Predatory parking? BBB says spies may be watching
PORTLAND, Ore. – A new report from the Better Business Bureau says spies may be watching you at private parking lots across the city.
According to the BBB, people are actually spying on lots and are just waiting to write parking tickets. They are parking attendants watching from a distance.
Kyle Kavas, who just happens to work for the BBB, said it happened to her Thursday night.
She says she parked in a lot to get a coffee at Starbucks then decided to quickly pick something up across the street at JELDWEN Field. A minute later Kavas says she found a parking attendant putting a ticket on her car.
"The company makes it seem like they are waiting to ticket people," Kavas said.
She says she explained to the man that she was a customer at Starbucks, one of the businesses attached to the lot, but he refused to tear up the ticket.
"He said, 'Nope, I have it all on camera. I was watching you from across the street. I'm issuing you a ticket right now.'"
The company he works for, Pacific Audit Solutions, patrols more than 150 parking lots across Portland.
Kavas was well aware of who was putting the ticket on her car because, as the spokeswoman for the Oregon Better Business Bureau, she was already preparing a report on Pacific Audit Solutions.
The report gives the company a D-minus.
According to the BBB, it has received 27 complaints about Pacific Audit since 2009 – not a huge number according to Kavas – but she says there is a pattern of people who say they "paid the proper fees" and still got tickets. Other drivers reported "improperly signed" parking lots and "malfunctioning ticketing machines."
It was just March when another woman, Barbara McNasser, told KATU News about getting a ticket after not seeing what she described as deceiving signs.
"It's just this little tiny thing saying who we are and you're not allowed to park here," she said.
The manager of Pacific Audit Solutions told KATU News the company made its signs more visible after its investigation first exposed the parking problem, and she says the company is cooperating with the BBB to clear up all disputed tickets.
But the BBB says Pacific Audit Solutions has not responded to the latest complaints and refuses to arbitrate with consumers. It's just more reasons why the BBB says it's giving Pacific Audit Solutions the D-minus report card.
The manager of Pacific Audit Solutions says her company is in 100 percent compliance with all Portland parking codes.
What's next, are you going to park in someone's private driveway and claim its your right to park there for some stupid reason. If you really think you should be allowed to make decisions for the property owner on who can park on their own private property, pease post your address so the rest of us can use your driveway when we are in your area.
i've had two tickets reversed by pas.  the person on the phone both times could not have been more helpful. one instance was me just forgetting to pay.  obviously downtown parking is at a premium and businesses that provide free parking at the establishments deserve proper enforcement.  this bbb lady that got her story on katu because she didn't obey the rules, who does she know to even get this story out in the pubic.   not very strong reporting katu.
Ok you guys KNOW that this "ticket" is from a private company right? They have no law enforcement or lien rights right?
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Just don't pay the ticket. Can they tow your car? Only if you park there again! If they try anywhere else, it's theft (although some of these places will do that anyway and just assume you don't know the difference).
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PSU tried to do the same thing to me. I HAD a term pass on my motorcycle and went in one last time to finish paperwork. The term had ended, but the following term had not yet started so there may have been some technical reason the pass I had no longer was valid (although all previous years one pass was good until the next one was issued).
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So i told them it was not a valid ticket and they could shove the fine. I parked for the next week on the street in front the same lot (before the switch the meters it still only cost $4 a day on those two motorcycle spots) to mock them.
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Eventually they "forgave" the ticket.
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But none is right, the only authority they have is what is given tot hem by property owners. Those in this economy needs shops to help pay property taxes so if you tell the shop you're not going to go there as long as so-and-so monitors the lot and don't go, and get everyone you work/hang out with/go on Facebook/Twitter etc to no go, it might make an impression and these companies might go away.
Simple answer: Â Stop patronizing the shops near those parking areas, simultaneously make it known that the parking issue is the reason. Â The business owners near there WILL force a change when they start loosing customers!
