Ampco system parking broken machines and incompetent employees giving false information to consumers denver, Colorado

on 01/29/11 I entered one of Ampco's parking lots in down town Denver.  I pulled into a space that was open close to the sidewalk towards the opening of the lots gate and walked to the machine located on the other side of the parking lot to pay my 5 dollar fee for parking.  The machine would not accept cash as the cash slot was broken.  I did not have my credit card on me as i was just going to pick up a friend in need.  I struggled with the machine for over 30 minutes and looked for someone to help me.  I found an Ampco employee on a bicycle and asked him if i could pay him for the ticket as i just needed to cross the street and pull my friend out of the club that was drunk and in trouble.  The gentleman that works for Ampco told me their was nothing he could do about the machine but i needed a ticket in my car window.  

I explained that I Left my house without my credit card and my friend was diabetic and in the bathroom of the club across the street and needed my help. I showed him my text messages from him, the insulin in my purse and explained that it was only a matter of 15 to 20 minutes to get across the street and back to my car.  The bar was closing in 2 and a half hours and i was not intending on staying.  I asked him if i could pay him personally for the spot and even offered to pay him 10 bucks to let me park. The employee said i dont know what you have to do to get a ticket but you have to have one on your car or you will be fined for parking in the lot without one.  

At that time a couple was walking back to their car. They were parked in the spot next to the ticket box. They heard me talking to the employee and offered me their parking ticket.  I asked the employee if it was ok for me to take their ticket, and he told me that i had to pay for my ticket.  The gentleman with the ticket advocated that it was 5 dollars for the ticket  to park all night and the bars were closing in an hour, the parking attendant said that if i paid for the ticket he would over look it and let it go... I offered the couple the 5 dollars i had in my hand and they took 2 bucks for the used ticket.  I then offered the parking attendant the additional 3 bucks for the ticket and he refused it stating that he was not taking a bribe.  

I went to my boyfriends trooper, and placed the ticket in the dash board. walked across the street to the club my friend was in, paid the 20 bucks to get into the club, found the bathroom and one of the employees to go in and help my friend, come out. I walked my friend out the back door of the club, through security, across the street and back to my truck that was parked on the edge of the parking lot by the sidewalk facing the back door of the club.  I got him in the truck, gave him his insulin and noticed that i had a parking ticket for 70 bucks.  The parking attendant wrote on the ticket that he watched me take a ticket from another patron and that my ticket should not be dismissed.  I found the attendant and asked him about it, and he stated "YOU DID NOT PAY FULL PRICE FOR THE TICKET THEREFORE ITS NOT VALID AND YOU DID NOT GET IT FROM THE MACHINE, YOU CAN NOT PROVE THAT I GAVE YOU PERMISSION AND YOU STATED YOU WOULD BE GONE 10 MINUTES AND WERE GONE MORE THAN 20"  I proceeded to argue with him and he told me that if i did not leave i was going to be arrested for fraud and there was nothing i was able to do about the ticket as the ticket was marked hours before i got there and even i admitted that i pulled into the parking lot after 11 pm.  

I was away from the parking lot for a matter of approximately 20 minutes.  This attendant knew his machine was not working, and gave me permission to purchase the ticket from the other patron.  I had not been gone from my boyfriends truck for more than 3 minutes when he printed my fine ticket and wrote on it that he saw me commit fraud.  This is insane.  I spent over 45 minutes in the parking lot without a ticket trying to purchase a ticket while my friend was having a medical emergency.  I was wearing slippers and a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt, I was clearly not dressed to go partying 2 hours before the club closed for the night.   I showed the attendant my friends text messages from inside the club asking me for help.  

Had The attendant just simply said no you can not park here he would have saved me a lot of time and a potentially dangerous situation for my friend who was in the middle of a medical emergency.  I would have found a different parking lot and could have walked from anywhere in the city in the time it took me to obtain the ticket and PERMISSION from the attendant to park in the lot i was in.  

I called Ampco parking from the parking lot and left a message on what was now the 30th of January 2011 and explained what happened with my phone number and my email address on the message system provided on the ticket.  on the 30th in the afternoon i disputed the ticket on line and have not heard one word from it.  

My boyfriend received a bill for the 70 bucks on march 8th stating that he had 30 days to dispute this ticket.  I again called and left a message with my contact information and have heard nothing about this.  

on April 12th my boyfriend received another bill from Bryon Bellerud II Attorney at law stating that he had to pay the 70 dollar ticket for this parking lot.

The machine did not work properly, and not everyone has a credit card, which is why i am assuming there is a cash slot in the machine in the first place.  They have attendants in the lot that lead the patrons to believe one thing and completely do another.  I have disputed this verbally 2 times and via email one time.  I have heard nothing.  When you try to contact the company they have an automated system and i have yet to talk to a live person when dealing with this issue.  I am sure they can go through their video cameras, and check the machines computer to prove that what i am saying is the truth.. however that would take someone actually doing their job effectively.  Now my boyfriend is stuck with a ticket that should not have been given in the first place.  Had that attendant done his job and said im sorry you cant park here, i would have found another place in the city to park.  he seemed sympathetic to my needs in the beginning and told me that he was going to over look it because i did pay for it... then to turn around and say i did not pay full price for the ticket... and i was gone 10 minutes more than i should have because i could not walk into a mens restroom in a bar is completely insane and unprofessional.  

I could see if i just pulled into the parking lot and did not even attempt to purchase a ticket.. i could see if  i did not ask permission to use the other ticket, i could see if i was there all night... i could see if was there to party.. or parked there and hung out for the remainder of the time the bar was open how this could be con-strewed as valid....  however with everything that led up to this ticket in the first place i believe that with verbal permission to use the ticket i purchased from the other patron and the fact that the ticket machine was not working... that this should be dismissed.