NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Parking in downtown Nashville is always a challenge, but NewsChannel 5 is now hearing more complaints about a parking company using license plate readers to track cars in their lot.
In some cases, that's resulting in car owners getting tickets for trips that they say they never made.
It involves private lots owned by Metropolis Technologies, which now runs Premier Parking.
The company uses license plate readers to track cars coming in and out of the lot.
Sean Cole, from Clarksville, says he was recently sent a parking violation for parking in a Metropolis lot in Nashville last month, but he says his car hasn't been in Nashville since May or June.
That's on top of the complaint from Ralph Barnes, which NewsChannel 5 first revealed last week.
In Barnes' case, the license plate readers Metropolis used didn't seem to be accurate — not only did Ralph's truck look nothing like the one in the ticket he got, but Metropolis' own cameras also show the readers even failed to properly read the tag on the truck that did park in the lot.
On Tuesday, Cole told us his ticket was for $88, $70 of which was a fine.
For comparison, Metro Police parking tickets usually run $25.
But Metro leaders tell us they are legally limited from restricting what private lots like Metropolis can charge as a fine.
Tuesday, Metropolis gave NewsChannel 5 the following statement:
Our system traces license plates attached to Tennessee government records. We send notices to the addresses on file associated with those license plates.
Metropolis recently acquired Premier Parking, and several changes have been made. Notices of penalties are now sent by Metropolis Payments, not McKinley Payments, to ensure clarity. Also, customers can always call 888-359-0089 or contact help@metropolis.io.
Regarding the penalties, the fees levied against individuals who fail to pay for parking are less than the cost of recovering a towed or booted vehicle. Towing and booting are the common enforcement practice in the parking industry, practices that can significantly inconvenience drivers. We understand nobody likes getting a ticket, but it's both cheaper and more convenient than the alternatives.
