FIGHTING BACK: The Automobile Association says it will take councils, parking companies and clampers to court over ridiculous fines.

The Automobile Association has put councils, parking companies and clampers on notice: stop issuing frivolous fines or it will start taking them to court.

The association, which has 1.35 million members, says it is prepared to start fighting court battles on their behalf, and take on the associated costs, if it feels members have been unjustly ticketed.

It has already drawn a line in the sand with the Wellington City Council - and won - over a $15 ticket given to Lower Hutt man Johan Olivier, who was fined for exceeding the two-hour limit in an Oriental Parade car park on January 27.

Mark Stockdale, the AA's principal adviser on regulation, said Olivier's case was the first of potentially hundreds it would take on.

"The days of motorists just paying up and shutting up are over," he said.

Olivier disputed the fine because the sign showing the time restriction had been covered over, possibly as a result of nearby roadworks.

The council reviewed his case and opted to enforce the ticket, despite photos supporting Olivier's claim.

But after inquiries from The Dominion Post last night, the council cancelled the ticket.

An apparent "administrative problem" meant the photos were not seen by the staff member reviewing the case, spokesman Richard MacLean said.

"We were in the wrong, the ticket shouldn't have been issued, so we're sorry ... "

Olivier told The Dominion Post he was glad the council had admitted its mistake but felt it should have taken his review more seriously from the start.

"They're taking road users for a ride."

Stockdale welcomed the council's backdown but stressed that the AA would be forging ahead with its plans to challenge unfair tickets.

The cost of doing so was not yet known but the association had no intention of putting up membership fees, he said.

"Over time, we do not expect this to be a high-cost initiative because we actually think it will encourage parking companies to ... not treat motorists as a non-complaining cash cow."

The association would see how many complaints it received, how many were justified and the cost of defending them.

Mr MacLean said of the 270,000 tickets the council issued each year, about 20,000 were disputed and up to 15,000 of those were waived.

In 2010, a national survey found the council to be the most lenient of ticket-issuing councils, he said.