Grandma Angry Over 'Unfair' $92 Parking Fine

Residents have lashed out at a parking lot that has been mailing them fines of more than $90 for an hour of parking – they claim was once free.

The batch managers admitted that they had been charged 97% more than they should have been.

Grandmother fined $90 for parking she thought was freeCredits: WBRC FOX 6 NEWS

She pulled into the parking lot to take her grandchildren to the nearby playground.Credits: WBRC FOX 6 NEWS

Another resident was fined $92 after being parked for less than an hour.Credits: WBRC FOX 6 NEWS

City Walk is a popular destination for Birmingham, Alabama residents, close to shopping, restaurants and a popular play structure frequented by parents.

The nearby car park sparked public anger, with residents receiving inflated parking tickets in the mail days later.

Longtime area resident Cynthia Houser was shocked to see a $90 ticket in the mail after taking her grandchildren to play at the park.

“Not even a full hour, because it was really hot that day,” Houser told FOX affiliate WBRC.

She said that if she had stayed as long as she had wanted, the ticket would have been more expensive.

“If it hadn’t been so hot, we would have stayed two hours and I would have had a more expensive ticket.”

Houser said the playground is usually full of children, but the price of tickets, like the one she bought, could distract parents.

“Now I don’t think I’ll come back at all,” she said.

She claimed she never paid for parking.

“I’ve been coming for months and that park over there, that parking has always been free. There was no sign. Parents were not informed that we had to pay to park in that lot,” she said.

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The sign at the entrance to the parking lot that said “Paid Parking” was not there the day she received the ticket, she said.

She’s so sure of it that she’s urged the city to check security footage to confirm it.

“I came here Friday, the day after the 4th, that sign was not on that street,” Houser said.

“You can pick it up on their own camera. You won’t see that sign on this street. Someone put it up here today.”

If it hadn’t been so hot, we would have stayed two hours and I would have had a more expensive ticket.

Cynthia Houser, resident

Another resident said she was fined $92 an hour.

Like Houser, she didn’t stay on the playground for a full hour because of the bad weather.

“That’s unfair. $92 for less than an hour?” she said anonymously.

The Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, which owns the land where Houser was ticketed, told reporters the land was never vacant.

However, the standard rate for an hour is $2, then $1 is added for each additional hour.

How to contest a parking ticket

You can avoid getting a ticket by following all applicable laws and ordinances, but mistakes are sometimes made.

Like any form of traffic ticket, parking tickets can be avoided by reading and obeying posted signs. However, when you are visiting a new city, state, or when you are in a hurry, things can go unnoticed and mistakes can be made.

Suddenly, you receive a ticket that you were not prepared to pay. If this ticket surprises you, here are some steps you can take to exercise your right to appeal.

Read the ticket carefully. Look for errors such as incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle makes and models, times and dates, etc. Errors would then render the ticket invalid.
Take photos. Of the vehicle parked in the parking spot, the lack of signage, or other vehicles that were not ticketed for doing the same parking job. If the ticket is for parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance could help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date is accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, are on crooked posts, or are otherwise not “obvious” are also good items to photograph.
Make sure the law that was violated is mentioned on the ticket. If it is not, the ticket is not valid.
Follow the appeal instructions on the ticket promptly. All legitimate tickets have instructions for filing an appeal. Waiting until the very last minute weakens your case and may result in late fees.
In court, avoid these phrases because they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was on my way to move my car.”
- “I can’t afford this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking attendant, who said it was OK.”
Contact a lawyer. If you are facing obstacles and feeling stuck, it may be best to contact a traffic violation lawyer in your area. Many of them offer free consultations.

Source: Reader’s Digest

If residents do not pay, they have the power to issue fines by mail.

Citations, City Walk officials have suspended citations from this parking lot.

They also confirmed that they would add additional signs, extend the courtesy period to pay and adjust the system to apply correct and lower fees.

For those who received extremely high fines, City Walk officials encourage drivers to contest the ticket by calling (877) 302-7275 or emailing [email protected].