Three parking lots closed for $999 per space

Parking company claims it was a mistake, judge orders parking lots to reopen

Parking fees in the City of Detroit are typically around $20, but fees can increase significantly during sporting events and concerts. Not surprisingly, that’s happening again when the Detroit Lions take on the Washington Commanders in the NFL divisional playoffs on Saturday.

A quick search on ParkWhiz revealed that many lots were sold out on Saturday, while others were charging as much as $120 each. Expensive, but not entirely outrageous.

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However, the price is still a bargain compared to the $999 per space charged in the three parking lots during the game. According to The Detroit News , they were shut down earlier today, and for good reason, as tickets for the game itself can be found on Stubhub for as low as $410. In fact, for $948 you can get a seat near the 50-yard line in row 39.

The parking lots, located near Ford Field in Gratiot and Randolph, told the newspaper the director of the city’s Department of Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environment should charge between $10 and $100 per space. This means they charged 10 to 100 times more than expected.

The city sought to revoke their license due to fairly blatant price gouging. However, Park Rite’s attorneys argued that this was just a mistake and that they had been using $999 as a placeholder for years but it was accidentally released. The attorney went on to claim that no one was buying a location at that price, and the judge hearing the case apparently thought that was good enough.

The newspaper specifically quoted Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Allen as saying that “they have corrected their mistake” and that “I can understand why the city would want to pursue it if the rate was $900 “This fee.” However, he continued: “Let’s open these plots today to people who work in the (nearby) courts and others who want to use them, and at a recognized price.”

Live image source: Google Street View