In a significant decision, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Chennai (North) has ruled that the imposition of parking fees by V.R. Mall in Thirumangalam is an unfair trade practice. The court’s decision came in response to a complaint filed by V. Arun Kumar of Kosapet, leading to a directive for the mall to cease charging for parking immediately.
During a visit to the mall on April 26, 2023, Arun Kumar was charged ₹80 for parking his two-wheeler for nearly two hours. Questioning this charge, Kumar pointed out that malls are expected to provide sufficient free parking spaces for their customers and visitors as per civic guidelines.
The mall’s administration argued that the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019, only stipulates the provision of adequate parking facilities and does not specify that these spaces be free of charge. Nevertheless, the forum, presided over by D. Gopinath, found that the mall could not justify the imposition of parking fees and lacked legal grounds to do so.
Concluding that the mall had engaged in an unfair trade practice, the forum awarded the complainant ₹10,000 in compensation for the mental distress caused by this issue, in addition to ₹2,000 for litigation expenses. This ruling is a significant one, potentially setting a precedent for how parking facilities are managed by commercial establishments in the region.
