A DRIVER who paid $27.50 to park in a garage was stunned to get slapped with an $82 fine weeks later, and the nightmare didn’t end there.
Lori O’Neill later uncovered a system “glitch” – but not before the chaos got worse.
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The parking mess unraveled in San Antonio, Texas.
O’Neill had parked in a downtown garage in February with her husband, paying the full amount and leaving within the three-hour limit.
But two weeks later, a letter arrived claiming her parking had “expired” and demanding another $82.
“I was going, ‘What the heck? No way,'” she told local CBS affiliate KENS 5.
The notice came from Parking Revenue Recovery Services, which manages enforcement for the lot.
O’Neill disputed the charge immediately, sending an email with details of her payment.
The company thanked her then rejected the dispute.
They offered a $20 discount but said she still owed $62.
Refusing to give in, O’Neill kept fighting the charge.
Two weeks later, PRRS admitted the fine was issued in error.
“It seems like there was a glitch. I have put this notice in for dismissal,” a company representative told O’Neill in an email.
Relieved, O’Neill thought the matter was closed.
“I thought it was a relief and I wouldn’t have to worry about this anymore,” O’Neill said.
But three weeks after that, things took another turn.
How to fight a parking ticket
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets are preventable by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes are made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket is a surprise to you, there are a few things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Carefully read the ticket. Look for errors like incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would then make the ticket invalid.
- Take photos. Of the vehicle in the parking space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that weren’t cited for performing the same parking job. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date are accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or are on bent posts, or aren’t “obvious” are great things to photograph, too.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Promptly follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the very last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was on my way to move my car.”
- “I can’t afford this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said it was OK.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you’re running into roadblocks and feel stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader’s Digest
O’Neill got a collection notice, this time from an attorney based in Colorado, still demanding $62.
O’Neill reached out to local news station KENS 5.
The station contacted Parking.com operator SP Plus Corporation, PRRS, and the law firm involved.
SP Plus didn’t respond, but PRRS and the attorney did.
PRRS Executive VP John Conway confirmed the notice had been voided and said O’Neill owed nothing.
He also revealed their system showed her payment registered as “one second” a result of incorrect data from SP+, the payment processor.
“We are in the process of researching why the payment provider sent us a transaction for this plate that literally was for one second,” Conway said.
“PRRS is not in the business of issuing notices to people that paid.”
KENS5 verified it’s not even possible to pay for less than 15 minutes in that lot.
Conway said they were in touch with SP+ to investigate the glitch and prevent future errors.
Meanwhile, attorney Daniel Kelley, whose firm sent the collection notice, also confirmed the issue resolved.
He told the station he would contact O’Neill directly and inform her of the update.
O’Neill, who spent weeks pushing to get the false fine dismissed, said she’s glad the ordeal is over.
PRRS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by The U.S. Sun.
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