25+ Expensive Fines Received for the Most Absurd Reasons

Year: 2014
Location: Portsmouth, England
Fine: $103*

Everyone has their own ideas of where the line is between humorous and inappropriate. In the summer of 2014, Anthony Stallard crossed that line. First, he and one of his mates thought it would be a good idea to play some soccer in the cemetery. If that wasn’t enough, with mourners close enough to hear and see him, Stallard began waving his arms around and making ghost noises. His actions were enough to give his friend a laugh, the mourners some distress, and himself an unpleasant fine.

Man Fined for Pretending to Be a Ghost ©Raggedstone / Shutterstock.com

Aside from the initial fine of 35 pounds, Anthony Stallard had to pay 20 pounds in court fees as well as an additional 20 pounds in victim payments. All up, Stallard ended up paying 75 pounds ($103 USD) in fines and had 3 months added on to his already existing 1-year suspended sentence. Hopefully, Stallard has learned his lesson and understands that ghosts are strictly for Halloween and haunted houses.

Year: 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Fine: $588.88*

On a busy Melbourne highway in 2010, Michael Wiles was photographed wearing a barbecue while riding his motorcycle. That’s right, wearing a barbecue. Wiles had found the barbecue earlier in the day and, without any other options for transporting it, slipped his body through the appliance’s wooden frame and watched the road through the metal grill while cruising along the highway at 45mph.

Motorcyclist Fined For Wearing a Barbecue While Driving ©Anna Om / Shutterstock.com

In his defense, Michael Wiles blamed the fact that he was poverty-stricken at the time and was using a “lack of thought processes”. It’s safe to say the courts didn’t see that as an excuse to endanger other commuters who would have been on the highway at the time. Due to his reckless behavior, Wiles was subsequently fined $588.88 and had his license suspended for a month. He went through all this trouble for a barbecue that “was a dud and did not work”.

Year: 1991
Location: Sweden
Fine: $680*

In Sweden, if “for some obvious reason” a name is “not suitable as a first name”, the courts are able to reject the usage of the given name. Anyone who thinks that this is a ridiculous law wouldn’t be alone. In 1991, in protest of the law, Lasse Diding and Elisabeth Hallin decided to take things into their own hands — at the expense of their newborn son’s first name. The Swedish courts rejected the first few choices the couple had made for their son’s name and fined them 5,000 kronor ($680 in 1991).

Couple Gets Fined For Bad Baby Name ©ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com

If they would have been allowed to stick with the initial name they had come up with for their son, it would have been pronounced “Albin”, however, it would have been spelled a little differently. The 43-character “Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116”, was said to have been a “pregnant, expressionistic development” that the couple saw as “an artistic creation”. I see it as one heck of a name for a 6-year-old Albin to try and write on his school work. Eventually, the couple settled on the name “Albin Hallin”, spelled “Albin Hallin”, and that’s probably for the best.

Year: 2021
Location: Quebec, Canada
Fine: $1,195.65*

During the latest set of restrictions to hit Canada the people of Quebec were restricted to their own homes, except in the case of needing essential items, or when taking their pets for a walk. A French-Canadian couple thought this was rather unfair as they didn’t have a walkable pet at home, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. With a lot of creativity, and what can only be assumed was the most important “rock, paper, scissors” match of their lives, the two found a solution.

Paris Fined for Appointing ‘too Many Women’ in Senior Positions ©4 PM production / Shutterstock.com

Either this couple from Quebec thought they would be able to sidestep the restrictions set out by the Quebec government through a bit of brilliant trickery, or they thought maybe they’d, at least, get a laugh out of the local police, but not a fine of $1500 each ($1,195.65USD). After all, it’s probably not every day that the officers see a woman going for a walk with a leash attached to their husband. Although, it is Quebec…

Year: 2010
Location: Georgia, U.S.A.
Fine: $5,200*

In theory, Steve Miller of Clarkston, Georgia, is the ideal neighbor and friend. He’s friendly, caring, and grows his own vegetables, which he either gives to friends or sells at the local farmer’s market. It had been 15 years since Miller had begun to grow his organic garden, but finally, the proper authorities had become wise to the activities of this criminal mastermind and they were ready to make him pay.

