(File) These entrepreneurs from greater Montreal claim to operate completely legally by imposing “false parking fines” on Quebecers to avoid, among other things, “a towing festival” for their customers. Here is a portrait of the Laval companies that arouse the ire of motorists.
State Park Inc.
It monitors 400 sites with cameras and agents on site
- Owner: Lyne Côté
- Number of complaints to the Consumer Protection Office (OPC): 47
- October 3, 2023: the OPC sends them a reminder of the provisions of the Recovery Act (related to false traffic tickets)
- year of creation: 2018
- Place: Located in Laval
- Parking fines: $103
Lyne Côté, owner of the company Stat Park Inc. which issues numerous counterfeit tickets for Quartier DIX30. Photo taken from Lyne Spark’s Facebook account
In interview with The newspaper, Stat Park Inc. confirms that it manages hundreds of parking lots where the company issues “false tickets” to at-fault motorists. The company obtained a contract, among others, with the parking lots of Quartier DIX30 in Brossard and the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal.
“There are people who prefer to park with our private clients to avoid paid parking. We would not be here if we did not have this problem and parking management companies like ours would not exist,” defends its president, Lyne Côté.
Stat Park Inc. sign installed in front of its offices, located on Boulevard des Laurentides, in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
Stat Park Inc. assures that it does not issue “false tickets” to at-fault drivers, but rather a simple “invoice”. MMe Côté specifies that this method is less aggressive than towing vehicles and much less expensive too. She thus wishes to avoid a “towing festival”.
Example of counterfeit note from the company Stat Park Inc., delivered to Quartier DIX30, in Brossard.
Francis Pilon / JdeM
But why do the said “invoices” look so much like a real report from the City of Montreal and do they have the same colors, then?
Note that the Stat Park and Pay Park companies are located in this same building in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
“No, it’s not a declaration, we write that it’s an invoice on it. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on lawyers. This is not provided for by law. No law tells me that I have the right or that I do not have the right to do that,” insists Mr.Me Côté, very energetic on the line.
Solutions Parc Max Inc.
A big, very discreet player in 12 regions of Quebec
- Owner: Gary Bastien
- Number of complaints to the Consumer Protection Office (OPC): 32
- January 17, 2023: the OPC sends them a reminder of the provisions of the Recovery Act (related to false traffic tickets)
- year of creation: 2020
- Place: Located in Laval
- Parking fines: $69but $99 if paid after 30 days
Building in which Max Park Solutions Inc. is located, on 100th avenue in Laval. Photo Martin Chevalier
Gary Bastien, director of Max Park Solutions Inc., declined our interview request. THE Newspaper also received dozens of testimonials from Quebecers who complained of having received a “false ticket” from their company, notably at Galeries Laval in greater Montreal.
“We have received your request for a telephone interview. We prefer to communicate with you by email, please respect our choice,” writes the “Max Park team” in an email.
Model of “false traffic ticket” from the company Max Park Solutions Inc.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
The company, which has no exterior posters on its Laval building, sent us a press release almost identical to the one sent by Stat Parc Inc.
“Property managers suffer too much abuse in the use of parking spaces without authorization, which has disadvantageous consequences for them. They are therefore calling on companies like ours to re-establish healthy use of their parking spaces,” we mention.
On its website, the Laval company indicates that it serves 12 regions of the province, including Centre-du-Québec, Outaouais and even Mauricie.
Paypark Canada Inc.
We beg him to get the money back
- Owner: Sylvain Vallières
- Number of complaints to the Consumer Protection Office (OPC): 13
- August 2, 2023: the OPC sends them a reminder of the provisions of the Recovery Act (related to false traffic tickets)
- year of creation: 2019
- Place: Located in Laval
- Parking fines: $63
Sylvain Vallières, who launched the company Pay Park Canada Inc. He confirms working in collaboration with Lyne Côté, of Stat Park Inc. Photo taken from the Facebook account of Sylvain Vallières
Sylvain Vallières, owner of Pay Park Canada Inc., claims to have stopped giving “false tickets” in Quebec.
“I now take care of the rental of parking lots rented by the hour,” he explains vaguely, while confirming that he works in collaboration with Stat Park Inc. Note that the two companies are located in the same building in Laval .
Car from the company Pay Park Canada Inc., located in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
The manager of Pay Park Canada Inc. admitted that some customers are still submitting old payment notices from his company and not “fake notes.”
Building where the companies Pay Park Canada Inc. and Stat Park Canada Inc. are located on Boulevard des Laurentides in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
“There are perhaps building superintendents who can give our opinion on a vehicle so as not to park at their place. It’s $63, says Mr. Vallières. Sometimes you get a check and you cash it just because people insist you do. They want peace of mind.
- With Nicolas Brasseur, QMI Agency
Posters in front of the offices of Pay Park Canada Inc. and Stat Park Inc., which are located in the same building in Laval.
MARTIN ALARIE / LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
WHAT THEY SAY :
“My granddaughter has comprehension problems and she received a false fine from the Parc Stat du Pharmaprix in Saint-Jérôme. She wanted to pay straight away. They do everything to scare us and threaten to sue us. I knew it didn’t look good. I told him we wouldn’t pay that after calling the Consumer Protection Office! » – Gérard Cyr, resident of Saint-Jérôme, in the Laurentians
“My son received four tickets from Max Park Inc. at Galeries Laval and I initially thought he had to pay for them. Subsequently, I saw that you had to pay by Interac transfer or by check by mail. I quickly changed my mind. We also wonder what they do with our banking information and photos of our license plates. »
– Josée Binette, lawyer specializing in the defense of traffic offenses
Photo PHOTO MARTIN ALARIE, JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
“I’ll be honest with you… I shop 2 to 3 times a week at DIX30. I have never seen the Stat Park Inc. signs warning you not to park if you are not a customer. People need to understand and see the parameters that lead to discovery. »
– Me Eric Lamontagne, lawyer specializing in the defense of traffic offenses
Photo PHOTO PROVIDED BY INFRINGEMENT EXPERTS
“If it weren’t for the problem of parking and abuse, especially in the Montreal region… Companies like us in parking management would not exist. »
– Lyne Cote, owner of Stat Park Canada Inc.
Photo Photo FACEBOOK BY LYNE SPARK
WHAT TO DO IF YOU RECEIVE A FALSE PARKING NOTICE?
- File a complaint with the Consumer Protection Office
- Do not pay the amount of the false fine
- Do not contact the company. Otherwise it will collect your private information
- If you paid these fees, you can notify the merchant to reimburse you
- You can even seek punitive damages in small claims court.
Source: Consumer Protection Office
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