Permits in the CBD, Fitzroy, St Kilda, Richmond and Prahran are fetching from $1500 to $4000 a year, as drivers become desperate for a parking space.
Residents are putting the permits up for sale online on sites including eBay and Gumtree.
Local councils said they had confiscated permits from some residents.
Shonky entrepreneurs are also trying to lure inner-city dwellers with flyers offering cash for car parking spaces.
They then on-sell the parking spaces and permits for higher prices.
Victoria Police warned scammers against the money-making scheme, saying those caught faced fines and a jail term of up to two months.
Councils have blasted the get-cash-quick scheme.
But the peak ratepayers' body blamed councils for not using parking fine revenue to build more carparks to end the squeeze.
Department of Justice figures show that last financial year 1.6 million parking fines were issued in Victoria.
The City of Melbourne earned more than $27.2 million in fines in 2011-12, while Port Phillip Council, which includes St Kilda, South Melbourne and Elwood, reaped $12.8 million and Stonnington pocketed $16.5 million.
Port Phillip, Stonnington and Yarra councils confirmed residents were targets of the illegal trade, but admitted policing it was "very difficult".
Sergeant Jo Stafford said: "Police discourage anyone from selling parking permits online. It is an offence under the Road Safety Act, and offenders may be imprisoned for up to two months."
Melbourne City Council said ratepayers had reported people soliciting residential parking permits.
Online, one North Melbourne resident demanded $150 per month for a parking pass. The going rate for an on-street permit in Prahran was $30 per week; Fitzroy, Richmond and Carlton permits cost up to $45 per week.
Stonnington chief executive Warren Roberts said selling on parking permits was a growing problem, especially in city fringe suburbs of Prahran and South Yarra, where on-street parking was restricted.
"It's also of concern to our residents, who alert us when they receive flyers in their letter boxes," he said.
The lucrative parking schemes have also driven residents with off-street parking to cash in on the trend, offering paid parking in their garages, private undercover carparks, and even driveways.
Ratepayers Victoria president Jack Davis said people paying large sums for permits showed the desperate measures that drivers were taking because of a car parking shortage.
"The councils have brought this upon themselves by not adequately providing enough car parking space within properties," Mr Davis said.
"The carpark fine revenue is supposed to go into building more off-street parking, but it's not."
Mr Davis, who slammed those selling car permits, said developments were getting car parking waivers and making the situation worse.
City of Melbourne spokeswoman Irene Vlahos said the council had no plans to create more carparks, despite acknowledging the huge demand.
"The City of Melbourne's focus is on providing sustainable transport options that cater for a growing number of people who walk, cycle and catch public transport," she said.
CBD private carparks show the biggest demand, costing $220-$280 a month.
Savills Real Estate sales director Clinton Baxter said the trend was also driving up commercial parking prices.
Last year, a Bourke St carpark sold for $100,000. Several weeks later a neighbouring park sold for $140,000.
"The actual quantity of public-use car parking spaces has been steadily declining as open-air and freestanding carparks are redeveloped for alternate use," Mr Baxter said.
In Melbourne, casual all-day parking can cost up to $80. City earlybirds specials start at $20.
heraldsun.com.au 8 Apr 2013
Once again the general public are being dupe by authorities.
As quoted by the corporate media the public are apparently 'illegally selling', parking spaces.
This is NOT a criminal matter but rather a civil, where it is the council's responsibility and NOT a matter for police to pursue.
In order to keep people in the dark, the herd masses under control, the authorities neglect to mention that city councils are factually corporations i.e. businesses.
- By the same measure the police should also put telco's on notice for data rort.
- Police should also put the oil companies on notice for petrol rort at the bowser.
None of the two above examples will ever be pursued by police, as police work for corporations and not in the best interest of the general public.
All part of the elaborate corporate lie propagated by government.
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