Ken Caddaye, 65, says he took an employee at the Roads and Maritime Services in Corowa at his word in November last year when, after handing over his green slip and roadworthy certificate, he was told his 2013 vehicle registration was “all taken care of”.

But on Monday Mr Caddaye was pulled over by the police and told he was driving an unregistered vehicle.

“I said, ‘beg your pardon’,” Mr Caddaye said.

“They said ‘you’ve got nothing. No third party insurance, nothing’ and gave me a $600 fine.”

The grandfather says he had paid $340 for a green slip and third party insurance, and a $40 fee for a roadworthy before visiting Roads and Maritime last year.

As a war-service pensioner, he doesn’t have to pay for registration but Mr Caddaye says the employee who handed him his papers failed to process the request properly.

Mr Caddaye did not realise his papers had no receipt number.

“The man serving me gave me my papers and told me everything was all right.

“I just folded them in half and put them up behind the sun visor of my car thinking it was all OK.

“I didn’t look at them, the average person doesn’t.”

Calls by Mr Caddaye to the Roads and Maritime have been fruitless and the man who served him in November no longer works there.

He was forced to pay for a new green slip which, at more than $600, was double the normal cost because he was essentially signing up as a new customer.

He also had to get another roadworthy.

Mr Caddaye said he’s not expecting to achieve anything by telling his story but wants to warn others not to fall into the same trap.

“I broke down on Monday afternoon because I’d just had a gutful,” Mr Caddaye said.

“I was in the army and the navy ... and I broke down and cried, why would a man cry?”

When contacted by The Border Mail, a Roads and Maritime Services spokesman said it would follow up the case.