ROSEDALE — The self-proclaimed "king" of long-term parking near John F. Kennedy Airport has been allowed to park cars and shuttle travelers to the airport for months despite the fact that the lot has no license, DNAinfo New York has learned.
The Park King, which opened at 249-15 Rockaway Blvd. in Rosedale in October, has never obtained a license from the the Department of Consumer Affairs and has never paid fees to the Port Authority, which is required for companies looking to bring customers to the airport, both agencies confirmed.
Yet, the lot continues to operate unabated, despite the fact that multiple neighboring parking lot operators have made repeated complaints to the Port Authority, frustrated lot owners told DNAinfo.
A Port Authority official confirmed The Park King hadn't paid fees to bring passengers to JFK, and added that the agency's law department "has been reviewing the matter."
The Port Authority spokesman added that "a letter to the off-site parking lot is expected to be sent soon to inform the operator that they cannot transport passengers to or from the airport without a permit to operate there."
A spokeswoman with the DCA said they fined the company last week for operating without a license after inspectors visited the premises. The cost is $100 for every day they didn't have a license, she said. She did not say why they were allowed to continue to operate.
A man who answered the phone at The Park King said Tuesday morning that he didn't know about any restrictions from the city.
"I have no idea about that, but I don't think it's true," said the man, who declined to give his name. "We take 'em to the airport."
Parking lots that operate near JFK and shuttle passengers to the airport have to pay monthly fees to the Port Authority, the owner of a legally operating lot said. The fees can be in the thousands of dollars, he said.
"It takes a lot to do the right thing," he said, noting that The Park King was charging much lower rates for parking because they were shirking the rules.
Lots also have to be registered with the DCA and pay taxes.
The Park King's lot, near the Nassau County border, has room for nearly 1,000 cars, making it one of the largest off-site airport parking areas in the vicinity.
"Park with the king!" the company boasts on its website. "Park your car and we'll shuttle you directly to your gate."
The revelation is the latest problem for the lot, which was hit with a trademark infringement lawsuit last November from The Parking Spot, according to court records. The lawsuit claims that owners Tony Micciche and Michael Jenkins ripped off The Parking Spot's logo.
Micciche was accused of allowing a customer's vehicle to be taken on a joyride late last year from a different Park N Save lot he operated near JFK airport, racking up 2,000 miles and charges on an E-Z pass, according to WABC.
Neither Micchiche nor Jenkins could be reached for comment.
