Nearly 3,000 campus parking citations remain unpaid

Whether a student, visitor or a professor, an open parking space can be elusive. Maybe you’re running late for class, late for a meeting or just plain lazy. Sometimes parking without a permit can seem like the only option.

There are currently 2,962 unpaid parking citations, according to UVU Parking Services, all of which occurred on campus between August 29, 2011 and August 10, 2012, at a total of $38,944 that has not been collected.

“On average for a given school year, we issue around 65 citations each day that the school is open,” said Jim Innes, assistant director of UVU Parking Services. “During the fall semester this average is closer to 75 per day, due to the higher volume of traffic on campus.”

19,508 parking citations were given in the last year academic year. Over 4,400 parking tickets were given in September 2011. July 2012 had the fewest number of parking tickets, at 384.

“Some of the larger issues regard students that do not obtain a permit, or wait until late into the semester to get one,” Innes said. “They often receive a number of tickets, which puts an extra burden on them.”

With the Sorenson Student Center visitor pay lot and lot L13 now closed because of construction, students and staff will have to consider alternate parking options this year. Orange permits are being phased out, leaving the yellow and purple permit options for students.

“We are often asked, ‘why don’t you just add more purple parking,’ Innes said. “Operating the parking environment on a university campus is an expensive venture, and UVU’s parking operation is completely self-funded, meaning no student tuition, fee, or state funds are used by parking services. As such, permit revenue is crucial to building, maintaining, cleaning, painting, lighting, monitoring, and patrolling the parking lots on campus.”

An average parking citation costs $10 within the first 10 days, but there are fines up to $100 for using a lost or stolen permit or displaying a counterfeit permit. The most expensive violation at UVU is parking in a disabled zone, at $125.

For some UVU students, parking without a proper permit isn’t worth the risk.

“I have never tried to park without a permit myself, but I have had friends that have, and they always get ticketed,” said Amy Rose, a deaf studies major. “I wouldn’t ever even try and park at school with out a permit cause I would be more afraid of being booted or towed.”

Communications major Zack Dearing has the same fear of being ticketed. “I have tried parking on campus without a permit. It definitely scares me because I hate getting tickets, but I have only gotten a few. I feel like they are getting more strict with parking, so I would be scared to park without a permit.”

Parking fines double after 10 days, and violators can expect an extra $10 late fee for an unpaid ticket after 40 days. Citations carry over from semester to semester and can be contested up to 10 days after first issued.

Once a parking citation reaches its late date for non-payment, or escalation period, a student’s registration and access to transcripts can be held.

Some lesser known offenses include parking a motorcycle in a car stall, parking overnight, and reusing a previous citation.