So I parked in a private lot in downtown Dallas a month ago (March 26). I scan the code and follow the instructions to pay $6.93 for 4 hours of parking. Didn't think much else of it then was off to my meeting. I had the parking until 2:04pm. I don't go downtown often. So I rarely deal with this type of parking situation.
We ran a little late with our meeting. I returned to my car around 2:44pm (40 minutes late). I didn't see any notice on my car and obviously it wasn't towed. I drove home and didn't think any deeper into it.
About 2 weeks late I get this "PARKING NOTICE" from
issuer/creditor: Parking Revenue Recovery Services INC.
It has pictures of my car entering and leaving the lot with the dates and times. States a violation of "ticket expired while parking"
Then a notice fee of $87 plus a $5 processing fee (total of $92)!!
Note, I only paid $6.93 for 4 hours of parking. This is a rate of $1.74 per hour.
I was 40 minutes late getting back to my car. The lot was half empty at that time.
How do they justify a fee that is about 53 times the hourly rate charged?
They offered a way to appeal through email. I sent an email but haven't received a response in over 3 weeks.
So I finally called the number provided.
The representative said it would be settled by lowering it to $67. Wow. That is still 39 times the original hourly rate for only going over the time by 40 minutes!
Got into a 10 minute heated shouting match with the representative over the phone about how ridiculous this is and how do they sleep at night yada yada. She just tried to yell over me that there is nothing she can do because these are their stated rules that I should have carefully read when I parked.
The parking notice threatens to take this "debt" to a debt collector if it is not paid after 30 days.
Is this crap legal? Can they really send this to a debt collector? If so, does that mess up my credit? Run up more fees with collections? What grounds do I have to challenge this? I am willing to settle and pay for a REASONABLE amount. Like $10 plus a $5 processing fee. I would do that. NOT $67 or $92.
We ran a little late with our meeting. I returned to my car around 2:44pm (40 minutes late). I didn't see any notice on my car and obviously it wasn't towed. I drove home and didn't think any deeper into it.
About 2 weeks late I get this "PARKING NOTICE" from
issuer/creditor: Parking Revenue Recovery Services INC.
It has pictures of my car entering and leaving the lot with the dates and times. States a violation of "ticket expired while parking"
Then a notice fee of $87 plus a $5 processing fee (total of $92)!!
Note, I only paid $6.93 for 4 hours of parking. This is a rate of $1.74 per hour.
I was 40 minutes late getting back to my car. The lot was half empty at that time.
How do they justify a fee that is about 53 times the hourly rate charged?
They offered a way to appeal through email. I sent an email but haven't received a response in over 3 weeks.
So I finally called the number provided.
The representative said it would be settled by lowering it to $67. Wow. That is still 39 times the original hourly rate for only going over the time by 40 minutes!
Got into a 10 minute heated shouting match with the representative over the phone about how ridiculous this is and how do they sleep at night yada yada. She just tried to yell over me that there is nothing she can do because these are their stated rules that I should have carefully read when I parked.
The parking notice threatens to take this "debt" to a debt collector if it is not paid after 30 days.
Is this crap legal? Can they really send this to a debt collector? If so, does that mess up my credit? Run up more fees with collections? What grounds do I have to challenge this? I am willing to settle and pay for a REASONABLE amount. Like $10 plus a $5 processing fee. I would do that. NOT $67 or $92.
