These 4 Colorado drivers paid to park in a Denver lot — and got expensive $87 tickets in the mail instead. Here’s the most important thing to do to protect yourself

The management company has been called out before

9NEWS spoke with several other consumers who were also charged and then fined for parking in the 15th and Boulder parking lot.

Some customers, like McKenzie Gunderson, a Colorado native who relocated to Kentucky, say the company doesn’t provide a receipt, which makes disputing the fine more difficult. After using the lot, her rental car company notified her that the lot had fined her, and they tacked on an additional $50 fee.

“I sent a screenshot of my Apple Card statement showing my purchase with the address of the purchase reflecting that parking lot and the same day, so it all lines up,” she told reporters. “But they basically said because I didn’t have a receipt from them, that they weren’t going to honor it.

Dale Fenton says he also received a fine after using the lot. He says he scanned a QR code and had a $12 charge on his credit card, which was aligned with the day he used the lot.

Fenton says he didn’t bother to dispute the charge because he assumed the fine wasn’t legitimate. That’s because in 2023, the attorney general had already gone after PRRS and Parkwell management company for predatory parking citations.

In August 2023, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced a settlement with PRRS over allegations that the company illegally collected or tried to collect fines for parking that was either already paid for or incurred by another vehicle. The agreement required the company to dismiss parking violations for many consumers, refund customers $31,000, and pay $75,000 in restitution.

“It appears the fines imposed by the state were not enough to teach this company a lesson, as they still appear to be sending out predatory parking citations,” Fenton wrote in an email to 9NEWS.

Daron Atkin parked at the lot in early October on his way to a nearby restaurant with his wife. Atkin told reporters he used the kiosk because he worried he wouldn’t have time to install an app and make his restaurant reservation. He also received a ticket.

Atkin, Fenton and Gunderson all told reporters they did not get a receipt.

Attorney General Phil Weiser says his office is keeping an eye on the company.

“The story you just told me of a company charging a consumer, not giving a receipt and then going after the consumer for not paying, that’s not fair behavior,” Weiser told 9NEWS.

PRRS and Parkwell denied the allegations of improper fines and blamed the payment processor for the mistakes.

“We are aware of a recent software integration issue at one of our parking lots that has impacted parking operations and our customers,” Ryan Whitehurst, executive vice president and managing partner for Parkwell, told 9NEWS in an emailed statement.

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Protect yourself from predatory parking practices

The best defense against an unfair parking fine is proof of purchase. If the parking lot you’re using offers a receipt, either printed or by email, accept it. That proof of purchase could potentially save you hundreds of dollars in fines.

If you get a paper receipt, take a photo of it, ideally in front of the meter or in front of your car in the lot. It's easy to lose small paper receipts, but a photo will work as proof.

Metadata, information stored about when and where a photograph was taken, can help confirm you paid on the right day. This is especially important if you pay for parking with a credit card, which might not process the payment until the following day.

If you use the kiosk to pay, consider taking several photos as you pay. Sequential photos showing the date, time, car license plate you enter, and payment can help you prove when and where you paid for parking.

As a final measure of protection, consumers should consider avoiding parking lots with low Google ratings.