A DRIVER has revealed that she was hit with a $300 dollar fine, despite already paying $30 for parking.
Melanie Viveros is among more than two dozen people who were hit with fines, after attending a Post Malone concert in Texas.
Getty - ContributorAttendees of a Post Malone concert in Texas have been victim to a parking scam[/caption]The music fan revealed that she and her friend arrived to the Alamodome, a 64,000 seater venue in San Antonio, last week, only to find that the parking lot was full.
However, she then spotted attendants waiting outside the venue, advertising parking for $40.
“There were literally police officers across the street,” she told NEWS4SA.
“We thought we were good.”
Melanie managed to sweet-talk the attendants into giving her a discount, and was delighted when she bagged a parking space for $30.
However, she soon realised that all was not what it seemed.
“We paid $30 for parking,” she said.
“It turned out to be like $300.”
When she returned to her car after the concert, Melanie, along with others who had parked at 319 Carolina Street, was shocked to find that her car had been towed.
It turned out that the “attendants” had been scamming drivers, and that the location was not an authorised parking lot.
A sign, which was previously covered up, revealed that parking is prohibited on the lot, and towing is enforced at all times.
Manda Isbell, who was also a victim of the scam, saw Atlas Towing, taking the last few vehicles away.
“The driver that came to tow the last vehicle flat out told my daughter they do this all the time,” Manda, who travelled 100 miles for the concert said.
“He sat and watched the parking lot fill up.”
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
Manda called the San Antonio Police Department, and an officer went with her to Atlas Towing, but she still had to pay $260 to the towing company to get her car back.
However, it then transpired that the owner of the parking lot had no idea that the scam was taking place, and hadn’t authorised Atlas towing to tow from his land.
District 1 Councillor Sukh Kaur said: “I was disappointed to learn about the parking scam that affected attendees at the Post Malone concert this past Wednesday.
“For the past six months, we’ve been working with the property owner to convert this site into a public park for the City.
“The owner confirmed they were unaware of the scam and had no involvement.
“My office has reached out to our Parking and Code Enforcement teams to explore proactive solutions and will work to establish stronger penalties for fraudulent operations like this moving forward.
“I encourage everyone to be cautious when choosing a place to park. Legitimate parking lots are typically on developed properties — they’re paved, have marked spaces, and clear signage.
“If a lot looks makeshift or lacks these features, it may not be properly permitted by the city.”
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