Attorney General Charity Clark today announced a resolution with UPP Global, LLC, a Maine-based private parking operator known in Vermont as Unified Parking Partners (UPP). UPP provides 27 private parking operations in several Vermont downtowns. Between 2020 and 2024, thousands of consumers paid UPP after receiving what the company misleadingly called “citations” which alleged that failure to pay could result in impacts to a consumer’s credit rating, vehicle registration, license renewal, or ability to rent a vehicle. UPP issued these “citations” to consumers despite having no governmental authority or ability to affect consumer credit without due process of law.
Following an investigation into the company’s alleged violations of the Consumer Protection Act, UPP has agreed to change its misleading parking notices and pay the State of Vermont $150,000 to resolve the State’s concerns.
“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,” said Attorney General Clark. “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.”
The settlement announced today requires UPP to cease and desist from using the term “citation” or “fine,” which may imply that UPP is a governmental entity, and to stop using any language that threatens a consequence the company has no lawful authority to make or to use any representation that would cause a reasonable consumer to believe that a notice has been issued by a municipal or governmental authority.
A copy of the settlement agreement may be found here. Consumers may dispute charges with the company or provide proof of payment by emailing [email protected] or by calling: 207-747-4230 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm.
Vermonters with consumer complaints may contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424 or email: [email protected].
CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Outreach and Communications Coordinator, 802-828-3171