Summary Proceedings Act 1957, s 78B
You have some limited rights to challenge a fine that results from an infringement notice if there have been problems with the processes used to impose the fine on you. You can apply to a judge to address a procedural problem if:
you in fact paid the infringement fee within four weeks (28 days) after you were given the reminder notice, or
you’re not the person named on the infringement notice, or
you never received a reminder notice, or
you asked for a court hearing to dispute the offence, but you never got a notice of the hearing, or the court never did anything about your request for a hearing, or
you were told by the council, the police or whoever else issued you the infringement notice that no action would be taken, or that further time for a hearing would be allowed, or you wrote to the issuing authority but did not receive a response, or
there was some other problem in the processes leading up to the fine being imposed.
To challenge the fine, you should write to the court or fill in the appropriate form (a 78B form, available from the courts or from the Ministry of Justice website). You will need to make a statutory declaration or provide other evidence to support your application.
Even if your challenge is successful, it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have to pay the fine. For example, if you hadn’t received a reminder notice, the court may simply order the reminder notice to be reissued, so that you then have the chance to dispute the infringement notice with the issuing authority.