2 Northstar California Pass Holders to Sue Vail Resorts Over Parking Charges

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A similar scheme will begin at Solitude, UT this season too.

Vail Resorts owned Northstar California Resort announced back in October that starting this upcoming season it planned to charge guests to park at the Village View Lot. According to the resort, the change was to help reduce congestion on Northstar Drive and encourage guests to carpool, rideshare and make use of local shuttle options and public transportation.

Many were upset, but two Northstar season pass holders were so upset they filed a lawsuit on Dec. 6 against the resort’s owner, Vail Resorts.

“I was surprised as everybody had to be in discovering, after having purchased my season ticket for Northstar, that one of the main attractions was not there anymore,” attorney Steven Kroll, 79, who filed the suit along with fellow Crystal Bay, Nev., resident Ronald Code, 77, told The Union. “I believe people can change rules in advance, they can’t do it retrospectively.”

The main issue for those upset was that the decision was announced only after most had already purchased their season passes and the company has a ‘no refund’ policy on all pass purchases. In the complaint, Kroll estimates that if he and Code use their passes six days a week, it will cost them an extra $2,000 in parking alone.

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New Northstar parking arrangements. Credit: Resort

The resort announced that it would charge ($10 weekdays, $20 weekends) for parking at the Village View parking lot, claiming that it would help ease congestion. Free parking will still be available at the Castle Peak lot.

“It is our priority to provide the best possible experience for our guests and their families,” responded Deirdra Walsh, vice president and general manager of Northstar in a press release at the time. “Through a conscious decision to control our parking resources, we expect to significantly reduce traffic flow on Northstar Drive, which will ultimately improve our parking and transportation experience for guests.”

When asked for comment, a Northstar spokesperson said they do not comment on cases before they go to court. A hearing date has yet to be set.

“I hope season pass holders that are as angry as I am with this happening will support our efforts here in terms of being witnesses if it comes to that,” Kroll added. “We’re not asking for money but just the moral support and if we go to court, the physical support to back us up.


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5 thoughts on “2 Northstar California Pass Holders to Sue Vail Resorts Over Parking Charges

  1. I don’t know…there is still free parking and a free shuttle? I’m not sure what the problem is unless you’re lazy. Plan to get there earlier than you want to be on the hill. Isn’t that a rule for skiing already? Only carry what you need…isn’t that another rule for skiing? Maybe I was just brought up in a sensible ski family…or are they trying to tailgate in the parking lot between runs? Maybe reallocate the $$ saved in the lodge for your parking budget? Skiing is expensive…sorry. I know you guys are in your late 70’s and skiing used to cost $5 but houses were also under $50K back then. Times change. I don’t love Vail and all their BS but I think this lawsuit is a far stretch. If you need closer parking due to a disability I’m pretty sure there are placards for that. But if you can ski 6 days a week sounds like you can also climb onto a shuttle. Just sayin’.

      1. This. “Free” parking that comes with a lengthy wait and shuttle ride isn’t free at all. It’s just a different kind of cost.

  2. What a joke, Vail thinks reasonable people will not see through their reasoning. Its about $$$ plain and simple. I’ve been a pass holder for years and never found the traffic getting in and out of the village parking lots excessive. It makes getting there later in the day difficult to park if not impossible for pass holders because the lots fill up fast especially on weekends.

  3. Good for them! Though I don’t realistically expect the suit to do anything more than cost a whole bunch of money. The excuses Northstar management managed to come up with explaining why they couldn’t possibly have announced this change prior to pass sales were pretty ridiculous.

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