<p>OK people – I understand that UA Parking is one of the most efficient departments at the University (probably the same at all large universities) but this is one for the books.
DD got a $50 parking ticket for not moving her car during a posted event. DH saw the charge on her account and nicely paid it without giving DD too much grief. In the meantime, DD has contested the ticket. Her defense was that the event was actually not posted and she was not notified that her car would need to be moved. Her appeal was denied and now there is an additional $5 charge on her account entitled “Parking Appeal Denial Fee”
I realize that the $5 charge is not even worth the time it is taking me to write this vent, but for my own sanity I must vent. Thanks for reading… :)] </p>
<p>UA, like many universities, has sizable parking fines to both enforce parking regulations and to fund future expansion of parking facilities.</p>
<p>FWIW, parking tickets issued by the City of Tuscaloosa are typically $15 and a court date is automatically scheduled for those who wish to contest the charge. There is no charge to contest a ticket.</p>
<p>Wow…a $5 fee for losing the appeal? I guess that’s to discourage kids from challenging every tix, but that still seems odd.</p>
<p>Last year with the renovations going on near the lot at Riverside, there was often not adequate parking in the lot. Students found ‘creative’ places to leave their vehicles. My son parked along a curb (which he should have known better!) and his defense was there were several other cars parked there so he thought it was OK. He, of course, got a ticket. But being an out of state student, that didn’t often drive his car, he didn’t just get one ticket, but got a ticket for each day his car was left there and didn’t even know until he stopped by his car to get something and found multiple tickets - each for $50. He was very upset and I told him he probably wouldn’t have luck appealing, but he could try to appeal and explain that he was an OOS student that rarely drove his car and he wasn’t appealing the original ticket, but the additional tickets because had he been made aware, he would have moved his car right away. Yes, he lost the appeal and yes he paid the fee for losing the appeal along with the multiple tickets that were left. As an OOS parent, I can see other students in this situation and believe there must be an EASY way for them to scan the bar code on the students parking permits and for the system to immediately send an email to the students account notifying them of a ticket. Of course that wouldn’t work for cars that are ticketed without permits, but for the ones that pay for and display their permits, it seems to be taking advantage of them to give them multiple tickets when many go for several days without using their cars.</p>