Vermont drivers misled by parking firm now getting $150K settlement
The Vermont Attorney General's Office has reached a settlement with Unified Parking Partners, a Maine-based company, over allegations of misleading consumers, according to a community announcement.
Unified Parking Partners, which operates 27 private parking facilities in Vermont, allegedly issued misleading "citations" to consumers between 2020 and 2024. These citations suggested that failure to pay could impact a consumer's credit rating, vehicle registration, license renewal or ability to rent a vehicle, despite the company having no authority to enforce such consequences.
The settlement requires Unified Parking Partners to change its parking notices and pay $150,000 to the state. The company must cease using terms like "citation" or "fine" and refrain from using language that implies governmental authority or threatens consequences it cannot lawfully impose.
'Companies have a right to charge for services rendered, but not to trick consumers into paying out of fear that disputing a charge could come with consequences the company has no power to impose,' Attorney General Charity Clark said in the announcement. 'The message to commercial actors is that words matter and misrepresentations carry consequences. I'm pleased that this company has agreed to stop its misrepresentations.'
Consumers who wish to dispute charges or provide proof of payment can contact Unified Parking Partners by emailing support@uppglobal.com or calling 207-747-4230 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Vermonters with consumer complaints can reach out to the Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424 or email ago.cap@vermont.gov.
This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct or share your thoughts at http://bit.ly/3RapUkA with our News Automation and AI team.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Parking company fined for misleading Vermont drivers with fake threats
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Belen city council votes yes to new permit for solar panel farm
BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) – It's considered the hub city for renewable energy in the southwest. Belen city councilors voted to continue that momentum, allowing a major energy company to construct another solar farm on 395 acres. There are thousands of undeveloped acres of land that Belen city councilors want to see filled up. 'For a long time, Belen has looked to try to find ways to grow, we always fall just a little bit short,' said Mayor Robert Noblin during a city council meeting Monday. A proposed project for a major solar farm located west of I-25 between Los Lunas and Belen. It was presented before Belen's city council for a special use permit with promises of 250 construction jobs for locals and economic growth. 'We had an economic impact study done, and for GDP, roughly $16.9 million would come to the city of Belen,' said Ashley Sgaliardich, Project Director, NextEra Energy Resources. Belen man accused of trying to rob Albuquerque McDonald's with lighter This latest development, called 'The Starlight Energy Center,' will be neighboring an already existing solar panel farm managed by the company NextEra Energy Resources. City councilors agreed during Monday's meeting that the land needs to be used. 'It's been a long time [and] nothing's come. I understand several years ago, we had a development that was going to go out there, and it just went away,' said City Councilor Steven Holdman. While the meeting was open to the public, no one came up for comment, but one resident KRQE spoke to on Saturday said the existing panels are an eyesore. 'It is because if you look at it before the solar panels, Los Lunas hill was just farmland, you know it was a hill now, walk there, all you just see is solar panels and just metal stuff and like that,' said Rayven Garcia. The company said their next steps are to apply for an industrial revenue bond, which helps finance the project. Construction is expected to start this December and be completed by December 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Driver dead, 2 kids and another adult seriously injured in Napa crash: CHP
NAPA, Calif. - A driver was killed, and two children and another driver are seriously injured stemming from a major collision in Napa, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash occurred near State Route 121, north of State Route 37 Friday afternoon, and involved two cars. What we know According to the CHP, the first car crossed over double yellow lines into oncoming traffic. At one point, it came into contact with the other car, with two children passengers. The driver of the first car died. The second driver was taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital while the two children were flown to Oakland's Children's Hospital. Officials said all three have major injuries. It's unclear what factors played a part in the collision or what caused the crash. The Source California Highway Patrol
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tesla shareholders face staggering new hurdle after company enacts controversial policy: 'A formidable barrier'
Tesla raised the bar for shareholders to sue the company board or executives for breach of fiduciary duties. The change took effect May 15 and requires an investor or group of investors to hold 3% of the electric vehicle maker's stock "to institute or maintain a derivative proceeding," CNBC reported. Tesla's market cap is $1.123 trillion, so a plaintiff would have to own shares worth $33.7 billion. "Obviously, for a company of Tesla's size, that would be a formidable barrier to anyone bringing a lawsuit for breach of fiduciary duty," Tulane Law School's Ann Lipton told CNBC in an email. The change was enabled by a Texas law that "allows corporations to limit shareholder lawsuits against insiders for breach of fiduciary duty," the outlet added. With shareholder approval, Tesla moved its incorporation site from Delaware to the Lone Star State in June 2024. An investor who owned nine shares of Tesla stock sued the company in 2018, and CEO Elon Musk's $56 billion compensation package was revoked in January 2024. Musk is by far the richest person on the planet, and his wealth makes him nearly untouchable. He helped to pioneer the EV movement by becoming an early investor in Tesla in 2003, and the company has been known for innovative technology and industry-leading breakthroughs. Recently, however, the South African has drawn criticism for straying into American and European politics, including spending lavishly on the U.S. presidential election campaign of Donald Trump, leading government spending cuts as the head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, and supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany party. Activists have protested these actions, and Tesla charging stations, vehicles, and dealerships have been vandalized. Sales have plummeted, and Tesla stock spiraled downward, too, though it has regained much of its value. This upheaval and the larger perception change of Musk from groundbreaker to villain could stifle the uptake of EVs, which is one of the many things necessary to slow the rapid rise of global temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels for energy. It would take a massive coalition of shareholders to fight back against this move by Tesla, though companies are generally amenable to public pressure — especially when it comes to consumers' spending power. Tesla, for example, is shifting its focus from EV manufacturing to a robotaxi service and robotics to stabilize its future. Musk has a history of not delivering on outlandish promises, but it has not significantly slowed the company or deterred its supporters. What do you think of Tesla and Elon Musk? Elon is the man Love the company; hate the CEO I'm not a fan of either I don't have an opinion Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
