Court Rules Against ParkRTC, Bans Boston Properties From Enforcing Pay-To-Park At Jackson's

RESTON, VA — Jackson's Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge at Reston Town Center has just won a major court victory against Boston Properties and the ParkRTC system, as the Fairfax County Circuit Court has issued a preliminary injunction against the pay-to-park system, the restaurant said in a statement.

Jackson's sued Boston Properties back in March over the parking fees, which were introduced in January but recently scaled back to only include weekday afternoons.

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The ruling doesn't appear to apply to all RTC merchants, who are also up in arms about the paid parking system but were cautiously optimistic after Boston Properties made evenings free and allowed customers to park for free for an hour during weekday afternoons.

"We are pleased with the ruling of the Fairfax County Circuit Court granting a preliminary injunction yesterday and reinforcing Jackson’s view that the current Park RTC system creates confusion and concerns for our guests,” said Jon Norton, CEO of Great American Restaurants, in the statement. “Jackson's puts its guests first and we are delighted that they will no longer be forced to use the cumbersome ParkRTC app or the current pay-to-park system in the Orange Garage.”

The issue will go before the court in February 2018.

Kathy Walsh of the Fallston Group, which represents Boston Properties, responded to a request for comment with the following: "Boston Properties is reviewing the Court's opinion and considering their options."

SEE ALSO:
RTC Restaurant Sues Boston Properties; BXP Responds
Boston Properties Kills Paid Parking At Reston Town Center During Evenings

It's unclear what effect this will have on the Reston Merchants Association, which represents a large number of RTC tenants and was mulling its own legal action.

Jackson's, which has operated since 2008, claims they negotiated lease terms that prevents BXP from implementing parking controls that "unduly impede" guests, and requires that BXP "must allow Jackson's to validate parking, at no expense to Jackson's," claims a statement released when the lawsuit was filed.

“Our team has been inundated with complaints from guests who tell us that the process to use the validation system is cumbersome and confusing,” Orson Williams, Managing Partner at Jackson’s, said in the statement. “On top of that, Boston Properties’ parking attendants often give incorrect and misleading instructions when our guests seek help in getting unlimited free parking."

Boston Properties responded to a request for comment at the time with the following: "It would be inappropriate to discuss pending litigation, particularly as there is a confidentiality provision that prevents either party from discussing many of the lease terms."

Patch will have much more on this story in the coming days as the situation develops.

Image: Patch file photo