Veteran wins $125 parking dispute after camera miss

Don Hanson, a 77-year-old Hollywood Beach resident, no longer owes $125 for a parking violation he did not commit. The private parking company dismissed the invoice after acknowledging a camera error in its records. The resolution removes a financial strain on the Vietnam era Coast Guard veteran who has lived in the area since the late 1980s.

The original bill claimed Hanson’s vehicle occupied the lot for 24 hours without payment. Hanson stated he used the private property only as a shortcut to avoid driving around a block. He described the trip as lasting less than a minute, entering the lot and exiting to a space near his building.

The company’s records showed his car entering just after midnight on June 20. They failed to capture the immediate departure. Instead, the exit photo used for the invoice came from the following night when Hanson took the same route again. This pairing made two separate brief trips appear as one long stay.

Hanson provided evidence that he was at work during the disputed time. His employer confirmed he drove to his job. His pay stub listed a shift from 3 p.m. to 11:29 p.m., proving he was not present in the lot for the entire alleged period.

WSVN’s Help Me Howard investigated the claim. The station tested the route and completed the drive in 15 seconds. Reporter Howard Finkelstein noted that Florida law provides a 15-minute grace period for drivers who cannot find a space or change their minds. He stated that private companies cannot charge someone merely for driving through.

After WSVN contacted the parking company with the employment evidence, the firm attributed the charge to a camera capture error. They dismissed the $125 fee. The company also asked Hanson to stop using the property as a shortcut, a request he accepted.

Hanson thanked the program for the investigation. He described the outcome as one less burden while he works to meet his other expenses.