Has anyone gotten a parking ticket with Imperial parking and never paid it?

I got a ticket which I felt was totally unfair given the insufficient notification that the dinky parking at the corner of Broadway and Oak required paying.

This ticket was dated back in March. Immediately the next day I changed my license plate number (which i wanted to do anyway). But a month later Imperial parking sent me an invoice for the ticket! they somehow still found my address!!! FARK!

I ignored it. Then last month they sent me a letter supposedly from a collection agency in Vancouver called "City Collection". The letter looked too fake and didn't have any address. So I did some research and found Imperial was trying to bluff me with a fake collection agency which has hte same address as their office. So I ignored it still.

But yesterday, a month after the first bluff, i get another letter . This time from Canadian Bonded Credit Limited. Another collection agency. But this one looks like real deal since I did a search on the internet and there is such a company. Now I am kinda worrried. But at the same time I have heard from some people I know who said they never paid their parking ticket for like two years and nothing happened. They also received a letter or two.

Has anyone have outstanding parking tickets and also received a letter from CBCL and still didn't pay?

What will really happen if i continue to not pay?

 

The interests will keep adding up. It's not worth starting a holy war with Impark, they're nasty. They have nothing to do but tow your car and collecting late payment. Unlike a city ticket, Impark ticket you pretty much have to pay. If you don't watch out..the next time you park at an Impark lot they will tow your car. Every Impark ticket checker has one of those PDA that has record of violators, so the next time they spot your car it'll blink red and raise a whole bunch of alarms until a tow truck is out to collect your car

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Indecision
[B] Impark lot they will tow your car.

 

You have to pay unless you know the internal staff who can waived the ticket for you.
One of my imperial parking manager is my customer. He waived 2 tickets for me already.......
I will ask him if ticket hasn't been pay then what action will they take for you...

 

I never pay those jerks. I too have recieved the fake collection notices and then the notices about how my credit rating will be affected, blah blah blah. I have never dealt with such an unethical organization in my life. What I would like to know is how are they getting our addresses? Isn't the info we give to ICBC and the motor vehicle branch covered by privacy laws?

I try not to park in Impark lots and I changed my licence since my last ticket and I havent' had any problems.

Why do I hate Impark? I feel that they go beyond what would be considered to be fair and reasonable. I was pretty much forced to park in one of their lots on a daily basis when I used to work downtown. I paid the required amount on a daily basis for many months (hundreds of dollars). One day I had to work late (to 8 PM) but I didn't worry about the car because I paid the $12 for the "all day" rate. Well, I didn't read the fine print well enough, because "all day" only means until 6:00 PM in the world of Impark. Needless to say, I got a ticket. I called to complain, but it had no effect. I didn't pay, as I really did feel that it was unfair... It wasn't like I parked without paying, they had gotten $12 out of me already.

The next run in happened when I was attending SFU (Harbour Center). My class started at 6:00 PM. The lot under Harbour Center is reserved until 6:00 PM but at 6:00 it switches over to hourly parking. I would arrive at 5:55, and would buy tickets for four hours of parking. When I would get there, the attendent would already have packed up, pulled in all his reserved signes and uncovered the ticket machines (they were covered during the day so that people would think that they could buy tickets and park). Anyway, sure enough, the Impark A$$holes ticket and tow me for parking 5 minutes too early. Again another incident were I have paid, but still have run into problems.

While I know that there is someone out there who is thinking that I am just a whiner, I jsut have to say that you really need to use some judgement and common sense when you are in business. If the customer is obviously not trying to rip you off, then why the hell would you try and screw them?

If it were me I woudln't pay!

 

thanks for your story geppetto!

I have now regained my couraged to not pay!!
I detest the fact that they can get your address via the license plate.
Especially when I have changed the plate the next day after I got the ticket. I guess they now would immediately register the plate number and draw up the address as they know people would use the "change -the-plate" tactic.

So how long ago were these tickets you got? And did you receive any phone calls from collection agencies or more letters?
Is your credit history effected in anyway?

I know the "City Collection" letter was fake, but I have checked and found out that "Canada Bonded Credit Limited" is a real national collection agency. Should I be scared? Do you remember getting a letter from CBCL?

 

I suggest you better paid that becasue my god brother had the same case....he changed his lience plant PLUS he moved out to another place...but until..impark can check that out and keep chasing my god bro...at last ..my bro paid the tix...not becos he scared impark...but becasue impark is so fuking annoying....you can still not to pay but it is just my bro's story and my 2 cent...

 

I received the annoying letters for a couple of years and then they stopped. My credit rating was never affected. Quite frankly, I don't see how it could be? I would think they would need a court order to pay the ticket before they could go ruin my credit rating. I believe that the parking ticket is their attempt to avoid civil litigation. Essentially, they write you a ticket for tresspassing on their property. They assume that if they make it look official enough most people will pay the ticket. If they don't get you that way, then they will try and tow you next time they catch you on their lot. The only other alternative would be for them to take you to court... Of course I might be wrong here, maybe there is some sort of municipal bylaw that gives them special powers????

 

geppetto,

how much money in tickets did you owe Impark?

Do you think Impark really pays these collection agency to handle their ticket collection? Or do you think they are just using the name of an actual collection agency on their letters to make it look official? And if they did, would they be guity of making fraudulent statements using other company's logo/name?

 

I had two tickets, but it was many years ago, so I don't remember how much it was that I owed. I would imagine that they have a deal with the collection agency. The agency probably get a commission on anyone that pays after a collection letter is sent out. If you are really worried about it, it might be better for you to pay (just so you can live without worry). Then try and make a conscious effort to avoid Impark lots in the future (I know it is hard given their virtual monopoly).

Good luck!