Logo'd vehicles can't park at meters?!

[Doug Lane]

An Armstrong man parked his vehicle at a Vernon meter and paid for his time. While there, with 90 minutes remaining on his meter, ByLaw's wrote him a $25 ticket. Why? Because he vehicle is logo'd with his diner in Armstrong! The officer said the vehicle “was advertising,” and a ticket was issued because he had failed to pay for a registration permit for a commercial vehicle that would allow him to park in metered areas. The permit costs up to $40 and must be put in the vehicle's window.

My vehicle is wrapped with company advertising, like so many are today. Vernon is saying we can't park at a meter unless we have this permit? I have never heard anything more ridiculous. Furthermore, I live in Kelowna but frequent Vernon. Does this matter?

Downtown Vernon Association is trying to promote and revive the downtown core. I loved their response "offered to give him free parking in the DVA parking lot and to pay for a free lunch the next time he is in Vernon".

Municipal government needs to take quick action on this absurd by-law and get it off the books immediately. In the meantime they need to instruct By-Law's to NOT enforce such a ridiculous law, and encourage their By-Law Officers to act as ambassadors for the downtown. Or it will continue to die.

[my5cents]

An Armstrong man parked his vehicle at a Vernon meter and paid for his time. While there, with 90 minutes remaining on his meter, ByLaw's wrote him a $25 ticket. Why? Because he vehicle is logo'd with his diner in Armstrong! The officer said the vehicle “was advertising,” and a ticket was issued because he had failed to pay for a registration permit for a commercial vehicle that would allow him to park in metered areas. The permit costs up to $40 and must be put in the vehicle's window.

My vehicle is wrapped with company advertising, like so many are today. Vernon is saying we can't park at a meter unless we have this permit? I have never heard anything more ridiculous. Furthermore, I live in Kelowna but frequent Vernon. Does this matter?

Downtown Vernon Association is trying to promote and revive the downtown core. I loved their response "offered to give him free parking in the DVA parking lot and to pay for a free lunch the next time he is in Vernon".

Municipal government needs to take quick action on this absurd by-law and get it off the books immediately. In the meantime they need to instruct By-Law's to NOT enforce such a ridiculous law, and encourage their By-Law Officers to act as ambassadors for the downtown. Or it will continue to die.

I suspect there may be some miscommunication on this one. The fact that the vehicle was in a metered parking spot could be the red herring.

The only applicable law I could find on the Vernon web site was Section 507 of their Traffic Bylaw 2747, which reads :

No person shall park or leave standing any vehicle on any street for the principal purpose of
advertising, washing, greasing, repairing, wrecking or storing such vehicle (except repairs
necessitated by an emergency). or for the principal purpose of displaying such vehicle for
sale.

There is also a City of Vernon "Parking Facility Bylaw", that covered all sorts of situations but I couldn't find anything talking about vehicles with logos parking in metered spaces.

You'll note that if the offense was in fact under Sec 507, it would have to be proven that the vehicle was parked with "the principle purpose of advertising". Quite a legal hurdle.

https://www.vernon.ca/government-servic ... =25&=Apply

[rush]

I drive for a large trucking company out of Kelowna and I deliver in the alleys of Vernon.Every few months I get a ticket for parking in the alley,delivering,for not having a permit to park the truck.None of our trucks have permits to work in Vernon.I dont know if our company pays the fine,but per year there are about 5-10 tickets issued. How about that?

[Dizzy1]

This happened before. Some 5 years ago there was a letter to the editor in the paper - someone from Kamloops with a logo vehicle got a ticket for "advertising" while parked by the rec center

[jimsenchuk]

I drive for a large trucking company out of Kelowna and I deliver in the alleys of Vernon.Every few months I get a ticket for parking in the alley,delivering,for not having a permit to park the truck.None of our trucks have permits to work in Vernon.I dont know if our company pays the fine,but per year there are about 5-10 tickets issued. How about that?

I am thinking the businesses should go pick up their stuff from a warehouse in vernon then. Also the city should have to pick up their stuff from a warehouse 10 miles out of town, what an archaic bylaw

[jimsenchuk]

http://www.bcmag.ca/10_Bizarre_British_Columbia_Laws

[Bsuds]

It's one thing to ticket someone who is doing business in Vernon without the proper permits/licenses and another thing all together to do it to a Visitor!

I wonder if they ticket all the Telus contractors from Alberta who are installing Fiber?

This falls under the "You can't fix stupid" headline.

