Fake look alike tickets part of money grab scam?

[Lunican]

All they need to do is insert the following statement (or something like it): on their phony ticket:

"You are trespassing on private property. We have determined that the value of that theft of our private resource is 5X the normal going rate. Here is your bill for that amount. We have no legal authority to compel you to pay this bill other than going through the normal civil law procedures, such as small claims court. Just because we don't have a fence around our property and for all practical purposes it looks like an abandoned field, it is not. You are wearing off the lines on the pavement. This is an attempt to collect a consumer debt, and you have certain rights under state and federal law with regard to this debt"

There, something lie that. I am sure that once they read that, they will understand and pay right up.

lol

[Lunican]

So how do these lots come up with the $57 amount? Why not $100, $1000, or a million?

And to print them with the same parking ticket equipment that the city uses is just plain deceitful.

[buckethead]

So how do these lots come up with the $57 amount? Why not $100, $1000, or a million?

And to print them with the same parking ticket equipment that the city uses is just plain deceitful.

I would think they shoot for the largest amount they think someone might pay.

Reading through this thread was a riot!

[Lunican]

Well look at this... Apparently Central Parking has already been in trouble for this, yet no one in Jacksonville thinks it's a problem...

COMPANY'S FAKE PARKING TICKETS DRAW FINE FROM THE STATE

Spitzer's Office Halts Fraudulent Acts Of Parking Lot Operator

Attorney General Spitzer today resolved an investigation into a Buffalo parking lot owner and operator that deceived consumers into paying $13,500 in fees using windshield notices that resembled municipal parking citations.

Central Parking System of New York, Inc., which operates under the name Allright Parking, agreed to pay full restitution to thousands of individuals who paid the fake parking tickets and $7,500 in civil penalties.

Since at least March 2000, Allright Parking has been placing windshield notices on cars parked in its lots after hours. According to Spitzer's office, the notices strongly resembled municipal parking tickets. In fact, the "Violation Notice"affixed to vehicles included an envelope labeled "Parking Ticket" in large, bold print, along with directions for the consumer to print the "citation number" on the payment check.

The "Penalty Payment Schedule" of the "Violation Notice" directed consumers to pay five dollars within seven days or fifteen dollars after seven days. This is similar to the payment process used by the City of Buffalo for the resolution of municipal parking tickets. Thereafter, Allright Parking would send unpaid "tickets" to a collection agency.

Since Allright Parking began this practice, the Board of Parking for the City of Buffalo has issued two "cease and desist" orders to Allright Parking indicating that city code requires a parking lot have an attendant on duty to safeguard cars if it expects the public to pay a fee for parking.

Even after receiving these orders, Allright Parking and its debt collection agency, Ticket Track, continued to issue "tickets" and collect parking fees. From March 2000 to February 2002, Allright Parking issued over 2,700 tickets and collected approximately $13,500.

In settling the case, the Nashville-based company will no longer attempt to collect parking fees from consumers parked in unattended lots. In addition, Allright Parking will no longer issue notices with envelopes that could lead consumers to believe it was issued by the City of Buffalo or use words such as "violation notice" or "parking ticket."

In order to be eligible for refunds in this case, individuals must file a completed complaint form with the Attorney General's Office by March 10, 2003. To do so, consumers should call the Attorney General's consumer help line at (800) 771-7755 or go to the office's web site at www.oag.state.ny.

This case was handled by Assistant Attorney General James Morrissey of the Buffalo Regional Office.

http://www.ag.ny.gov/media_center/2003/jan/jan24a_03.html

[Lunican]

I used to respect the articles on this website but the inferences and faulty legal conclusions drawn here have negated that. 

Yeah... whatever. Too bad Metro Jacksonville was right.

[Captain Zissou]

I got one of these tickets in early September and they are threatening to send it to a collections agency.

[Lunican]

Exactly why they got in trouble for this in NY. They are attempting to collect a fictitious debt with punitive damages.

The best course is to ignore them, then they will have a lawyer send you a letter which you can respond to by simply stating that you will report them for violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act as well as to their state bar. Then they magically disappear.

