Park Atlanta, Ruthless

[Kevy Duty]

I found a citation from Park Atlanta in my mailbox yesterday, noting a violation that says I was illegally parked downtown back in Nov. '09, this being the first I'd seen anything regarding a violation.  There hadn't been any ticket left on my vehicle that I could recall and the location listed for the incident didn't seem familiar at all . . .

So I looked up the address.  I do remember this time and place!  This is the corner on GA State campus across from the Student Rec Center where I would shuttle Twit as she collected the last pieces of her things from school, along with ongoing certifications, recommendations, etc., whatever.  A well traveled corner, it seemed, for the students who needed to load and unload things.  Not legal to park, but a spot that was used by attended vehicles to come and go.  I suppose a ticket could be written then and there, right to the offending driver.

This is not Park Atlanta's course of action, however.  My violation could only have been noted by an attendant who chose to not even confront me with a ticket or ask me to move; or, there's a camera on that corner that Park Atlanta (non-gov) has access to and they've set up an automated cash cow!   Fifty dollars a pop!

What could be next with these guys, I don't even want to start thinking about right now.  This is just a heads up about attended vehicles in no parking spaces.  Since their name seems to be coming up pretty frequently, I thought they deserved a thread.

[Fawkes]

Wouldn't it be a lot of fun for some of our EAV restless unemployed urban youth to take a little break from burglarizing homes to take an interest in these people when they come to the area? 
That would amuse me.
A lot.

 

[Kevy Duty]

Oh!!!  And their citation (that they mailed to my house) states in bold:

IF THIS IS YOUR 3RD DELINQUENT PARKING CITATION, FAILURE TO PAY THE AMOUNT DUE IN FULL MAY RESULT IN YOUR VEHICLE BEING BOOTED OR TOWED.

What?  You're going to send a tow truck to somebody's house??!!?  Or are you going to stalk them, wait until they've parked somewhere, wait until they are well away from their vehicle and run up with a boot?

[lorelei]

So, how does this work, really? Private companies can enforce citations breaking public laws? Is this really legal? I mean, I didn't think you could be arrested by a security guard (unless that guard was actually an off duty policeperson).
In other words, any bored lawyers wanna take a stab at this?

[Big Larry]

stalk them, wait until they've parked somewhere, wait until they are well away from their vehicle and run up with a boot?

Watch Parking Wars. It is basically what Philadelphia does.

[Mudd]

I got a couple of tickets on 3rd street next to baraonda... Park Atlanta billed me for a late fee for a ticket I never got in the same place.  I assume someone took the ticket off of my windshield before I got to the car.  I told city of Atlanta that I would pay for the ticket, but not a late fee.  That worked... I stopped going to baroanda.

[cowboi]

I got a couple of tickets on 3rd street next to baraonda... Park Atlanta billed me for a late fee for a ticket I never got in the same place.  I assume someone took the ticket off of my windshield before I got to the car.  I told city of Atlanta that I would pay for the ticket, but not a late fee.  That worked... I stopped going to baroanda.

Mark my words, Park Atlanta is going to have a major impact on Atlanta businesses. 

[Drayvin]

The city is desperate for money and is now enforcing every single thing they can.

[rmel]

I got dinged by them too - in a brand new, pay for spot (not marked at ALL as a pay in the street meter box thingy spot) in Virgina Highlands.  Paid it right away as their notices really scared me.  I bet they would come to your house to boot you just for the fun of it - they're SCARY NASTY!!! 

[notofsunnybrook]

The city is desperate for money and is now enforcing every single thing they can.

Just this week we got a bill from the city for false alarms ($100) at our rental and a notice from the "Revenue Discovery Department" about our lack of a business license.

[JBB]

In this situation one should go online and fill out a dispute form rather than paying the ticket.  They need to replace all the signage to indicate that a fee is required.

I got dinged by them too - in a brand new, pay for spot (not marked at ALL as a pay in the street meter box thingy spot) in Virgina Highlands.  Paid it right away as their notices really scared me.  I bet they would come to your house to boot you just for the fun of it - they're SCARY NASTY!!!

[MRice]

The city is desperate for money and is now enforcing every single thing they can.

Just this week we got a bill from the city for false alarms ($100) at our rental and a notice from the "Revenue Discovery Department" about our lack of a business license.

Just saw a story last night about cities going after bloggers who have ads on their pages. A blogger who says he makes $11 a year from ads has to pay a $300 business license fee.

[Shamamama]

This may be next. 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/24/technology/philadelphia_blogger_tax/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin

[BeDingoSafe]

The city is desperate for money and is now enforcing every single thing they can.

Just this week we got a bill from the city for false alarms ($100) at our rental and a notice from the "Revenue Discovery Department" about our lack of a business license.

I got a tax notice from that department a couple of days ago, too.  It was for my business, but had my home mailing address on it.  I called and told them that my business is in Scottdale in Dekalb County.   They said to just email them the correct business address.  They didn't even ask for a copy of my Dekalb County business license.

[angryuser]

The city is desperate for money and is now enforcing every single thing they can.

Just this week we got a bill from the city for false alarms ($100) at our rental and a notice from the "Revenue Discovery Department" about our lack of a business license.

wtf?
A business license for what?
Did you laugh and chuck it?