A DRIVER was left stunned after he was sent a $125 ticket for a car he doesn’t even own.
Gerry Card from Leesburg, Florida, received a parking violation notice claiming he was parked in a private parking lot in St. Augustine, Florida, despite not having set foot in the city.
GettyA Florida driver was shocked after receiving a parking ticket for a car he doesn’t own[/caption] GettyA parking company mistakenly fined a driver, later admitting their error and canceling it[/caption]According to a report by WESH, Card’s car was at a repair shop at the time of the violation – making it impossible for his car to be in the neighboring city.
And furthermore, the vehicle pictured on the notice didn’t match his at all – with the photo showing a dark SUV with a white “dealer” tag, not the “sunshine state” tag that Card’s car has.
The notice, which stated the fine would be reduced to $85 if paid within 30 days, was described by Card as “intimidating and threatening” as it mentioned sending him to collections or having his car towed if he failed to pay up.
But disputing the notice online proved difficult, as he was informed that it would be sent to a third party.
He also claimed he was expected to pay 50% of the cost.
Card said: “This is just trying to get money for nothing.”
A spokesperson for Professional Parking Management, which operates the parking lot in question, told reporters there’s no record of Card disputing the violation.
However, they soon admitted their mistake and thankfully canceled the fine.
NOT THEIR FIRST RODEO
This isn’t the first time PPM has faced a complaint by a disgruntled consumer.
In fact, according to the Better Business Bureau, the company has accumulated over 1,600 grievances.
They are also involved in a federal lawsuit in Miami after they tried to defraud consumers using license tag information to collect fines – something the company denies.
Florida’s governor, in response, has recently signed a law imposing regulations on private parking facilities.
These include requiring clear signage of rates and fines, as well as contact information.
PPM is following these rules, according to the city of St. Augustine, who also revealed that illegal parking on city streets and lots results in a fine of just $25.
Cynthya Lavin, from the Better Business Bureau, said: “There are other (private) parking facilities that have bad ratings with BBB and have received a lot of complaints.”
Lavin says she views the new law as a step in the right direction, although she recommends that caps on fine amounts are imposed to provide better protection for drivers.
She added: “They may want to step in and look at the regulations a little bit better and see what can be done there to help the consumer.”
How to spot a fake parking ticket
Thieves sometimes go to great lengths to squeeze money from drivers
With parking ticket scams on the rise, it’s important to know how to tell the difference between a bogus ticket and a legitimate one.
Many parking enforcement agencies, like those employed by cities, will never ask people to pay for their tickets via apps like Venmo, PayPal, or Zelle.
A QR code should always make drivers cautious, as many times they lead to fake payment websites built by scammers to access banking or personal information.
It’s also wise to pay close attention to logos, as some scammers will even use fake logos close enough to a city’s official logo fooling those who don’t look closely.
Emails or text messages regarding parking citations should always be ignored, as most parking enforcement agencies will never use those mediums to collect a debt.
Other helpful tips for spotting false citations:
Do some research on the lot you’re parking in, as signs are legally required to be posted to inform drivers on who is enforcing parking rules. Carefully examine the citation for any flaws – misspellings, incorrect logos, links, QR codes, etc. Evaluate the contact information on the ticket. Websites that belong to cities will always end in either .gov. Finally, pay with a card, as disputing an illegal charge is easier. Avoid mailing checks or cash to a suspect parking ticket. Look at a city’s ticketing database to double-check that you’ve been cited by an official.Source: CBS affiliate WHNT
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