Impark parking tickets -- what's the sitch now?

[Five-hole]

So I was under the impression that the government was no longer releasing private information to Impark et al but I had some parking tickets show up along with a "final notice" that the debt was going to a collection agency.

I don't want an unpaid collection on my credit history, but I also don't want to give Impark $170. What are my options here?

Thanks in advance.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Originally Posted by fotze

Don't pay it and see what happens. Tell us the result. Think of it as screwing Impark for your fellow man.

/Thread that's the best advice for the sitch you're in.

[Northendzone]

Clearly impark is trying to screw you, keep parking in thier lots and not paying those b@$t@rds.......and let us know what happens.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

So I was under the impression that the government was no longer releasing private information to Impark et al but I had some parking tickets show up along with a "final notice" that the debt was going to a collection agency.

I don't want an unpaid collection on my credit history, but I also don't want to give Impark $170. What are my options here?

Thanks in advance.

Pay the ticket.

[afc wimbledon]

If you own a house tell them to go eff themselves 4 to 5 times a day when they call, they will give up after a few years.

If on the other hand your credit rating matters to you you will have to pay.

[freedogger]

I have never paid an impark ticket. Had a handful. They will eventually start towing. But it takes more than a handful.

[hockeycop]

If they have your name, then the "tickets" are old (from when they had registry access). They can and will screw your credit. They are only legally entitled to full payment of the parking rate on that day (I believe there is case law supporting that).

Email or call them. Offer to pay a days rate in full, and cut them a cheque. Note "full and final payment" and their "ticket" number on the cheque (if they accept your offer). If they reject, you may have to take them to court to get out of it.

Impark has a lot of money... And they will mess your credit ***IF*** they have your personal info. Be nice and get it in writing if possible.

[TSXCman]

I just saw 4x95$ tickets from these guys on my counter this morning from my bro parking downtown. pretty hefty.

screw em, I just paid a 50$ city ticket from parking at work for 5 minutes too long.

[TorqueDog]

I've paid plenty of Impark tickets in the past, but I have never, ever given them any more information than was necessary to complete the damn payment.

I've never had any late ones show up at my house either.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

For four years of going to the University of the Fraser Valley I got quite a few Impark tickets and paid them all except the very last one of my last semester because I was broke.

After a month and a half I got a notice in the mail saying they were moving my "case" to a collection agency, so I paid.

So, yeah, unfortunately you should probably pay.

[CrunchBite]

Just remember to check if its the collections department, versus collection agency. Two very different things, and they usually try to scare you by just calling it collections.

If I recall in the past it couldn't go to an agency as it technically isn't a debt.

[freedogger]

Originally Posted by CrunchBite

Just remember to check if its the collections department, versus collection agency. Two very different things, and they usually try to scare you by just calling it collections.

If I recall in the past it couldn't go to an agency as it technically isn't a debt.

Bingo! About the same as not paying your late fees at Block Buster.

[Huntingwhale]

I have been parking in impark lots for years now, never paying ever. I have gotten a handful of tickets and not once have I paid and not once have I ever had it affect my credit. It's a scare tactic to get you to pay. As freedogger said, its about the same as not paying your late fees at the video store.

[wookster]

Yup, I agree with the above ^^

I got a ticket from impark once and never paid it. Got a couple of letters in the mail and one phone call from a "collection agency"...then they stopped calling. My credit rating was not affected at all. Mind you, this was from a couple of years ago so things may have changed, haven't had one recently.

[Bill Bumface]

I'm pretty sure in the past they owned the "collection agency" they'd send the tickets to, and they didn't actually do anything but piss you off with calls at all hours and try scare you into paying...

[Hemi-Cuda]

i called their bluff and ignored the two collection letters they sent, since my credit was #### to start with. nothing ever appeared on my report. and when you think about it, what collection agency is going to try and go after someone for a couple hundred bucks? they'll spend far more than that trying to get the money

[Five-hole]

After doing some research this morning, here's what I've found:

1) Recently the "contract of adhesion" of attracting fines when either not paying or staying over in private lots has been upheld in Ontario (2011). A contract of adhesion is a standard form agreement that gives the consumer no opportunity to negotiate and doesn't even guarantee actual notice of the terms (i.e. the consumer may or may not have read them). In practice there's probably no case here that you didn't agree to the amount or to the term specifying a penalty. In short, they probably can ask you for the amount stipulated on the signage at the lot ($95 or whatever).

2) It's unclear in Alberta whether this is a valid "debt" for the purposes of the Fair Trading Act and the regulations made under it for the purposes of collection. I'm betting a good lawyer could finagle enough to get you off for the tickets for that reason or for unfair collection practices, but that's going to cost you at lot more than a few parking tickets.

3) There's probably another window in the FTA that the creditor has to take steps to verify that the person they are collecting from is the actual debtor. This doesn't work like the strict liability offences for, e.g., photo radar tickets where being the registered owner is enough to attach liability. "I wasn't the one parking the car" may actually get you some traction, especially if you can prove it.

4) Toronto apparently has bylaws that prevent Impark et al from collecting at all. Lucky.

5) I called Impark to negotiate the amount and they reduced it by about 40% without asking any questions. I think I'll just take the offer.

[photon]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

4) Toronto apparently has bylaws that prevent Impark et al from collecting at all. Lucky.

Why is it lucky that their government steps in to essentially allow people to steal from a business?

But hey, what's right is what we can get away with, right? (this last part is directed at the thread in general, not you)

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by photon

Why is it lucky that their government steps in to essentially allow people to steal from a business?

But hey, what's right is what we can get away with, right? (this last part is directed at the thread in general, not you)

I think it is fine that they can charge and be able to collect whatever rates they wish to assign, but they are not in a position to levy any sort of a fine. They don't get to play cop and judge.

So if they catch you without a parking ticket they should be able to collect the parking fee or tow you off their lot. That is it.

[photon]

Why is that it? Why can't they levy a fine, at the very least proper compensation for the parking time used?

It's a private business on private property, can't they set whatever rules they want?

They certainly seem necessary since people seem to think that trespassing and parking for free is perfectly acceptable.

EDIT: Being able to collect owed monies is fair too, since if I walk into Wal-Mart and take a TV, they're entitled to damages even if I happen to make it out the store.