[Dossier] These entrepreneurs from greater Montreal ensure that they operate completely legally by issuing “fake parking fines” to Quebecers to avoid, among other things, “a towing festival” for their customers. Here is a portrait of the Laval companies which arouse the ire of motorists.
In interview with The newspaper, Stat Park Inc. confirms that it manages hundreds of parking lots where the company issues “false tickets” for at-fault motorists. The company obtained a contract, among others, with the parking lots of Quartier DIX30 in Brossard and the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal.
“There are people who prefer to park with our private clients to avoid paid parking. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have this problem and parking management companies like us wouldn’t exist,” defends its president, Lyne Côté.
Stat Park Inc. sign installed in front of its offices, located on Boulevard des Laurentides, in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
Stat Park Inc. assures that it does not give “false tickets” to at-fault drivers, but rather a simple “bill”. Mme Côté specifies that this method is less aggressive than having the vehicles towed and much less expensive too. She thus wishes to avoid a “towing festival”.
Example of a false ticket from the company Stat Park Inc., handed out at Quartier DIX30, in Brossard.
Francis Pilon / JdeM
But why do the said “invoices” look so much like a real report from the City of Montreal and have the same colors, then?
Note that the Stat Park and Pay Park companies are located in this same building in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
“No, it’s not a statement, we write that it’s an invoice on it. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on lawyers. It is not legislated. No law tells me that I have the right or that I do not have the right to do that,” insists M.me Côté, very energetic on the line.
Max Park Solutions Inc.
A very discreet big player in 12 regions of Quebec
- Owner: Gary Bastien
- Number of complaints to the Consumer Protection Office (OPC): 32
- January 17, 2023: the OPC sends them a reminder of the provisions of the Recovery Act (related to false traffic tickets)
- year of creation: 2020
- Place: Located in Laval
- Parking fine: $69but $99 if paid after 30 days
Building in which Max Park Solutions Inc. is located, on 100th avenue in Laval. Photo Martin Chevalier
Gary Bastien, head of Max Park Solutions Inc., declined our interview request. THE Newspaper has also received dozens of testimonials from Quebecers who complained of having received a “false ticket” from their company, particularly at Galeries Laval in greater Montreal.
“We have received your request for a telephone interview. We prefer to communicate with you by email, please respect our choice,” writes the “Max Park team” in an email.
Model of “false traffic ticket” from the company Max Park Solutions Inc.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
The company, which has no exterior posters on its building in Laval, sent us a press release almost identical to the one sent by Stat Park Inc.
“Property managers suffer too much abuse in the use of parking spaces without authorization, resulting in disadvantageous consequences for them. They therefore call on companies like ours to restore healthy use in their parking spaces,” we mention.
On its website, the Laval company indicates that it serves 12 regions in the province, including Centre-du-Québec, Outaouais and even Mauricie.
Paypark Canada Inc.
We beg him to collect the money
- Owner: Sylvain Vallières
- Number of complaints to the Consumer Protection Office (OPC): 13
- August 2, 2023: the OPC sends them a reminder of the provisions of the Recovery Act (related to false traffic tickets)
- year of creation: 2019
- Place: Located in Laval
- Parking fine: $63
Sylvain Vallières, who launched the company Pay Park Canada Inc. He confirms working in collaboration with Lyne Côté, of Stat Park Inc. Photo taken from the Facebook account of Sylvain Vallieres
Sylvain Vallières, owner of Pay Park Canada Inc., claims to have stopped giving “false parking tickets” in Quebec.
“I now take care of the rental of parking rented by the hour,” he explains vaguely, while confirming that he works in collaboration with Stat Park Inc. Note that the two companies are located in the same building in Laval.
Car from the company Pay Park Canada Inc., located in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
The manager of Pay Park Canada Inc. admitted that some customers still submit old payment notices from his company and not “false tickets”.
Building where the companies Pay Park Canada Inc. and Stat Park Canada Inc. are located on Boulevard des Laurentides in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
“There are perhaps apartment block concierges who can give our opinions on a vehicle so as not to park at their place. It’s $63, says Mr. Vallières. Sometimes you get a check and you cash it just because people insist you do it. They want peace of mind.”
- With Nicolas Brasseur, QMI Agency
Posters in front of the offices of Pay Park Canada Inc. and Stat Park Inc., which are located in the same building in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
WHAT THEY SAY :
“My granddaughter has comprehension problems and she got a false fine from Stat Park at the Pharmaprix in Saint-Jérôme. She wanted to pay straight away. They do everything to scare us and threaten to sue us. I knew it didn’t look good. I told him we won’t pay that after calling the Consumer Protection Office!” – Gérard Cyr, resident of Saint-Jérôme, in the Laurentians
“My son got four tickets from Max Park Inc. at Galeries Laval and I thought at first he had to pay them. Afterwards, I saw that you had to pay by Interac transfer or a check by mail. I quickly changed my mind. We also wonder what they do with our banking information and the photos of our license plates. »
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Photo PHOTO MARTIN ALARIE, JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
“I’ll be honest with you… I shop 2 to 3 times a week at DIX30. I have never seen the Stat Park Inc. signs warning you not to park if you are not a customer. People need to understand and see their parameters that lead to the finding. »
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Photo PHOTO PROVIDED BY CONTRAVENTION EXPERTS
“If there would be [sic] not the problem of parking and abuse, especially in the Montreal region… Companies like us in parking management would not exist. »
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Photo Photo FACEBOOK BY LYNE SPARK
WHAT TO DO IF YOU RECEIVE A FALSE PARKING TICKET? - File a complaint with the Consumer Protection Office
- Do not pay the amount of the false fine
- Do not contact the company. Otherwise, it will collect your private information
- If you have paid these fees, you can give notice to the merchant to reimburse you
- You could even seek punitive damages in small claims court
Source: The Consumer Protection Office