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Lawrence Square Damage Control: They Still Get it Wrong

Last month, The Toronto Tribune reported on an abuse of the use of Handicapped Parking Spaces at Toronto's Lawrence Square Mall. After the publication of our article exposing their poor monitoring of the handicapped parking spots; letting two able bodied people use them, which forced a man who could barely walk to park illegally.

Heather Reppen, Communication at Lawrence Square, finally returned one of our calls and said, said, "It was my understanding that as long there was a temporary permit or handicapped parking identification in the car that they were able to use the space."

The Toronto Tribune, read out the following to Reppen found on the back of a handicapped parking permit, "This Accessible Parking Permit is valid when used only by the person to whom it is issued". Adding it is issued to the person with the disability, if either of those two people had a pass it was an invalid use.

Our goal, as told to both Reppen and later Lawrence Square Property Manager Diane Oxley of Riocan, is did they go after this fellow for the money. Plus, they issued the ticket through either their own security or security hired or allowed by the Property Management, Riocan, to patrol Lawrence Square. Within one hour of the issuance of the ticket, Lawrence Square had been informed that there was an independent witness, this reporter, who would go to court and testify on the behalf of the person who received the ticket should he decide to fight it. They have not either put us in touch, something The Toronto Tribune, did not ask and specifically stated when Oxley came up with the usual "privacy" issues. Privacy wasn't at issue we didn't ask for contact information; but the court date, should there be one, could have been provided. The other witness is the security guard who issued the ticket to the disabled man who could barely walk, and couldn't park legally thanks to the selective enforcement parking policy at Lawrence Square.

Reppen suggested it wasn't Lawrence Square Security, "by law enforcement officers are entitled to come onto the property." The security guard came out of Lawrence Square and re-entered Lawrence Square on foot. Who cares who issued the ticket, it let the two selfish illegal parkers off scot free and was given to a disabled man who could not park in disabled parking because of these shameful actions of two separate people.

Reppen was told, "that within less than an hour of issuing, I could testify on this guy's behalf, I have his license number." Reppen asked for time to talk to her security supervisor.

Reppen said, "My question to you, is why are you so interested in this?" Disabled man ticketed because two selfish able bodied people took parking spots that were set aside for him, seems self-explanatory. She was told that one of our goals is to help this guy, if we can, such as learning his court date and it was reiterated, that Lawrence Square was advised within one hour of issuing the ticket, that a witness was will to come forward. "Right," said Reppen.

We made the point in the earlier article that they didn't get back to us, though they did promise they would. Reppen said, she didn't get a voicemail until today. Holidays was the popular excuse, "sorry that communication was delayed because of an internal situation here. I will endeavor to find an answer to you."

Lawrence Square Property Manager Diane Oxley of Riocan was the next to get involved, "I was told that you called our office in regards to a parking ticket incident or something. Do you want to explain what happened?" The information was reiterated for the THIRD time to Lawrence Square Property Management the first time within one hour of the incident.

Note this is the third person involved in Property Management at Lawrence Square who had to hear the incident related to them. Oxley said, "I'm sorry, this is the first I've heard about this." Hmm, spoke to one person on August 14th within ONE hour of the incident and made a follow-up call early in September to the Communications person at Lawrence Square Heather Reppen. This is the first the Property Manager at Riocan hears of it?

Oxley interrupted this reporters reiteration of the events of that August day and said, "he doesn't have the right to park illegally." Three people parked illegally not just one; Lawrence Square ticketed the disabled man not the two able bodied people. "If those vehicles have a valid permit then we can't ticket them." Oxley was told again, this reporter didn't see valid parking passes, and Security at Lawrence Square didn't bother to check.

This conversation took place on September 5th. Lawrence Square was contacted within one hour of the ticket being issued on August 14th, and again on September 2nd. It has taken weeks for Lawrence Square to take action, and the only action taken is to return this reporter's calls. How about contacting the appropriate court and informing them that the people who issued the tickets, Lawrence Square, was advised within ONE hour of the issuance of the ticket that a witness was able to testify on behalf of the disabled man who received the ticket?

"Unfortunately we cannot return any tickets," told she could let this fellow know via the courts that a witness was available, "that's fine if he wishes to fight the ticket, he has to do so in court." Right, but Lawrence Square would have contacted the appropriate agencies to get this ticket before the courts and the fines assessed and monies collected. "We would not contact him. If he wishes to fight the ticket then he can fight it in court." He doesn't know about a potential witness, Lawrence Square does and has since 1 hour of the ticket being issued. Unfazed Oxley repeated herself, "he was parked illegally in the fire route because the handicapped were", illegally used, "okay well even if they were not [illegally used] that does not give someone the right to illegally park in the fire route."

