Keeping personal and communal spaces tidy is a talent not everyone possesses, but for a couple in the UK, their efforts to clean their surroundings led to unexpected trouble. Veronika Mike and Zoltan Pinter, residents of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, were fined £1,200 (approximately ₹1.3 lakh) for tidying up their street.
They reported that the area outside their home was littered with garbage due to residents leaving waste outside the bins, which attracted rodents and stray cats. In an effort to clean up, the couple collected the rubbish in a cardboard box. Instead of receiving gratitude, they were issued a fixed penalty notice by the authorities. To their surprise, while the box bore only Zoltan’s name, Veronika was also named as an offender.
The couple sent a letter to the council, signed by their neighbors, requesting the authorities to reconsider their decision. The letter argued that Zoltan, a mechanic and freelance videographer, and Veronika should not be held responsible. However, the fine was not rescinded, and the couple is paying the amount in monthly installments. They have also set up a GoFundMe account to recover some of the financial losses.
The couple has stated that they will never think of cleaning the street again, “even if the rats come.” Veronika said, “We just wanted to clean our street and that’s the thanks we get from the council. At first I was very angry and I cried.”