DETROIT – A parking company says that parking rates at three lots near Ford Field in Downtown Detroit were mistakenly listed for $999 due to a tech issue.

On Jan. 16, 2025, the city of Detroit filed a complaint against Park-Rite, Inc., a company that operates 12 parking lots in Detroit, after rates at three lots near Ford Field were listed online for $999 ahead of the Detroit Lions game. Parking rates are regulated by the city, and rates at those particular lots are capped at $150.

As of Friday morning, the city had closed the three parking lots and posted orders to suspend operation at the sites. The lots were re-opened later Friday morning.

Here’s what was explained in court:

What Park Rite says happened

Oral arguments were heard during a status conference held before Judge David J. Allen on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.

Attorney Michael Vogt spoke on behalf of Park Rite. He said that Park Rite uses Spot Hero, a digital parking marketplace, to market, advertise rates, and sell reservations online. He said the $999 price was mistakenly published to Spot Hero due to a tech issue and has since been corrected.

He said that the e-commerce manager for Park Rite, Miguel Nouhan, put the $999 number in the system as an “inventory control measure” within their online dashboard to let him know when there are overlapping events scheduled in Detroit. A change occurred in Spot Hero that caused the $999 rate in the internal dashboard to mistakenly be published on the public website without his knowledge.

“Spot Hero changed the way their logic works very recently and didn’t notify me to explain how it works so, basically, they’re telling me that even though on my side it says in caps ‘EVENT SOLD OUT INVENTORY 0′, if I put 999 in there, it’s going to automatically pull that number in when there’s an overlapping event,” Nouhan said. “For example, if there’s an event at the Music Hall and at Ford Field, it’s gonna take the highest of the two rates whether there’s inventory available or not.”

Nouhan said under oath that the $999 rate published on Spot Hero was not published intentionally. He said when he notice the issue he contacted his representative with Spot Hero and they corrected the issue.

Was anyone charged $999?

According to Vogt and Nouhan, no, nobody was charged $999.

Nouhan said a customer was “never ever” charged $999 for a parking space at one of those three lots. He said that if someone had booked at the $999 price, he would have noticed the next morning and “would immediately refund it.”

What happens next?

Judge David J. Allen said the court was satisfied that the $999 rate hadn’t been charged and that the company acknowledged it was a mistake and corrected the issue. He ordered that the lots be re-opened.

A special conference has been scheduled for 10 a.m. on Jan. 22, 2025. At this conference, they will decide if the case will be dismissed.

—> Previous report: 3 parking lots accused of charging up to $1,000 for Detroit Lions playoff parking

3 lots located near Ford Field

The lots are located near the intersection of Randolph Street and Gratiot Avenue, just a few hundred feet south of Ford Field.

DETROIT (FOX 2) – Detroit police are investigating a fatal shooting after a woman was found dead inside her vehicle Thursday night.

The victim was discovered with a gunshot wound to her body according to investigators, at about 7:20 p.m. outside VSOP Liquor in the 10700 block of Eight Mile.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting are unknown at this time, police say. 
 

The Detroit Lions will be without starting right guard Kevin Zeitler when they host the Washington Commanders in the divisional round on Saturday night.

The Lions ruled out Zeitler on Thursday with the hamstring injury that knocked him out of their regular-season finale on Jan. 5 against Minnesota. They also will not have defensive lineman Pat O’Connor (calf), while cornerback Ennis Rakestraw is questionable because of a hamstring injury and an illness.

Rookie Christian Mahogany or Kayode Awosika are candidates to start in place of Zeitler. Mahogany, a sixth-round pick, played in seven games this season, starting one.

“We feel like we’re in good hands,” coach Dan Campbell said this week in Allen Park, Michigan.

The Commanders are expected to be at nearly full strength with six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner set to play after missing practice Tuesday and Wednesday this week because of an ankle injury.

“I’m good,” Wagner said after being a limited participant in practice Thursday.

Asked follow-up questions about whether it happened in the wild-card round victory at Tampa Bay on Sunday night and if he was worried about not playing, Wagner was tight lipped.

“Just life,” Wagner said. “It’s life. I’m not about to talk about the injury or anything because the Detroit Lions are watching, so anything that I say — so, see you guys Saturday.”

Rookie linebacker Jordan Magee (hamstring) is out, something coach Dan Quinn foreshadowed Monday. A couple of special teams players, linebacker Mykal Walker (illness) and rookie tight end Colson Yankoff (hamstring), are questionable.

Quinn also said kicker Zane Gonzalez, who made the winning field goal as time expired to beat the Buccaneers, was good to go after being limited by a hip injury early in the week.