[copperfiend]

And you use the term lawyer loosely right? Most "law offices" trying to collect debts are nothing more than late stage collection agencies that specialize in scare tactics.

[Ernest Street]

Lunican, You are so right, and I forgot about blasting creditors over the phone.
Way back when I worked for Disney MGM Studios,I once actually received a call at my stage from a creditor.
The day before i learned my rights and informed them under the Fair Debt Collection Practices,to never to call me at work or home.
They hung up.

[RWNeal]

What a great bump!

I was ticketed at the 120 lot a few weeks ago when I stopped in Cafe 331 for a quick drink after work. I used to play in a band that rehearsed over Thee Imperial for years and I honestly thought the lot was free after 6pm. I parked there many many times and never got a ticket.

After reading this thread I called the contact phone# on the ticket and was redirected to Central Parking
(904) 358-6543. I punched in the first extension choice (227) and reached a gentleman in customer service immediately.

I explained that I was angry about receiving a notice that was made to look like the city's official parking ticket and that from what I could gather there was very little legal recourse towards my violation. I told him I would pay $10 which was more than fair or, if we couldn't come to an agreement I would just throw the yellow envelope in the trash.

He agreed, changed my fine in the computer and gave me a Water St address to drop off my $10 check.

Obviously this is in fact a 'money grab' and i probably could've gotten away with tossing the ticket... but I'm more than fine paying the reduced amount and washing my hands of the matter.

Newzgirl / Capt Z- I'm sure you could do the same... and thanks for all the info in this thread!

Hey, Shwaz - was there an actual person in the Water Street office? I got one of these the other day even though I had paid for the day & need to extract some justice.

[Demosthenes]

The only reason these comments are confusing is because we had a bunch of parking lot shills come on here and add their two cents. Pay the city ticket and throw the private one away. They can't do anything.

Thats exactly what I have done. The funny thing is, as other have pointed out, I have parked at a few of these lots quite a few times over the years, after hours, without issue. Suddenly they are enforcing this. Simply amazing.

[Captain Zissou]

The best course is to ignore them, then they will have a lawyer send you a letter which you can respond to by simply stating that you will report them for violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act as well as to their state bar. Then they magically disappear.

I did this via email and it seemed to have worked really well.  If anyone runs into this issue, I have a pretty nasty email template I can send you that will do the trick.

[Shwaz]

What a great bump!

I was ticketed at the 120 lot a few weeks ago when I stopped in Cafe 331 for a quick drink after work. I used to play in a band that rehearsed over Thee Imperial for years and I honestly thought the lot was free after 6pm. I parked there many many times and never got a ticket.

After reading this thread I called the contact phone# on the ticket and was redirected to Central Parking
(904) 358-6543. I punched in the first extension choice (227) and reached a gentleman in customer service immediately.

I explained that I was angry about receiving a notice that was made to look like the city's official parking ticket and that from what I could gather there was very little legal recourse towards my violation. I told him I would pay $10 which was more than fair or, if we couldn't come to an agreement I would just throw the yellow envelope in the trash.

He agreed, changed my fine in the computer and gave me a Water St address to drop off my $10 check.

Obviously this is in fact a 'money grab' and i probably could've gotten away with tossing the ticket... but I'm more than fine paying the reduced amount and washing my hands of the matter.

Newzgirl / Capt Z- I'm sure you could do the same... and thanks for all the info in this thread!

Hey, Shwaz - was there an actual person in the Water Street office? I got one of these the other day even though I had paid for the day & need to extract some justice.

Honestly I never went to Water Street office and I didn't pay the 'fine' After they reduced the ticket to $10 I figured no collection agency or law office would try to collect it.

[ChriswUfGator]

Someone should report this to the Florida Attorney General's Office...

[ricker]

all of this is nutzo hilarious!
If you want to "extract some justice" simply visit the Yates building on Forsyth and walk right on up to the public parking office to "contest the ticket" and watch very closely the face of the individual behind the desk.
...as your phony ticket gets shredded for you.. .

this all coincides nicely with the JEDC parking lot improvement plans.

THank you metjax for the comic relief nearly everyday.
I truly lok forward to this and some hottea every afternoon.
Cheers