Georgia Man Fined For Growing Too Many Vegetables ©HQuality / Shutterstock.com

In the zone of Dekalb County, where Miller resides, having a garden of the size that Steve Miller did was illegal. As a result, he was slapped with a $5,200 fine. A fine of which he refused to pay. Instead, following a lengthy legal battle he had his home rezoned in order to allow him to grow the cabbage and legumes, that he had become so fond of growing for the community. “Cabbagegate” did not end there, however, as the county was still hoping to enforce the initial fine, which Miller had no intention of paying.

Year: Since 2004
Location: California, U.S.A.
Fine: $1,000*

If there is one day of the year when hooligans can run wild and shenaniginary reigns supreme, it’s the spookiest day of the year, Halloween. In Hollywood, California, although waving one’s arms around and making ghost noises might be acceptable Halloween behavior, using Silly String most certainly is not. In fact, fines of $1,000 are given out to anyone who is silly enough to use or possess a can of this string.

Silly String Use Can Lead to $1K Fine in Hollywood ©Olga Donchuk / Shutterstock.com

In 2004, a law was passed that effectively made the use or possession of Silly String illegal in Hollywood from midnight on October 31st until twelve noon on November 1st. On no other day of the year is this a finable offense, however, due to the slipping hazard that the decorative substance poses, and the weapon that it can have the potential to be, Halloween in Hollywood isn’t quite as silly as elsewhere in the world.

Year: 2008
Location: Minnesota, U.S.A.
Fine: $1,650*

A luxury motorized chair with cup holders as well as somewhere to store snacks and drinks is every couch potato’s dream. By combining a recliner and a lawnmower, Dennis Anderson created something of which Al Bundy and Homer Simpson would be envious. On one fateful day in 2008, however, Anderson made the mistake of driving his creation home after a trip to the local pub.

Couch Potato Fined After Motorised Armchair Crash @toptenz / Pinterest.com

Anderson’s blood-alcohol level was in excess of three times the legal limit when his motorized racing chair smashed into a parked car. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and although the 62-year-old claimed that the accident only occurred as a result of a woman jumping onto his chair, his intoxication level could not be ignored, and the police slapped him with a $1,650 fine. Anderson pled guilty, paid his fine, and sadly, auctioned his masterpiece off on eBay.

Year: 2020
Location: Vienna, Austria
Fine: $589.90*

In June of 2020, police officers in Austria fined a man for an offense that, I’m almost certain, they never expected to have encountered. The officers fined an unidentified man in Vienna 500 pounds ($589.90 USD) because he had “offended public decency” by “farting provocatively” at them. The man challenged the charge by arguing that he was being fined for something that was nothing more than a “biological process”. 

"Austrian Man Fined For 'Provocatively Farting At Police'" ©Tutatamafilm / Shutterstock.com

The unidentified man claimed that, even if his actions were intentional, the right that Austrians have in regard to freedom of expression should get him off the hook. The judge ruled that what had occurred was a “form of expression that transcends the boundaries of decency”, and the charges remained. However, the Austrian’s fine was reduced to 100 euro ($118 USD).

Year: 2019
Location: Florida, U.S.A.
Fine: $30,000*

One would think that by owning their own home they would have the freedom to landscape their property in whatever way they see fit. That includes doing no landscaping at all by letting the grass on the lawn grow taller than “normal”. Unfortunately, different cities have different rules, and oddly enough, some of these rules include mowing the lawn and keeping up the appearance of the neighborhood.

Florida Man Fined 30k for Not Mowing His Lawn ©Tippman98x / Shutterstock.com

In 2018, when Jim Ficken was out of town, the city of Dunedin, Florida, fined him for the height of the grass on his front lawn. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Not as ridiculous as the $30,000 price tag on the fine. Ficken’s attorney has said that the “ruling is wrong on the law, and we will be appealing” and that, “If $30,000 for tall grass in Florida is not excessive, it is hard to imagine what is.” Now, rules are rules, however, a fine of two-thirds of the average American’s yearly salary is a little over the top.

