Ticketed at a private parking lot? A new Florida law requires more transparency

Last month, state Rep. Vicki Lopez paid for parking at a private garage in Coconut Grove, but when she went to leave, the machine said her ticket had expired. Although she was charged $25 at the exit, a week later she received an invoice charging her another $87 for the violation.

It wasn’t the first time Lopez, a Miami Republican, said she’s fallen “victim” to private parking lot charges in South Florida. During her time in office, Lopez said she’s received many calls from constituents feeling duped about the charges. Upon further inspection, she realized it was an issue that expanded far beyond her district.

“As we got more and more calls, I said, ‘Wait, what’s going on here?’” Lopez told the Miami Herald. “It turns out that this is happening in Tampa, in Orlando, and it seems to be an issue statewide with private parking lots not having full transparency.”

A House bill co-sponsored by Lopez and state Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera (R-Coral Gables) that went into effect July 1 now requires additional regulations and signage for certain private parking facilities. Lopez first tried to pass the bill in the 2023 legislative session, ultimately finding success in the 2024 cycle. She emphasized that the law doesn’t aim to regulate the market of private parking, just to make it more transparent.

The city of Hollywood unanimously passed an ordinance at its July 3 commission meeting modifying its traffic code to align with the new state law. Under the new code, private parking owners must display a sign that is at least 36 inches by 24 inches stating that the parking area is not government-run and listing violation charges and valid contact information. Additionally, the signs must also provide information about the grace period and appeal process for violators.

That is in line with the state law, which requires the same information but leaves specific details as to what is considered “legible” to the city or county. It also requires violations to be placed clearly on the vehicle or to be mailed within five business days of the violation and places guidelines on when late fees can go out to violators.

“We’re actually thrilled that this ordinance passed. We already received feedback from a few private parking lot owners,” Jovan Douglas, Hollywood’s division director of parking and code compliance, said at the July 3 meeting. “We’re going to continue to work with the rest of them, be partners with them and hopefully work toward the rest of them adapting to this bill.”

The Miami Parking Authority is also working on amending the municipal ordinance to align with state law, aiming for approval within the year. The cities of Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale have not yet reported or scheduled any changes to align with the new state law.

While the law provides safeguards for violators, it also contains guidelines for the private property owners. Owners must allow a 15-minute grace period when drivers enter the lot, so long as the vehicle isn’t parked. They must also send invoices to violators within five business days of the violation and give them a chance to appeal the charges.

The law also includes a clause that protects the personal information of parking customers, barring parking property owners from selling, offering or trading information of those who use the property.

While the law does not address booting or towing practices, Lopez said lawmakers did so in another bill that went into effect July 1. That law, House Bill 179, isn’t limited to private parking facilities but requires towing prices to be listed online, establishes a process for investigating complaints about excessive fees and requires towing companies to accept more than one form of payment.

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