Miss Sutherland parked her Holden Commodore on grassland alongside the intersection of Anson Street and Sharp Road and hoped to attract a passing buyer.

Instead she attracted a notice from Orange City Council warning her to move it.

"You are hereby warned that if the vehicle is not moved this day you will be fined under the Roads Act," the letter said.

Miss Sutherland said she thought the letter was a fake because it lacked details and appeared to be photocopied.

"I didn't know what to think," she said after she found the note under her windscreen wipers.

"There was no reference number, no date. Usually when the Orange City Council write you a letter their letterhead is in colour," she said.

Miss Sutherland said she had reported the incident to the council and to police and had since learned it was a real council warning letter.

"I was unsure if it was real or not," she said.

She said she did not believe she was breaking a law which carries a $220 fine for parking on council land for the prime purpose of selling the car.

MAP: Where the car was parked …

Council spokesman Allan Reeder said council rangers did leave warning letters on cars up for sale that were parked on public land.

"Under NSW Government legislation, cars that are up for sale can’t be parked on public land, because they can be a distraction or traffic hazard for passing drivers," he said.

"When a ranger responds to a complaint, the first step is to place a warning letter under the windscreen wiper, asking for the owner to move it on. There are options of fines if the request is ignored, but generally car owners are unaware of the rules and are happy to move their car."

He said council had not issued any fines for illegally parked cars for sale.

“In the past Orange residents have listened to council's requests to move their vehicles and there has not been a need to issue a $220 fine," he said.  

Mr Reeder said council was now creating a new form.

"When a resident brought a copy of the old parking warning letter to the Civic Centre this week, that began the process of taking a fresh look at the text, and the way it was presented. It quickly became clear that it was a real letter and that’s prompted steps to make it more effective," he said.