A Hefty Sentence
Reeta’s Facebook post caused a divided reaction online but the authorities were determined to carry out a successful prosecution. They were each ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, including a legal cost of $1,600, and a $100 victim surcharge, and ordered to restore the garage to its original use.
The authorities used this as a stark warning to others, “The message from this case is clear. If you breach planning regulations and ignore us, we will not just go away.”