[dontrump]

years ago in Vernon if you parked a commercial vehicle anywhere in vernons controlled parking you had to purchase a Vernon commercial municipal plate I suspect this is a fall back on that old Vernon bylaw

[bob57]

It is all about taxes people. Cities will never have enough money to maintain the infrastructure,thus all the ways and means to get their citizens and visitors to help out. If you are not use to it by NOW, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

[my5cents]

years ago in Vernon if you parked a commercial vehicle anywhere in vernons controlled parking you had to purchase a Vernon commercial municipal plate I suspect this is a fall back on that old Vernon bylaw

The only bylaw I could find on the books was directed a just plain, parking a vehicle with advertising. Doesn't say "controlled parking" or a commercial vehicle just the act that the "primary reason it was parked was to advertise something".

Actually a good example (and I'm sure they get away with it all the time) are realtor's vehicles parked near an open house with a sign sitting on the roof of the realtor's car directing people to an open house.

I don't think a vehicle of any sort with a sign on it, generally would fit that bill. Yes, I'm a plumber and I've parked near a job, or a store, and yes it advertises my business but the primary reason I'm parked there is to do something other than advertise.

As for the commercial vehicle in a lane. Many many cities have laws about not parking in lanes, commercial vehicles or otherwise. You can actively unload while stopped in a lane as long as you leave clearance to get by. In some cities you must be a commercial vehicle to unload in a commercial lane.

[marleys10]

As a business owner from Armstrong I found this story very upsetting so I set to talk to the City and get the whole story to make sure I was informed. I found out that with my vehicle that has my company logo on the side, I can't park downtown Vernon without paying the "permit" of up to $40.00 PER YEAR, plus I must pay the meter fee for the meter in which I am parked in front of. So I asked, what if I am parked after work hours having dinner with my family am I still open to receiving a ticket....yes I am. This is after hours, I am not parking in alleys or blocking traffic while conducting business. This is ridiculous! I guess I could take the decals off my car and suddenly this vehicle that would make the City of Vernon an extra $40 per year "to maintain the roads" now makes them nothing even though it's the same car, the same roads and the same parking spot. But rather than take the logos off my car, I will now chose to stay out of the down town core, I will chose to shop elsewhere, I will eat elsewhere, because I refuse to pay a permit fee on top of the parking meters because the City of Vernon need to fill their coffers!

[dontrump]

As a business owner from Armstrong I found this story very upsetting so I set to talk to the City and get the whole story to make sure I was informed. I found out that with my vehicle that has my company logo on the side, I can't park downtown Vernon without paying the "permit" of up to $40.00 PER YEAR, plus I must pay the meter fee for the meter in which I am parked in front of. So I asked, what if I am parked after work hours having dinner with my family am I still open to receiving a ticket....yes I am. This is after hours, I am not parking in alleys or blocking traffic while conducting business. This is ridiculous! I guess I could take the decals off my car and suddenly this vehicle that would make the City of Vernon an extra $40 per year "to maintain the roads" now makes them nothing even though it's the same car, the same roads and the same parking spot. But rather than take the logos off my car, I will now chose to stay out of the down town core, I will chose to shop elsewhere, I will eat elsewhere, because I refuse to pay a permit fee on top of the parking meters because the City of Vernon need to fill their coffers!

not 100% sure but I don't think the bylaw dorks work after 5-5;30 so don't see that as a problem.
Like I said from many many years ago; like 40 ;; a municipal plate was always required on any commercial vehicle when parking in the downtown Vernon area.Dont agree just saying is all

[marleys10]

When I called the bylaw officer at City Of Vernon he told me it didn't matter what time I was parked downtown with my "logo'd" vehicle, I would need a permit or be subject to a fine. And after talking to more people about this there have been instances where someone was ticketed at night. It's not right, I understand I would need a commercial permit if I was blocking alley ways to deliver goods or double parking to make drop offs but I am not, I am parking in a spot, paying the meter and going about my personal business . That makes me no different than if I took my neighbours car downtown and did the same thing but somehow the decals on my car costs an additional $40 per year for a ridiculous permit! It is nothing but a cash grab, trying to get the cash from the tax payer anyway they can! And if the City needs money that badly that they have to ticket logo'd vehicles they will need even more money when people stop shopping downtown Vernon to avoid tickets or paying for a permit! It's a vicious circle as people won't put up with permitting and excess fees, basically people will stop shopping downtown, downtown businesses will suffer and close and the city won't make revenue off business taxes and business licensing! This is a province wide system of commercial vehicle permits, BUT it is up to each individual town/city to choose if they will ticket violators or not, and it's apparent that Vernon has chose to ticket.

[Gixxer]

This happened before. Some 5 years ago there was a letter to the editor in the paper - someone from Kamloops with a logo vehicle got a ticket for "advertising" while parked by the rec center

I remember that. It was at an MMA event.

[LTD]

I would simply refuse to pay it