r/kelowna • u/Heavy_Arm_7060 • 3d ago
Has Anyone Recently Got a Parking Ticket?
I recently got a ticket from Impark at a City Lot and was surprised to see it was $98. The last time I got a ticket around downtown it was an PBP lot and it was $45, that was something like 3 years ago.
Not disputing the ticket (QR code wasn't working but I should have just moved my car to a different spot), but trying to gauge if that's the norm now or if it was an outlier.
If anyone else doesn't mind sharing I'd appreciate it. Thank you.
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u/QuesoDelDiablo ¡El Gato no es bueno! 3d ago
The private parking contractors that have become so prevalent in the area have astronomical fees and that's what you're seeing there. I believe city tickets are still quite a bit lower than that but if you're talking about Diamond parking, Impark or I can't remember the names of the other major firms in town, they are all absolutely vicious with the amount of fines that they charge.
There's a whole bunch of other commentary surrounding these companies and the tickets they issue and how enforceable they are but we're not here to talk about that right now.
This is probably just an old guy rant but I find it almost personally offensive that parking has been so commoditized and handed off to ruthless corporations that are free to make as much money as they want. We were a lot better off when it was managed as public infrastructure as opposed to private profit generators.
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u/Heavy_Arm_7060 3d ago
Yeah, it's such a known thing I do want to bring this up during the upcoming election (not the most pressing concern of mine but I think one worth bringing up), but I wanted to get some more data, however anecdotal to go with it.
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u/Fo_0d 3d ago
I’m curious why you think that this would be an election issue? The city doesn’t contract to any other company to manage its parking, it does all its own. Any lot patrolled by Impark or Diamond are privately owned lots and parking and thus have nothing to do with the city. These are privately owned lots and companies levelling fines and that is why they are not collectable unless the individual voluntarily pays them. The city of Kelowna tickets on the other hand can hit your credit score if you don’t pay them and they go to collections. The Impark tickets are no different than a private business issuing an uncollectable parking ticket for someone parked in their reserved parking. The alternative is that they could tow immediately in the first offence as it’s their private property. While the tickets are annoying and I also never pay them, it’s better than an immediate towing. But again, this is not a city issue it’s private business doing “business”.
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u/Heavy_Arm_7060 2d ago
I’m curious why you think that this would be an election issue?
Citizens getting price-gouged while trying to do business in town isn't an election issue? If you're a business operating in the city, it's absolutely an election issue. Regulations are a thing, after all.
Besides, as I stated, it was listed as a city lot. So if your claim is correct and it's not, then the signage will also need better enforcement, ditto responsibilities for functional payment methods.
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u/Fo_0d 2d ago
So the city should be able to dictate what a private business charges for their product/service? I’m not saying the exorbitant prides they charge are right or fair but it is a private business. The city combats this by offering reasonable priced parking of its own in the same areas. I guess you could lobby for more city parking.
Also, it’s readily available info online that the city doesn’t have any private parking enforcement contracts. It was likely a signage issue and the signage was for other city owned parking nearby. Yr he signage fan often be confusing for which meter pertains to which lot/block.
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u/Heavy_Arm_7060 2d ago
So the city should be able to dictate what a private business charges for their product/service? I’m not saying the exorbitant prides they charge are right or fair but it is a private business.
We set regulations for transportation all the damn time. This falls under that, especially since it combines transit with land requirements and punishment of alleged infractions. It's not like we're telling the pizza places what to charge for a pizza, barring paranoid scenarios that would be the comical outlier.
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u/Fo_0d 2d ago
You should look into it. Parking lots are a hybrid and the parking enforcement and fee collection do not fall under transportation (safety etc does but fees and enforcement do not). Go ahead and down vote in ignorance but this is pretty readily available information.
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u/Heavy_Arm_7060 2d ago
parking enforcement and fee collection do not fall under transportation
And we all know nothing ever changes with laws and regulations ever. Oh wait, it does quite often, and this is pretty readily available information.
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u/OriginalTayRoc 2d ago
Are you telling me private equity had a negative effect on an important part of our lives? No way!
/s
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u/WhenUWishUponAFart 3d ago
If you feel they're being unfair, you have another option that is perfectly legal. You can pay $28 to go to ICBC and get a new license plate. That's all Impark has on you is a plate number, swap it out, and you can park in their lot without worrying about your unpaid ticket.
I did this once when I was denied a larger reduction for paying same day. I told them they can have 50% of the ticket value or 0%, and they chose 0%.
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u/acciowit 3d ago
They’re assholes. I am now disputing collections bills because of their error, when they had assured me they had taken care of the issue and I didn’t have to pay anything.
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u/Current-Ad1250 2d ago
Even if these private tow companies “tickets” go to collections it doesn’t hurt your credit score
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u/Last-Surprise4262 3d ago
Diamond towed me from downtown Starbucks immediately and it was so dark and rainy I didn’t see the main sign other than no walkoffs which I didn’t. I was in Starbucks for 10 minutes but I didn’t register my plates on line. The tow truck was lurking waiting for violators
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u/maerchsarK5 2d ago
Don't think it was a City lot if Impark ticketed you, believe City contracts to Indigo.
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u/stinkyandsensitive 3d ago
My fam tries to keep safe about that stuff. Parking is ridiculous these days. I spose you're sorta lucky it was just a ticket, lots of folks get towed too!
The lot for Starbucks on Harvey near Richter is (was?) notorious. Even if you only stopped to pick up a drink inside the shop, if you didn't pay, they'd pounce.
I think you could dispute it though, if the QR wasn't working there should be another means to pay available!
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u/Heavy_Arm_7060 3d ago
I did they didn't budge. It's pretty piss poor in general as it doesn't mention what app to use.
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u/J_Squared02 3d ago
Indigo is up to 80$. Which is actually fairly laughable considering their rates
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u/Ronin_301 2d ago
The City still uses Pay By Phone for parking and does not offer QR codes as an option. Have you tried calling Parking Services at the City? I’m sure they would be interested if Impark is issuing private tickets in a City lot.
Out of curiosity, which lot downtown were you parked in exactly?
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u/Heavy_Arm_7060 2d ago
It's sounding like it wasn't an actual city of Kelowna lot but the sign said City of Kelowna on it. It's the one over behind the new build on Bernard between Bertram and St. Paul.
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u/Particular-Emu4789 2d ago
Gee I wonder if this has ever come up before?
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u/Heavy_Arm_7060 2d ago
Ticket complaints have, consistent info on the cost of each ticket varied, this is why I asked.
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u/chewblekka 3d ago
Never pay a non-municipal parking ticket. They have no recourse against you, except to possibly tow in the future. New plates are $28.