This was all over the news over the weekend and best to stay away from any parking lots that are handled by this company or you will surely get a ticket.They are retaliating against the BBB for the rating/investigation
You have the lackluster mayor Sam Adams to blame for this! He surely knows about it, but does nothing.
 @Michael Cornell And you have solid proof of this ?
So as soon as you park there, you are watched constantly to make sure you do not "deviate" from your travels? This is why people don't want to shop in downtown Portland at all! These scumbags don't want you to be there at all. Shop somewhere else if you want a fair deal.
This company should be put out of business as soon as possible. Many of them should go to prison. People like this have no right to screw the public like that.
Rent-a-cops, gotta love'em! Just another one of the many reasons to avoid downtown.
So let me get this right: to follow the rules, if I have 3 place to do business downtown, I need to go to park in lot A and visit business A then get back in my car, drive across the street to lot B, visit business B, get back in my car, drive 1/2 block to lot C and then visit businees C? That ridiculous, I can go to a suburban mall and park once and visit as many stores as I want to spend money at. They need to lighten up and quit hiring these parking lot thugs if they want me to patronize their stores. From now on, If I see a Pacific Audit Solutions sign I'm taking my business elsewhere.
Predatory parking enforcement - just one more hidden tax that Portland socks on its citizens.
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Pacific Audit Solutions seems to have a few "Problems" that they themselves need a solution to wait until they get a Customer that calls "Entrapment" on them.
This is the kind of crap that drives business out of downtown. Unless Portland turns things around and makes its downtown driver-friendly, it will never be viable for business growth.
If one removes the emotion and Pacific Audit Solutions from the discussion, it simply becomes a question of whether the rules are being followed. If you are doing business with one of the companies that share the parking lot, great. Parking is generously provided free of charge (a rare occurrence in Portland where elected officials goals are to make it financially infeasible to drive downtown). If you choose to leverage that generosity by patronizing other area businesses that don't offer free parking either before or after patronizing a business that provides free parking you are abusing the privilege.Â
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I am not surprised that some people believe, incorrectly so, that as long as they do business with one of those sharing the lot they are "entitled" to park there as long as they want, or at least as long as the posted limit. I am surprised that those who abuse the privilege have the unmitigated gall to complain about getting a ticket. In most cases it is much cheaper to use the Starbucks lot when you want to do some business locally than to find an open meter or use a paid lot. Simply park, walk in the Starbucks, buy a $2 coffee, and then go about your business in the area. Unfortunately that behavior has a negative impact on those sharing the lot as the limited number of parking spaces places them at a premium and prevents other customers from using the lot. In many cases, a business will lose a potential customer if it becomes inconvenient; such as the case would be if a customer's only alternative was to find a metered space or use a pay lot.
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American culture is one that loves to point fingers rather than accept personal responsibility for our own behavior. The ethical thing to do is to only use the lot when you are patronizing the businesses who own/lease it. Period. The reason building/lot owners and businesses hire companies like Pacific Audit Solutions is because people abuse the free parking privilege by leveraging it for other purposes. People make not like the actions of Pacific Audit Solutions but the easy solution is not to give them the opportunity to take any action by playing by the rules. Kyle Kavas is simply wrong in this case. Patronizing a business does not provide her with use of a parking lot space to patronize another business that does not provide free parking.
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 @I812 i totally agree with your statement.  people feel so entitled sometimes.  there is a clear logical reason why those businesses would not want people to park there, get a coffee then spend 30 minutes in fred meyer.  and if the parking attendants are spying, so what?  that's their job.  just follow the rules or accept blame when you don't. Â
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 @I812 That may or may not be true but my "encounter" with PAS was completely one-sided. Mine. They refused to accept phone calls or respond to emails and postal mail. I followed all of their stupid rules but they wouldn't get back to me. So as to not encounter a "late" penalty, I wrote a check indicating I was paying under protest (as you can do with legitimate taxable bills) pending a response from the company. The ONLY response I got was them cashing the dam check! Jerks! I never deviated from any of the stores their lot serviced. I did nothing wrong. I got no response. How FAIR AND JUST is that?!? Nope, never using one of their lots, again! I learned my overly expensive lesson.
