[Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect a correction. It was incorrectly reported that Dawn Xenakis was the owner of A Southern Elegance Salon. Dawn Xenakis is the owner of Dawn Marie. Loraine Michelle Shireman is the owner of A Southern Elegance Salon.]
Visitors of the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida have been frequently towed recently.
Co-president of the center Terry Fleming said Scott Espenship, who co-owns Sun Crest Office Complex where the center is located, has had 13 visitors' cars towed during the past month.
Fleming is filing a complaint with the city, calling the towing an "act of discrimination."
The center's visitors sometimes park in spots reserved for neighboring businesses, he said.
While the landlord has specified certain parking spaces for individual businesses, he said the parking lot was designated so anyone could park anywhere.
Documents on the Alachua County Property Appraiser website did not specify parking regulations for the lot.
Fleming said he approached Mayor Craig Lowe because people visiting other businesses who park in the wrong spots don't get towed.
Lowe referred the issue to the city's equal opportunity director and the city manager.
Espenship declined to comment.
Ron Chambers LLC is listed as the company that owns the property, according to the Alachua County Property Appraiser website. Ron Chambers, owner of the company, said Espenship is a co-owner of the complex. He said he would not discuss business about the complex because he does not oversee it.
Neighboring business owner Dawn Xenakis, who owns Dawn Marie, said Espenship is simply doing his job to ensure everyone has equal parking.
Fleming said he was unfairly targeting one organization.
"This is blatant discrimination," Fleming said. "He should be monitoring all visitors to the property, not just ours."