Year: 2018
Location: Paris, France
Fine: $105,941.70*

In 2013, in an attempt to create more leadership opportunities for women, the “Sauvadet Law” was introduced that was to enforce the representation of, at least, 40% for both men and women in leadership positions. In 2018, Paris was fined the equivalence of $105,941.70 for violating this law of equality, but not for the reason that the law was created.

Paris Fined for Appointing ‘too Many Women’ in Senior Positions ©sylv1rob1 / Shutterstock.com

There was no shortage of women in leadership positions in Paris in 2018. On the contrary, the initial law was so effective in creating opportunities for women in Paris, that 69% of the leadership appointments had gone to women — 11 women to just 5 men. Paris’ mayor Anna Hidalgo responded by saying that she was “happy to announce that we have been fined”. The law has since been amended, and no longer calls for a fine to be imposed. The 2018 fine does need to be paid, however, because it was handed out prior to the amendment.

Year: 2020
Location: Italy
Fine: $430*

The spring of 2020 was a tough time for most people around the world. With restrictions in place that kept people from leaving their homes, people started adopting dogs just so they would have an excuse to see the outside world for a few minutes every day. However, not everybody was ready for the responsibility of a dog. 

Italian Woman Fined for Taking Her Turtle for a Walk ©Lenar Musin / Shutterstock.com

In April of 2020, a 60-year-old Italian woman was fined $430 because the police found her reason for breaking quarantine to be unacceptable. Her reason — she needed to take her pet turtle for a walk. I don’t doubt that some turtles would enjoy a nice walk outside, however, it is quite unlikely that the turtle would need to go further than the front garden.

Year: 2008
Location: Ohio, U.S.A.
Fine: $7,500*

Whether they like it or not, professional athletes are ambassadors of their sport and role models to millions of people all over the world, and thus held to a higher standard than most other people. There is no excuse for a grown man who makes millions of dollars a year to act like a spoiled child. During a 2008 matchup between NFL division rivals, the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Steelers’ linebacker James Farrior couldn’t stop himself from flipping off Browns fans while making it known that he would not be repenting for his actions. 

James Farrior @JamesFarrior/Twitter.com

The subsequent $7,500 fine that he incurred was a breath of fresh air for Farrior as he “thought it was going to be more.” It’s not very often that we come across someone who’s relieved to be fined $7,500 for offending people who pay their hard-earned money to attend these games. I wonder if Farrior would have been more grateful for the fans if he had still been in the league during the fan-less games of 2020.

Year: 2010
Location: New York, U.S.A. 
Fine: $300,000*

Everyone knows that George Washington was the 1st president of the United States, however, what many people don’t know is that he was also (wait for it) a book thief! In 1789, President Washington set things in motion for what would end up being the largest library fine in the storied history of the New York state library system.

George Washington Fined $300,000 Unpaid Library Fines ©wikipedia / wikipedia.com

After 221 years, and totally approximately $300,000 in fines, in 2010, the book on international affairs that George Washington borrowed from a New York library, during his first year in office, was replaced. Albeit, it wasn’t the exact copy the former president had borrowed, but it was the same edition. This fine is one that will most likely remain unpaid.

Year: 2010
Location: Prestwick, Scotland
Fine: $82*

While caught in a traffic jam, Michael Mancini, a furniture restorer from Prestwick, Scotland, was signaled by Police Constable, Stuart Gray to pull off the road. He was about to be given a ticket by a man who has been dubbed “Shiny Buttons” by the locals for his astute attention to detail. The ticket was not for speeding, a broken tail light, or even out-of-date registration, but for blowing his nose.

Driver Fined For Blowing His Nose ©Estrada Anto / Shutterstocok.com

Michael Mancini was fined 60 pounds ($82 USD) and had 3 points deducted from his driver’s license for “not being in control of his vehicle”, even though he had claimed to have put his vehicle into neutral and engaged the parking brake. After refusing to pay the fine, the charge was eventually thrown out by the prosecutors. Although Mancini did have to pay legal fees that were in excess of the amount of the fine itself, he was determined to fight the charge because he knew he had “did nothing wrong”.