Woman mistakenly charged nearly $8,000 after parking car for 45 minutes at SoCal hospital

GLENDALE, Calif. -- A Southern California woman went to a hospital for a medical appointment that lasted just 45 minutes, but her parking bill came out to nearly $8,000.

Cate Daniels parked her car at Glendale Memorial Hospital when she went for a medical appointment last week. When she paid for parking, the machine handed her a receipt that said her car had been in the lot since July 3, 2022. She was charged $7,829.

Daniels couldn't believe it and assumed it was a mistake. She drove away, but when she checked her credit card, she saw her card had been charged the four-figure fee.

Daniels said she immediately went back to try to talk to someone. She said what really upset her was how her complaint wasn't taken seriously.

"Initially, he saw July 3 on the ticket, and he said, 'You've been parked here for three weeks,'" Daniels recalled. "I said I've been parked here for 45 minutes. I said can I get a name of someone to speak with about this. He refused to give me a name."

Daniels said she lost her husband to cancer about a year ago, and it's one reason why the incident has upset her so much.

"I remember what it feels like to be in this state of crisis with health and with my husband," she said. "Nobody needs something like that to have to contend with in the midst of all of that."

Eyewitness News visited the parking lot and observed a driver having trouble with one of the machines. Drivers behind him weren't very patient and started honking. After several minutes, the driver backed up and went to a different exit.

Daniels said she was promised a refund by the end of this week and said she received the check from the parking company Thursday. She also said she's pleased after hearing the machine would be replaced.

A spokesperson for the hospital issued a statement that said:

"Glendale Memorial Hospital contracts with a third-party, Parking Company of America, to provide parking services for our patients and visitors... we were made aware of a billing error by the parking company that resulted in an overcharge for one guest. Once notified, the parking company promptly acknowledged the mistake and began processing a refund."