Kevin English, one of the two car park directors who was successfully prosecuted by Consumer Affairs Victoria in April 2012 has died on December 2012, aged 83.
Kevin English began his parking business in the side streets of Prahran, Victoria. He borrowed the money to purchase a flat-pack galvanised garden shed that would be his first office and he would sit on-site at the car park in Malcolm Street, Prahran (behind Prahran Town Hall). He would go to work on the first tram of the morning and open his office in them morning, just to collect $3 a day in a 35 bay car park.”This was the starting point for expansion. “He found another little car park in Richmond with 48 spaces and then another in South Yarra. He would walk every street in the area to find what he thought might be a ‘goer.’ In the space of three years he had opened five car parks, although collecting no more than four or so dollars a day per car.
Today Ace’s portfolio consists of more than 40 car parks with over 5,000 spaces. Some clients who have contracted with Ace include:
Ramsey Health
St George Health Services
Techne Group
Peninsula Health (Frankston Hospital)
5 SCR Pty Ltd
Centro Properties Group
Department of Treasury & Finance
Vic Roads
VicTrack
Vision Australia
ISPT
Australian Property Network
ING Management
MAB Corporation
City of Whitehorse
Senfam Group of Companies
CB Richard Ellis
DTZ Australia
However, it was not until 2006 that Kevin English, now in business with his son James English, started the "pay and display model". Using this model, the company would fine car owners who didn't purchase and display a ticket from the automated machines. Ace Parking would fine the vehicle owners between $66 and $129. However, there was a problem with this new business model. The father and son didn't know who the driver was, only the owner. And they would harass owners with legal threats even though the owner often wasn't the driver. And thus Kevin English's last years ended up with him fronting the Supreme Court of Victoria and pleading guilty to unlawful haraassment and coercion. See here for more information about the Supreme Court trial.