Most car parks have a free car parking period, say 1 hr and then another fee for say 1-2 hrs and another for 2-3 hrs etc.
Today I encountered something I want clarified by readers of this forum.
I parked for 1 hr 26 mins and went to the ticket machine to see how much I need to pay. I was charged $4.90 being the posted rate for 1-2 hrs. So far so good.
I insisted on a receipt, which I received.
What struck me as odd was emblazoned on the receipt that I must exit within 10 mins after paying. I could not “use” the missing 24 mins to run any errand for instance.
Silly me thought I have until 2 hrs have elapsed from when I entered to exit the car park. Can the car park operator demand I exit before my 2 hrs are up, or presumably levy another fee on me?
What if I went to pay when I did, because I was near the ticket machine and it was available, but say I had to collect dry cleaning some 200 m away and I did not want to risk collecting my dry cleaning first and then checking my ticket when there may be a line of folks wanting to do the same?
(Note I am not suggesting that I am tricky and my intention was to check the ticket before 2 hrs are up and pay for 1-2 hrs but actually exit more than 2 hrs after entering the car park).
Yes, it will be in the terms and conditions associated with the carpark.
If you had other errands to do, why pay before you are finished.
The carpark terms and conditions will be specifically written to prevent this occurring. Otherwise someone could pay after 1h:59m and expected free parking for part of the 3rd hour while they complete their errands, claiming it took then 24 minutes to exit. If one parked in the street and did this, they could subject themselves to a parking infringement (fine).
This is the same car park about which I complained months ago. When I contacted the operator at that time, about me checking my ticket at the machine 57 mins after entering, but waiting longer than expected to exit because the driver ahead of me could not find her credit card, meant that I exited at 61 mins after entering, hence I was charged. I understood that I had one hour to exit at no cost and the next hour ie 61min to 119min was charged a set fee.
I interpreted that to mean I could stay parked up to 2 hrs even if I paid for my ticket say 90 mins after entering. The idea you’re suggesting I think is that I could pay 90 mins after entering (i.e. pay for 2 hrs) and exit say 2.5 hrs after entering is not plausible because surely I would be asked to pay the difference at the boom gate, which has a card reader.
Your interpretation will be incorrect. Payment will indicate that cessation of the services being provided, namely, the provision of a car park. As payment has been received, the carpark operator can rightly condition and require that vehicles within the carpark vacate the carpark within 10 minutes.
The time block of payment, in this case being an hour, is irrelevant. Even if the payment block was for another 59m.59s, this is irrelevant. This is because you have paid and ceased the services being provided, and must vacate the carpark. Not doing so means that the vehicle and driver is trespassing. A situation no one wants to be in.
It is like buying a train ticket for the zone from station A and F. If one decided to hop off at D when the ticket is for a single trip. Hopping off created a condition where the service ceased and the ticket is no longer valid. One can’t expect to then hop on a train later in the day to use the part of the ticket from Station D to F because one thinks it has been paid for. This will only result in an unpaid fare and increase likelihood of a fine. The carpark is no different.
If one wants to stay in the carpark longer, don’t pay. Wait until one is ready to leave before paying.
