Parking giant Metropolis Technologies has been overcharging customers and misleading them about its rates, according to a yearslong investigation by the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office.
The private parking company with headquarters in Nashville will pay $6.5 million as part of a settlement announced Monday — and $2.25 million to the creation of a free parking program for Tennessee residents.
Under the new Tennessee Parking Program, any driver with state plates trying to park in Nashville, Knoxville or Memphis can be eligible for up to $30 in free parking credits. The program launches this spring and requires a Metropolis membership.
Drivers who paid to park at a Metropolis lot between July 1, 2021, and Jan. 6, 2026, may be eligible for a refund. Exact details on how to file a claim have not yet been released.
“Metropolis misled consumers about its prices with inaccurate signs, charged surprise fees due to technology glitches, made obtaining refunds nearly impossible and created confusion with notices that looked like government bills,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement. The office has received more than 300 complaints related to the company.
The settlement will also require Metropolis to:
- Display clear signage with accurate rates at every lot entrance, showing current active rates and the customer support phone number.
- Send text messages with rates upon entry to lots that use license plate reader technology.
- Never charge more than what is posted on the signage.
- Give consumers a 15-minute grace period to enter and exit with no charge in lots using license plate reader technology.
- Stop implying affiliation with any local or state agency in electronic or mailed notices.
- Comply with all state and local booting regulations.
- Automatically issue refunds where their technology malfunctions and wrongfully charges a consumer.
- Evaluate each refund request individually.
“I’m proud of the work of my consumer team and glad that Metropolis has agreed to make things right. If the company does not follow through and do right by Tennessee consumers, we stand ready to take further action,” Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement.
In a statement to WPLN News, a Metropolis spokesperson said the company “looks forward to turning the page on long-past operational issues and continuing to bring forward a set of best-in-class parking standards in Tennessee. Our agreement with the AG’s office allows us to put those issues to rest once and for all.”
Clarification This story has been updated to specify how the settlement money will be divided.
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