 @CTWU i work blocks from the starbucks in question and i have had two tickets reversed just by calling pas.  one was questionable signage but the other was totally my fault.  i walked away from my car and forgot to buy a ticket.  i was gone all day.  they forgave it and they could not have been more helpful.  i'm sorry your experience was different
@CTWU Somethimes when you do everything right you still get hammered by an unscroupulous business. I have to believe there are options for appeal including the City of Portland, the State Attorney General's office, or simply having a conversation with the business you patronized. Most businesses do not want to be associated with another business that play by the rules. I would not just let it go. You might even explore small claims court.
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I know this all takes time and I suspect many unscroupulous buisnesses are counting on people not being willing to put in the time or effort. Personally I would do whatever I could to legally cost them more than any ticket they gave me.
Wow, you mean Portland people are actually receiving consequenses for not following the rules? Say it isn't so!
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Everyone knows that Portlanders only follow their own rules
 @Lo Pan We like our rules. F off and leave if you don't
Pacific Audit Solutions say they are "...in 100percent compliance with all Portland parking codes." Being in compliance doesn't always make you right.
Wonder what would happen if you parked a bicycle in one of their lots?
 @jpk Probably would get stolen...
Glad to see someone might finally be taking this company to task. At the very least, hopefully they will be dropped at bid renewal time. This "company" doesn't even respond to questions or comments via telephone or email and I've already seen online elsewhere that they don't really have a physical address that you can come to to address the issues. And for what it's worth, I was shopping at several locations near NW 23rd that don't have locations closer to me (Vancouver) and I arrived after a doctor appointment and use a wheelchair so mass transit doesn't really work too well over here without light rail so I ended up at one of their parking places. Never again!
If you want to use the Starbucks lot to run errands at another store you should get your coffee first and put the receipt in the front window of your car. If you still get the ticket you'll have your time stamped receipt to beat it.
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This is what I do when I use the Walgreens lot.
No parking lot fees in the suburban malls. Every day I see new reasons to avoid the shytehole that Portland has become.
 @Altazi Downtown Porltand is nothing more than a predatory environment and I avoid it like the plague. All my business is done outside of Multnomah county so that I contribute as little as possible to the Portland economy.
@RalphCramden @Altazi Totally agree...there is absolutely NO reason to be in downtown Portland. I can't even remember the last time I was there. I remember when all the big department stores were there, I worked in two of them. My mom worked for many years at a confectionary/restaurant called Blum's..right on the corner across from Meier and Frank. There were reasons to make it an afternoon in downtown Portland. Now, unless you're a lawyer or work for local gov. or need something else for our bike, what reason is there to go downtown? It is no longer a user-friendly city. It stinks. Literally.
 @Bewitchin1 There is nothing that I need downtown and the only reason I go there is on government business. I get in, and get out as fast as I can. I also make sure I don't spend any money there because that only breeds more of what I hate.Â
It isn't really relevant to the discussion here, but yes, actually, the hours TriMet doesn't run are inconvenient. What about people who work the night shift, or need to get to/from the suburbs after 11 or so? Believe me, I've tried to use TriMet, and would be happy to be a mass-transit user. But the simple fact of the matter is it's never been practical and the experience has always, always been disgusting and annoying to the point of making me angry that tax money supports the system. And it still costs as much to ride one or more hot, dirty, smell busses or trains filled with freaks as it does to just drive wherever I need to go. I wish the system worked, but it just isn't realistic.
 @tom I dunno what kind of gas mileage you get downtown, but I get about 15mpg.  So since a gallon of gas costs about $4, I could drive from like Oregon City to Portland and back for $4.  For $2.10 I can get a bus pass and do the same thing.  I don't get your logic here unless your car is extremely efficient.  Most people get crap gas mileage downtown waiting at lights, etc.  I was stuck at a light downtown for over 5 minutes yesterday and thats like 5mpg.  And then you have to pay for parking typically (another $1.60 per hour). Â
 @portlandborn83 I don't know, or care how much fuel my Nissan Armada gets. I would rather drive it and be comfortable and safe than take my chances on the Gangsta Express. I get in... turn on the XM radio... crank up the A/C and enjoy the drive. I don't care how much gas costs, but I do love looking at the few people riding a stinky bus and sweating like crazy... scared to death that the person sitting across from them is going to rob them.
