ORLANDO, Fla. – A Central Florida man says his spouse got a parking charge notice in the mail after pulling into a lot in Orlando’s Mills 50 neighborhood to drop off his mother at a restaurant, then parking somewhere else.
Rocky Ward says the notice showed photos of the car entering and leaving the lot near Pho To, but not parked in a space.
“When you look at the pictures that were sent with the notice in the mail, it doesn’t specify parking space one, parking space two, or a number 98 or anything,” Ward said. “It just shows him going in and out.”
Ward said his spouse dropped off his 82-year-old mother at the restaurant, parked down the street, then came back later to pick her up. He said a notice later arrived in the mail demanding $55. If not paid by the due date, Ward said, the amount would increase to $125.
Ward also questioned the parking sign posted at the lot, which warns drivers they are entering a parking contract and is covered in fine print.
“It’s so small, even I standing right here can’t even read it,” Ward said.
A nearby restaurant employee told News 6 she regularly hears complaints about the lot.
“Yeah, I do, I hear complaints about it, and it sucks because there’s not really much I can do,” the employee said.
The employee also said some people complain about problems trying to pay.
“It’s mostly like the website doesn’t work for me. Or for some reason it’s not letting me read,” she said.
Ward said he also had trouble trying to dispute the charge.
“I call the number that’s listed on the notice, and it says there is not a human being that is available,” Ward said. “Everything’s to do with the QR code.”
News 6 also tried contacting the company. After calling the number listed on the notice, News 6 got a text with a link to pay for a spot. News 6 also emailed the company’s support address and got an automatic reply about how to pay a fee.
Ward said he has filed complaints with the city and county and plans to fight the charge.
“So they got you,” Ward said. “If you pull in here by accident and pull right back out, they can say whatever they want to say.”
News 6 reached out to Vanguard, the company named on the sign, and has not heard back.