Pratik Mehta thought he only was paying $3.50 for a half hour of parking at an Impark lot in downtown Vancouver last May.
Instead, he came away with bill for $89.25 for overstaying by 20 minutes.
“It’s definitely outrageous and definitely arbitrary” says Mehta.
His oversight? Mehta hadn’t seen the sign where the small print notifies Impark customers they are liable for an $85 fee plus GST for violations. And the company’s within its rights to make that demand.
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Vancouver criminal lawyer Paul Doroshenko says when you get a violation notice on your windshield, it isn’t an official ticket.
Instead you are getting notice from the parking company that you have broken a contract with it. By driving on the lot you have agreed to pay for parking. If you are late, the question is what are the “damages” the company is entitled to claim from you.
“You’ve got to think about what the actual damages are,” he said. “The actual damages are the next hour of parking if you’ve gone over into that next hour by mistake.”
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