 No public cattle cars for me. I prefer the safe confines of my gas guzzling behemoth.
I'm not so concerned with being "robed" on Tri-Met, but the fact that it doesn't run at night, costs as much as gas and is usually filled with filthy obnoxious people is enough for me. I'd rather not come home with bedbugs and a staph infection, thanks. But I guess that makes me an idiot. hah!
@tom LOL!!! ROBED??? I'm sorry Tom...not laughing at you...but I was thinking...it's bad enough being ROBBED on Tri-Met...but no you gotta wear clothes on there too? LOL
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 @tom Actually, MAX and some lines run from around 5am to about 1:30-2:00 am the next day. A 3-4 hour break in service isn't that big of a deal, is it?. As for MAX/buses being "usually filled with filthy obnoxious people", thanks for the enlightenment *sarcasm*. While it can have some pretty "interesting" people on it, so can just walking in downtown or going to any mall or attending any bar. My Dad is a senior and disabled and takes the Max and bus for his transportation to doctor appointments, groceries, etc.. He seems to be just fine, enjoys the convenience, and doesn't have "bedbugs and a staph infection". Maybe before you generalize next time, you might think about what you are saying. I'll refrain from calling you an idiot. I think you just may be misinformed.
@Kymberlie2873 @tom Then I must be "misinformed" also. Your dad's been lucky. I attempted to use the bus on several occasions...but when I found out how many times I had to transfer just to get to downtown, I drove my car! Schedules aren't geared for people who work odd hours...and yes! A 3-4 hour break in service is a BIG deal if you're unfortunate enough to need to go home during that break. I was born in New York and we used mass transit all the time while I was growing up (my mom never learned to drive). And those subways ran all the time...no "non-service"  hours. You could catch a day train in Connecticut and zoom right into Manhatten...no problems, no transfers. Here? Forget it. Give me my car anyday.
Simple, take Tri-Met. You lazy idiots.
@Michael R. Newton I'll take a ticket over getting robed any day of the week.
 @2nd Baseman Why would you try to steal parking in the first place? Even if you get away with it, that's still some rather antisocial behavior.
 @tom I take it you've never been to the Fred Meyers at SE Hawthorne and 39th Ave (I refuse to call SE 39th Ave by any other name!).  This store has a HUGE parking lot at street level, plus roof-top parking that is about a third the size of the main lot.  And yet many days and all weekends it can be impossible to find a place to park to shop in Freddy's--and usually you'll find that Freddy's aisles are not the least bit crowded.  Why?  Because the majority of these folks park in Freddy's lot and then walk up and down SE Hawthorne's trendy funky shopping area.  I'd be glad to see some "parking spies" there!
@Gravity Works! @tom I grew up in that area and know that Freddie's well. It's always been a loaded parking lot...both street level and on the roof too.
Since when does a bunch of rent a cops have the authority to write tickets anyway?
 @podunk.2 Its on private property, and their allowed as per Portland City Code.
Why would you expect Starbucks to be okay with your using their parking to go to JeldWen? Parking in urban areas is pretty simple - if you play by the rules you won't have a problem, but you have to expect that someone's just waiting for you to cheat so they can make a buck - wouldn't you if it was your property? You really can't expect people to feel bad for you when you try to take advantage and get caught, and to then complain to the BBB is pretty childish.
 @tom Whaaaaa....whaaaa....my parking ticket from when I went and got starbucks!  I can't believe this happened to me...lol.
 @portlandborn83 i know!  i was aghast when i read this article. Â
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@2nd Baseman Cool, then they just have you towed for unpaid tickets.