The Problem With Parking Tickets

Operating a private parking area presents many challenges, including infrastructure maintenance, compliance with city guidelines, and ensuring everyone follows the rules that keep them safe.

However, enforcing parking regulations can feel like an endless battle. If you’re struggling with parking violators despite clear signage that outlines your parking rules, it may be time for more drastic measures.

Some parking managers try using privately issued parking tickets as a way to curb bad parking–and collect compensation for the loss of revenue or safety that parking violators may cause. Unfortunately, private parking tickets are virtually impossible to enforce, and can turn into a bigger (and more expensive) headache for you than they are for the violator.

If you’re considering issuing, or are currently issuing, private (non-government) parking tickets to enforce your parking guidelines, this is the article for you.

Here’s what we’re covering today:

• The Problem With Parking Tickets As A Private Parking Manager
• How To Enforce Private Parking Tickets
• The Best Way to Enforce Your Parking Rules

The Problem With Parking Tickets As A Private Parking Manager

While they may seem like an effective way to send a message to drivers, and create consequences for failing to observe parking regulations, the unfortunate reality is: Private Parking tickets don’t really work.

Here’s why…

Motorists Aren’t Incentivized to Pay Private Fines

In most places in the US, getting private parking tickets paid relies entirely on the motorist’s willingness to pay, or your willingness to make them pay—but there are virtually no legal ramifications for ignoring a private parking ticket.  In many jurisdictions, only law enforcement or authorized government officials have the authority to issue enforceable parking citations.

For the most part, private parking tickets are considered a “breach of contract.” This means that private parking tickets may not have the same legal weight as government-issued tickets, making it more challenging for private entities to enforce payment.

They Don’t Improve Parking Compliance

Because motorists may perceive privately-issued parking tickets as less legitimate or authoritative, they aren’t the most effective way to deter violations.

Paper tickets are hard for other drivers to see when left on other vehicles; and, lets be honest, they aren’t very intimidating. Especially when a brief internet search tells drivers that there’s almost no obligation to pay them.

Time and Resources go to Waste

Depending on the size of your parking area and the frequency of parking violations that need to be addressed, the task of issuing tickets alone can be time consuming.

They can also be a major waste of time and resources if you continue to issue tickets when they aren’t actually working to improve compliance.

How Parking Managers Can Effectively Enforce Parking Rules

While it can be challenging (and frustrating) to carry out consequences and deter future violations, we’ve compiled three methods to consider when enforcing your private parking regulations.

Take Legal Action

As mentioned earlier, some private parking tickets are considered a “breach of contract.” Which means to enforce payment, private entities may need to resort to legal processes, such as taking the matter to small claims court.

Keep in mind that legal procedures can be time-consuming, involving paperwork, scheduling court dates, and waiting for judgments. This can significantly extend the time it takes for the parking violation to be resolved.

The cost to fight (and potentially lose) the court case will likely outweigh the amount the fine is worth. However, you can fight for your rights as the property owner, it’s just going to be a fight.

Call A Towing Company

In instances where safety is at stake, towing the offending vehicle could be an option. But towing for anything less is a bit over the top. It not only leaves the driver with hefty fees and a ruined day, it can also negatively impact your business.

The thing about towing is, it doesn’t really solve the parking issue for good. Once the offending vehicle is towed away, there’s no visual reminder to stop others from parking badly. And let’s face it, depending on how fast that tow truck shows up, the bad parker might have vanished by then.

The Parking Ticket With Teeth

The most effective method for enforcing parking regulations, and yielding compensation for parking offenses, is using The Barnacle®. Unlike issuing parking tickets that violators know have no real consequences, The Barnacle gives your parking enforcement teeth–while simultaneously being one of the most convenient experiences for drivers. Here’s how…

Motorists have to pay their fines before they can leave. 

Lightweight, easy to deploy, and virtually impossible to remove thanks to 1000 pounds of force, The Barnacle® fastens to windshields via suction. This blocks the driver’s view, so they can’t return to the road until after they’ve paid their fine–which means no more crumpled paper tickets that go unpaid!

The Barnacle® actually does improve parking compliance.

Because it’s much easier to see, and demonstrates consequences for breaking the parking rules, it deters other motorists from making the same mistake.

It makes it easier and less stressful for motorists to return to the road.

Besides ignoring their parking ticket, The Barnacle® offers motorists one of the easiest and fastest ways to resolve parking violations. Once the driver pays the fine via their mobile device, they’ll receive a one-time release code to remove The Barnacle themself, and return it to a nearby Drop Box.

• More convenient because the driver can pay their fine and free their car on their own via their mobile device.
• Not having to deal with 3rd-party tow companies means faster and less expensive resolution.
• No stressing about the expense of getting their vehicle out of impound because every step of the violation process happens in the parking lot.
• Instead of waiting hours to resolve parking violations, using The Barnacle can take less than a minute—saving drivers time and saving you resources.

Give Your Tickets Some Teeth so Drivers are Safer and Happier

Enforcing your parking regulations doesn’t have to be hard on you or the drivers frequenting your property. If you’re looking for an effective, ethical, and easier way to maintain parking compliance that keeps drivers and pedestrians safe…

Click here to learn more about how The Barnacle® can improve the parking experience for everyone.