Illegal parking fees soar in Moncton, despite booting limits

A car-booting company in Moncton has found a way around the city's new bylaw to regulate the industry.

Under the bylaw, the maximum fee someone can charge to remove a booting device is $45.

But the bylaw does not cover towing.

Now Parking Solutions Inc. is working with a towing company to remove cars that park in private spots and charging the owners hundreds of dollars to get them back.

Expensive dinner

Mahender Anumandla learned about it the hard way.

Last Friday, he parked downtown for an evening out with his family.

They went to the Taj Mahal restaurant on Main Streetbut parked on Robinson Street, in a privately owned parking spot.

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When they returned to their car, it was on the the back of a tow truck.

Anumandla said he was approached by a Parking Solutions employee and told he would have to pay $333.50 to get his car back.

"If we park our car by mistake can they charge so much money without a machine, without a proper bill?" he asked, adding that nowhere in the lot was it displayed that there was a $333.50 fine for parking there.

Suspicious of employee

Anumandla said the employee showed him a paper where he'd written he was a Parking Solutions employee and the amount to be paid.

But the man didn't have a point of sale device and wouldn't accept any other form of payment besides cash.

Anumandla said he wasn't quite sure if the man was legitimate.

While they were arguing about it, the man asked the driver of the tow truck to leave with Anumandla's vehicle, he said.

"My kid, he's like seven years old, he was crying because he didn't understand why our car was on the truck and he got scared," he said.

Councillor not surprised

Anumandla admits he was wrong to park there but was surprised he had to pay that amount, in cash, to get it back.

Moncton Coun.Shawn Crossman said he wasn't surprised to hear about the incident.

Crossman said he foresaw towing problems when council brought in the maximum booting price.

But he said the city's legal department advised that incorporating rules for towing companies would be too big a project for it to handle.

Could cap tow charges

Council decided to wait and see how the boot regulations went and take further steps if necessary.

Crossman said it may be time to set a limit on towing charges.

"I think we probably could," he said."And that's something council needs to address."

Crossman described the $333.50 as "extremely excessive."

"I think we have to regulate that price point too," he said, adding that towing companies should also be required to accept debit or credit card payments.

Crossman said he'd noticed the price of the large fine is displayed on a sign at the old Aliant parking lot, across from St. Bernard's Church.

But he said heheard complaints when council dealt with the booting issue that signs in private lots were often too high or poorly lit.

Crossman said he'll discuss the towing fee issue with council and get the legal department involved.

Pete's Towing, the company that removed the car, confirmed it started working with Parking Solutions after council brought in the new price limits on booting.

CBCNews contacted Parking Solutions for an interview but no one has responded.