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UBC must repay millions in parking fines: Court
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UBC must repay millions in parking fines: Court
Updated: Tue Mar. 31 2009 21:27:52
ctvbc.ca
If you've ever tried to fight a parking ticket in court, you know it's often a losing battle.
But if you've ever received a ticket at the University of British Columbia you might be onto a winner because a B.C. Supreme Court judge is ordering the university to pay back millions of dollars in fines.
The university has collected more than $4 million in parking fines and other related costs since 1990. But after he was towed at the university while visiting the campus dental school, chartered accountant Dan Barbour launched a class action suit.
The suit challenged the university's ability to collect parking fines -- and a Supreme Court justice agreed that the university did not have the right. Barbour said he filed it on behalf of anyone who has received a parking ticket or paid a tow fee in the last 19 years.
"I'm ecstatic. It's a very good decision for a very hard-fought matter," Barbour said.
"Hopefully it corrects a wrong that's going on. We can refund money back to people that have had illegal fines and illegal towing."
The university is appealing the decision -- and hasn't decided whether or not to keep issuing fines in the interim. However, the court ruled UBC is still allowed to tow and impound vehicles, and collect the related fees.
"What the judge has been doing is ruling on the common issues in the class action suit but there's no order for the university to pay anything to anyone at this point," said UBC spokesman Scott Macrae.
The decision came the same day as UBC President Stephen Toope announced that the university's endowment fund has dropped by 20 per cent in the current economic climate. Because of this, expenditures from the fund have been cut in half.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber. |
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發表於 2009-4-2 10:29
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