The Town of Apex wants private property owner, Annie Mae Scott, to pay thousands of dollars for operating an illegal parking lot, according to a lawsuit obtained by WRAL Investigates.

The new court filing is one of the latest developments in the ongoing dispute over accessible parking for students at Apex Friendship High School.

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“[Scott] has disregarded the Town's orders for over [a] year, and absent injunctive relief, the Town cannot compel compliance with its orders,” the lawsuit, filed last week, reads.

In the days following the lawsuit’s filing, Mayor Jacques Gilbert made multiple social media posts, calling for solutions to the problem.

He announced a proclamation Tuesday, saying the town, Wake County Public School System, families and property owners need to “work together with urgency to identify, evaluate, and advance safe, lawful and sustainable solutions for student parking and transportation in Apex.”

“It's all about ensuring that these students get to their classes. There's Wake Tech Early College they're trying to leave to get to; there's also athletic activities and other engagements that they're required to attend. I just want to make sure they can do that and enjoy their school year,” Mayor Gilbert told WRAL Investigates. “So, for me, it is all about what can we do? What is the solution?”

According to the lawsuit, Scott owes the Town $3,700 in violation fees, as well as $100 per day in additional civil penalties from the date of the filing.

How did we get here?

Scott previously told WRAL News she started offering her yard as a parking lot for the school after parents complained there was no space for their students to park on campus.

Wake County Public Schools spokesperson Michael Hyland said Apex Friendship High School has 556 student parking lot spots with 28 Senior reserved spots up top for students with half day schedules. As of August 18, 2026, the district reports about 100 students on the waitlist.

In 2020, the town approved a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) prohibiting students from parking in residential areas. [DP1] Scott’s property is zoned as Rural Residential.

She charged students $300 per car at the start of the school year and said she offered prorated rates to students who parked there after the school year started. The school system charges $200.

“Given that your property is zoned Rural Residential (RR), student parking is not allowed. If you wish to offer legal student parking for the 2025-2026 school year, you will need to take immediate action to rezone the property to non-residential zoning district,” reads a warning letter to Scott dated April 14, 2025.

At the time, the town encouraged Scott to apply for rezoning in order to legally charge families for student parking.

“The only reason they want me to rezone is so they can control me,” Scott told WRAL News in an exclusive interview last August. “I have no need to rezone. I have my own sewer; I have my own water. So, what is it for me to gain other than taxes?”

Last August, Mayor Gilbert said Scott’s property designation changed to a public vehicle area, saying it was “no longer a residential lot in the eyes of the law.”

At the time, Apex leaders said students at Apex Friendship High School would be allowed to park in Scott’s front yard for the 2025-2026 school year.

Three months later, town council members debated whether that new designation exempted Scott from the town’s parking restrictions and whether she could be fined. While Mayor Gilbert favored finding a way to allow the parking, the Town Council holds the legislative authority to enforce or amend zoning codes.

“If there were only somebody who can help decide…oh yeah, they're called judges. So, if we need to do that, we can always do that,” Council member Ed Gray said during a November meeting.

By the end of the meeting, the council voted to enforce the town’s rules.

“We're being asked, essentially, to not enforce the law. We can't do that. We literally cannot do that. We have to enforce the law on everyone,” Council member Terry Mahaffey said at the time.

“The reason that we did not pursue the UDO amendment -- which is one of the other options -- is that the UDO is the blanket law for everybody in town and therefore would be much more impactful than the one property that we’re debating right now,” Council member Arno Zegerman added at the time. “There's other, more targeted methods, again rezoning probably being the primary one here that have been recommended but not pursued.”

What’s next?

According to court records, Scott is representing herself in the legal case. She said very little during a phone interview with WRAL Investigates, saying that she did not want to talk about the lawsuit.

“It’s a wait and see game… I’m just fighting to try to get them somewhere to park, that’s all,” Scott said over the phone.

WRAL Investigates asked Mayor Gilbert what concrete progress has been made since last year.

“I think you have community members, other stakeholders who have offered some viable solutions, and it may not be the most desirable solution, but I think they're workable solutions… We have property owners in Apex who are willing to allow students to use their property to be able to get to school safely,” he responded.

WRAL Investigates also asked Wake County Public School System:

  • What resources does the district offer to students on the waitlist? Does the district/school have official partnerships with other locations for additional parking spaces? 
    • Has the district made any adjustments to its current parking structure to alleviate the issues (for example, prioritization, modifying spaces on campus, etc.)?
      • The Apex Mayor announced a proclamation, saying the town, Wake County Public School System, families and property owners need to “work together with urgency to identify, evaluate, and advance safe, lawful and sustainable solutions for student parking and transportation in Apex.” What work has been done so far? What still needs to be done? 

        The district did not explicitly answer all of those questions.

        “There was also a community forum on Nov. 12, 2025, that included staff from WCPSS and the town of Apex and was focused on this topic. The number of parking spaces at the school is also the maximum allowed at the site,” Hyland wrote in an email.