Driver gets fined for overtime parking in private lot, then sends the payment in $2 checks every month, leading the parking company to waive the fine: ‘I got the 11th check back’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jan 27, 2026 1:00 PM EST

If they're going to charge so much for 30 minutes of parking, they should be prepared to get the money no matter what.

There are a lot of reasons why some people prefer not to own a car and get by with Uber or public transportation instead, and one of those reasons is the parking. You would think that getting places with a car is faster and cheaper, but how much time do you actually waste looking for a parking spot? How much money do you waste paying for that spot?

That is without even counting the parking tickets. 

No matter where you live, parking tickets are always an issue. You either park in the wrong place, overstay your welcome, or you can't find somewhere to park at all. No matter what it is, someone is watching you and is ready to punish you for parking incorrectly. Then, as your parking tickets pile on, you can bet that owning a car is not as fun as you once thought it would be.

Sometimes, however, one can find their way around paying for these parking tickets, just like the driver in the story below did. Last year, they visited a restaurant where the parking was hard to find. They ended up parking in a private lot and prepaying for two hours in the spot they found. However, they returned to their car 30 minutes after the allotted time, which led them to finding a bill from the parking company in their mail a week later. This company announced its intention to charge the driver $80 for the extra 30 minutes, and refused to waive the fee.

The driver was not ready to pay all that money for less than an hour of parking, so they decided to create a hassle for the company. Instead of paying them the $80 in full, they scheduled 30 monthly payments of $2 check that the company would have to cash every single month. Almost a year and 10 payments later, the company finally rejected the 11th check and informed the driver that their account has been paid in full.

Even though the driver still had to pay $20 for the whole thing, at least he got some satisfaction out of it…

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  • Parking Ticket on car windshield
    via Westhoff

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Parked for 30 minutes longer than I paid for

    went to a downtown restaurant last year and as in many downtown areas, street parking is hard to find.
    via fujoboo
  • I ended up parking in a lot and paid for 2 hours. I can't quite remember how much it was, but I'm gonna guess it was about $30.
    via fujoboo
  • I ended up over staying my alotted time by 30 minutes. No big deal, I thought.
    via fujoboo
  • About a week later, I get a bill from the company that owns the lot. They wanted to charge me $80!
    via fujoboo
  • for the 30 minutes. I tried calling to dispute the charge and while they did give me $20 off, I was still on the hook for $60...for half an hour of parking.
    via fujoboo
  • So, I went to my bank account and scheduled 30 monthly payments of $2 figuring that if they're going to charge me, I'd create the hassle of them having to process a $2 check every month.
    via fujoboo
  • I guess they decided that it wasn't worth it. Because today, after only 10 payments, I got the 11th check back in the mail with a note that my account has been paid in full.
    via fujoboo
  • They wrote off $40 just to not have to process my $2 checks anymore, lol
    via fujoboo
  • Putting mail in a mailbox
    via gmnicholas

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • dmcneil99 That is a crazy amount for 30 minutes
    via dmcneil99
  • fujoboo Original Poster's Reply That's what i thought, too. I also filed a complaint with the attorney general.
    via fujoboo
  • Wanderer--42 Good luck. They will respond with pictures of their sign saying they charge per minute after the allotted time and probably video of you leaving without attempting to pay for the extra time you used. ETA: Fixed a typo.
    via Wanderer--42
  • fujoboo Original Poster's Reply I'd understand a nominal charge for staying past the paid for time, but 80 bucks for 30 minutes is ludacris
    via fujoboo
  • miketag8337 Why did you pay at all? What are they going to do if you refuse?
    via miketag8337
  • fujoboo Original Poster's Reply I dunno. I didn't want to risk it somehow making it to my credit report as a delinquent account.
    via fujoboo
  • miketag8337 They have to prove you parked there first.
    via miketag8337
  • fujoboo Original Poster's Reply Well, that's how they found me to send the letter. I had to register my license plate when paying and I assume that they have cameras clocking in and out times
    via fujoboo
  • bobk2 Back in the '70s I worked in a law office as a skip tracer, tracking down people who owed money to NYC for parking violations. This lady asked if she could pay $5 a week instead of $20 a month (because she wanted to make sure we got our money if she ran out of it by the end of the month). I gave her a break and said okay. I didn't know that the bank charged us $4.50 per check!
    via bobk2
  • PlayAccomplished 3706 I imagine there has to be a limit on what is legal? Otherwise you can charge a billion dollars per minute
    via PlayAccomplished3706
  • camh- What I find weird about this as a non-American is that scheduling payments results in checks being mailed. This must cost the bank a bit. I'm surprised they do not pass this cost on plus a bit of profiteering and charge you something like $5 per scheduled payment. Where I live, this would not work. Each scheduled payment would be done electronically with no human involvements. Each payment would decrease the balance of your account until zero. No-one is going to be put out by doing 30 mont
    via camh-

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