applies to a car that was sold more than a year before his father took ill.
It is thought the new owner has not registered the sale with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Highland Council has rejected his request to drop the penalty, saying he has failed to provide proof of the sale of the vehicle.
A recent letter says if he doesn’t pay, or appeal, the fine, it will be increased to £150.
Michael Forbes, whose work has been exhibited alongside pop artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, counts Terry Gilliam and Ricky Gervais among his celebrity fans.
He has contacted the council on his father’s behalf to try to overturn the fine.
“I thought telling them they obviously are chasing the wrong person would put an end to it.
“But they seem to not want to contact the DVLA and they are not pursuing the new owner.
“They have ticked a box beside Roy’s name and that’s who they will go after.
“They don’t seem to have the common sense to see it’s not him and are continually chasing him.
“It’s a ‘computer says no’ attitude. It’s just ridiculous. Neither of us needs this.”
‘It’s obvious he is not the guilty person’
Mr Forbes said the new buyer assured his father they would handle the change of ownership.
“They obviously did not. My dad should have been more proactive and done it himself.
“But, that said, it’s obvious he is not the person guilty of the act, and that he should be helped to solve this, not threatened with fines, deadlines and possible court.”
Mr Forbes said since his stroke his father has received support from the council.
“It’s frustrating that when one department of the council are fantastic and have been offering great care for Roy, another department are causing him such stress.
“One department is public money well spent when the other is wasting public money on an obvious wild goose chase.”
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “While we cannot comment on individual parking enforcement cases, we can confirm that registering change of ownership of vehicles across Highland is an issue.
“Once sold, it’s the driver’s responsibility to tell the DVLA that the vehicle is sold. Owners must tell DVLA when they’ve sold the vehicle and give them the full name and address of the buyer.
“If they do not do this, any vehicle tax refund they’re owed might be affected, as is also the case for parking enforcement fines.
“Where a vehicle is parked in a Highland Council car park, one of the terms and conditions is that the vehicle must be roadworthy.
“Where a vehicle has no MOT, under parking enforcement code 91 a fine will be issued for a car ‘parked in a car park area or area not designated for that class of vehicle’.”