Josh Nash parked his car in the Copley Place Garage in the Back Bay at 2:45 p.m., approximately ten minutes before the explosions. His wife, Erica Nash, was participating in her first marathon, and was on track to finish around ten minutes after the explosions. Over the course of the afternoon, her pace would slow considerably, keeping her out of the danger zone.

When Nash exited the garage to find a spot near the finish line the blasts had already sounded. Amidst the confusion, he took his children to the Westin, where they remained for around an hour. Because the race had stopped while Erica was on the course, she contracted hypothermia and was transported to Mass General.

Nash walked down Brookline Avenue with his children and was eventually able to get on the Green Line back to where he was staying in Newton. He was unable to get his car until the morning of April 16 due to the police-imposed lockdown on the scene.

When he returned to the garage, he was shocked to discover that they had charged him, and everyone else picking up their car, 37 dollars for overnight parking, despite the fact that they did not have the ability to pick up their vehicles.

Nash said, “I thought it was ridiculous. It was the wrong business decision to do for a brand-name company, especially in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy.” He added, “It’s times like these when people and companies show their true identity.”

Nash had to spend a significant amount of time in the garage, because, according to him, “I was the sixth car in line, and everyone was having the same argument I was. There was a line to the left of me about ten cars long. Those people had just given up and paid with their credit cards. …The thing that was surprising is that person after person—they were having the same conversation with them, trying to get as much money out of people as they could, I think.”

When Nash called the Marriott, which is next door, to report the problem, representatives claimed that they had no knowledge of what the garage was doing because it is only operated by Copley Place. Nash offered to pay the fee for the hour that he intentionally parked at the garage yesterday, but said that he wouldn’t pay the overnight fee. At one point, he threatened to call the police.

The garage let him out after a long wait in line and even more time spent negotiating with parking staff. Nash, who described the garage’s actions as “false imprisonment,” was let out for free, but he fears that those who paid with a card will never see their money back.

Nash added that at MGH, where his wife is recovering, he’d pay whatever he had to for parking. That’s his choice. At the Copley Place Garage, he didn’t have a choice. “Ultimately,” he said, “Copley Place made the right decision for my situation, but there was a pattern before and after me that suggested they weren’t changing their policies.”