Detroit cracks down on $1,000 parking scams ahead of highly anticipated Lions-Commanders’ Playoff game
Three parking lots operated by Park Rite in Detroit showed $999 for parking on an advance parking booking application SpotHero.
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The parking lot at 1468 Randolph Street was closed by the Detroit Police Department on Friday, January 17, 2025, along with two nearby lots (Image via Detroit News)
The city of Detroit has stepped in with swift and decisive action to shield fans heading to the Detroit Lions’ divisional round showdown against the Washington Commanders on Saturday night. This bold move aims to protect them from the outrageous sting of exorbitant parking fees.
According to a report from local ABC affiliate WXYZ Detroit, the city has shut down three parking lots operated by Park Rite that were attempting to charge up to $1,000 per parking spot for Saturday’s game. The city identified the inflated prices while reviewing listings on SpotHero, a platform that allows drivers to reserve parking in advance.
David Bell, the Director of Buildings for Detroit, commented on the issue, claiming it was ridiculous to charge such prices for parking. He went on to express that he will lead the force into shutting down the parking lots which are staying up with these high prices.
This is totally ridiculous. I don’t know of anyone who thinks that paying $900 or $1,000 to park and go see a game is reasonable. If we find any parking lot illegally charging folks to park, we are going to use every tour in our arsenal to let them know this is a bad idea. We are going to shut them down, we are going to ticket them, we are going to haul them in front of a Wayne County Circuit Court Judge, and we’re going to take steps to suspend their license. This is totally unacceptable.
David Bell said
Under city regulations, parking lot operators intending to increase their rates must submit a formal notice of their intent to the city at least 30 days prior to implementing the rate hike. In this case, the three parking lots in question have failed to comply with this requirement.
The Detroit Lions secured a bye week in the wild card week while the Commanders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to advance to the divisional round. The Lions are expected to win the duel and make a deep playoff run according to multiple betting sites and analysts as well.
Park Rite allege tech error reason for hiked up prices in Detroit Parking lots
The issue did travel to the court. During a status conference on Friday, January 17, 2025, Judge David J. Allen heard oral arguments. Attorney Michael Vogt, representing Park Rite, explained that the company uses SpotHero, a digital parking marketplace, to advertise rates, market parking spaces, and manage online reservations.
He stated that the $999 parking rate was published in error due to a technical issue, which has since been corrected. According to Vogt, Park Rite’s e-commerce manager, Miguel Nouhan, had entered the $999 figure into the system as an “inventory control measure” to track overlapping events in Detroit. However, a change in SpotHero’s system inadvertently caused this internal placeholder rate to be publicly displayed without Nouhan’s awareness.
Under oath, Nouhan testified that the $999 rate on SpotHero was not published intentionally. He stated that upon noticing the issue, he immediately contacted his SpotHero representative, who resolved the error. He also acknowledged that nobody has been charged $999 in any of the three plots. Nouhan explained that he would have noticed if anyone has been charged the same and would have refunded it.
Judge David J. Allen concluded that the $999 rate had not been charged and noted the company’s acknowledgment of the mistake and prompt correction. He ordered the reopening of the parking lots. A special conference is set for 10 a.m. on January 22, 2025, where a decision will be made regarding the potential dismissal of the case.
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Mohammed Bazim
(421 Articles Published)