She was asked, "If your security had done their job and come out and ticketed these two people who parked illegally; he wouldn't have been the one getting the ticket, it would have been the two people who of the three the two were."

Oxley interrupted and said, "they weren't out there at that time and handicapped spots were not ticketed. Now whether the cars had a valid permit or, I do not know that." She was told, again, that the permit is issued to the person who has the disability so these two people were absolutely parked illegally.

"It still does not give this person to illegally park in the fire route," Oxley said. He couldn't walk, in response, this guy was struggling to take every step, Oxley replied, "it still doesn't give him the right to illegally park somewhere else." Oxley was told, he couldn't park legally close to the store because of two extremely, "that's fine", Oxley interrupted. It's not fine. Oxley continued her interruption and said "he could have waited for a handicapped spot to open up or he comes back again." So the disabled person must wait for all selfish able bodied people to clear out of handicapped parking spots or come back and try again to use Lawrence Square?

Asked, you [Lawrence Square and Riocan] are really not making any accommodation to a disabled person who has been forced out of the legal spots that are set aside for him because he has a disability, because you had two very selfish customers at your location that this reporter saw. Oxley responded, "I am not aware of that". Yes she was, she'd just heard it. "I do not know that." Told she was told what this reporter witnessed, Oxley said, "well that's what you are saying," referring to whether the two people who used those spots were parked illegally. She was asked if she was unfamiliar with the parking passes that access those spots and received an offer to have the pass read out to her, "No I'm very familiar with it."

"There's nothing that I can do with this, it is unfortunate that it happened, however you know if he wishes to fight this ticket he will have to do it through the courts."

The Toronto Tribune said, "you have been informed that there is an independent witness to a ticket by either someone in your employment or someone you allow on your site, and Lawrence Square's property management is telling us that you will do nothing about this?" Oxley went on about privacy issues, it was pointed out to her that at no time had The Toronto Tribune ever asked for contact information for him. We asked Lawrence Square to take action such as contacting the court or the AG's office. They sent that ticket someone they don't collect the fees, they aren't traffic court.

Oxley replied, "we don't do that, if he wishes to fight the ticket he can go through the courts."

In response to our comment, that this poor guy was ticketed by you, when he could not park legally because [Lawrence Square] had not followed up on people misusing handicapped parking spots. Oxley replied "I guess security were not actively ticketing the parking lot at this time, okay, and I really don't know what to tell you. They ticketed the vehicle that was parked illegally." Three vehicles were parked illegally, security ticketed one. This was pointed out to Oxley responded, "that's right."

Referring to the other two drivers, "unfortunately they were not ticketed that day, the person in the fire route was ticketed. He was illegally parked. It is unfortunate but it happens." Told Lawrence Square had been advised that there are mitigating circumstances, there is a witness available, but you've been advised, and you are saying you will do nothing and allow this ticket to stand, Oxley, finally, said, "I will forward this back down to security and leave it with then." What good will that do? "I have no idea."

Oxley was asked to explain the time lag in Lawrence Square's response, she was asked to explain why this reporter's first call was August 14th within one hour of this incident and it is now September 5th, "I've been on vacation." For three weeks and no one else there could have followed up on this, "Excuse me, I've been on vacation and I am back in the office. I will leave this for my security okay and if you have any other concerns you can call us back. Asked if Lawrence Square was letting this ticket stand for this poor guy who couldn't walk, "he was parked illegally in fire route." What steps are taking in the future to ensure able bodied people don't park in disabled parking, "Our parking lot is actively patrolled by our security." Not on August 14th, "well somebody is not out there 24/7. Okay? They have duties and routines to follow our parking lot is actively patrolled by security and the handicapped spaces are included in that patrol."

Asked, if they are actively patrolled by security they would have noticed these two people parking illegally. "They didn't go over there at that time, like I'm, I will forward this on to my supervisor if you have any other concerns you can put them in writing to my attention." Lawrence Square is good at returning phone calls promptly now they want it in writing?

The Toronto Tribune said, it doesn't sound like you are really willing to do an awful lot about this." Oxley provided contact information for her boss, Lisa Vessio EVP of Operations. Monitoring misuse of hanicapped parking shouldn't be this difficult.