REDINGTON SHORES, Fla. (WFLA) — If you’re thinking about driving to the beach this weekend, be careful where you park and where you drop off guests.
A Redington Shores woman said she feels she was wrongly ticketed by a beach parking lot service even though her car was never parked there.
Living close to the Redington Shores pier, Jackie Deppe decided to fill her car with some belongings, drop them at the beach, return home, and then walk back.
“We enjoyed our day just lounging on the beach. Around 5 PM, I headed back to my place. I grabbed my car, returned to the beach to pick everyone up, and we all left. I thought that was it,” Deppe explained.
However, about a fortnight later, she received a parking ticket in the mail. The ticket captured her vehicle on camera arriving and departing, with timestamps indicating she was there for nearly four hours. They billed her for $75.
“I think the picture showing me pulling in and pulling out is correct. However, I pulled in and pulled out and pulled in and pulled out again,” said Deppe.
The Premium Parking location (P2937) on Gulf Boulevard has cameras, QR codes for payment, and there were about two cars parked there Friday evening.
The connecting pier is still damaged, which some beachgoers said could be a reason it’s slow.
“They don’t really park here, they just bring their stuff out here and go find parking somewhere else because there’s no reason to pay that much,” said Alexie Latorre, a beachgoer. “$75 ticket for a minute is kind of crazy.”
8 On Your Side called Premium Parking and gave them Deppe’s invoice number. They said customers can dispute tickets if they can show proof, and then referred us to their corporate office.
Deppe said they should have all the proof, and said she doesn’t plan to pay them.
“I don’t feel that I owe it. It says on here that failure to pay is subject to the vehicle getting booted or towed. Well, if I’m not parked there, they can’t boot me and they can’t tow me,” said Deppe. “I’ll accept that consequence because I’ve never parked there.”
Signs at the lot said they are under a 24/7 surveillance. Deppe said the cameras should’ve caught her leaving four times, and walking back and forth to the beach. She said they also should’ve picked up how her car was never in a parking spot.
8 On Your Side is working to get answers from Premium Parkings’ corporate office on this matter.
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