Collection of Parking Fines
Date of Current Revision: October 2004
Responsible Office: Associate Vice President for Business Services
- PURPOSE
Parking regulations are enforced to encourage the responsible use of parking facilities. This policy provides a mechanism for consistent application of rules and regulations governing parking.
- AUTHORITY
The president has given Parking Services the responsibility and authority to enforce parking rules and regulations. In addition, federal law mandates compliance with fire codes and handicapped accessibility laws.
- DEFINITIONS
Visitor:
Persons who are neither enrolled at nor compensated by James Madison University.
Affiliate:
Any person who is to receive a service (free or for a fee) from the University who does NOT receive a regular paycheck from JMU. Associates are such persons as employees of ARAMARK, Pitney Bowes, Follett, etc.
- APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all faculty, staff, students, affiliates and visitors of James Madison University.
- POLICY
Parking regulations are enforced to encourage the responsible use of university parking facilities. Written procedures for enforcement assure the campus community of consistent application of rules and regulations governing parking.
- PROCEDURES
6.1 Enforcement
Parking Enforcement and Police personnel will write parking citations for violations of regulations printed in the brochure entitled, Parking and Traffic Regulations. This brochure is distributed with parking permits, available at the Parking Services office upon request. Parking and Traffic Regulations can be viewed by utilizing the web site at Parking Services. Parking and traffic regulations are in effect 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Parking citations will be issued for handicapped, fire code, priority parking violations, i.e., commuter/resident in faculty/staff lots; resident in commuter lots; unauthorized faculty/staff parking in the incorrect zone assignment; and, undesignated space violations, etc.
During the first week of each semester, instructional warning cards – or warning citations - for handicapped and fire code violations may be placed on illegally parked vehicles as a courtesy in lieu of issuing citations. At other times, these cards may also be used at the discretion of the Associate Vice President for Business Services or designee. However, citations may be issued at any time, including the first week of class, for flagrant violations.
Empowered parking staff, and police personnel are authorized to tow immediately and, if necessary, without warning, when a vehicle is blocking access or presents a risk to public safety. Vehicles parked on university owned or leased property are subject to towing upon the operator’s accumulation of ten unpaid citations.
6.2 Payment of Fines
Parking citation fines may be paid at the Parking Services office during posted hours, by utilizing the electronic citation form payment option available on the web site Parking Services or by inserting the payment in the citation payment drop box located at the front of the Parking Services office.
A parking fine will be considered delinquent if it is not paid in full on or before the later of (a) ten calendar days after the date of violation, or (b) if the citation is appealed and denied and not paid in full within, 10 calendar days after notice of the appeal denial is mailed to the violator.
Student citations delinquent over 30-days are transferred to the University Business Office for collection on a daily basis. Delinquent citations are included in future student financial bills.
Citations paid within the first 30 days, can be paid directly at Parking Services office, or via www.jmu.edu/parking. Once citations are transferred to the UBO office, students are required to pay through their student account with a check or cash at the counter in Warren Hall, with a check along with your billing payment coupon to their bank processing center in Alexandria, VA, or with a credit card (MasterCard, American Express, or Discover) at the University Business Office web site (www.jmu.edu/ubo).
6.3 Late Payment
Students
Ten days after a citation is issued, the student will be sent a written notice via their campus e-mail account regarding the necessity of satisfying the outstanding fine provided the vehicle is registered with Parking Services. A service indicator will be placed on the official records of any student who has delinquent fines. This service indicator will prevent a student from registering for courses, making course adjustments, obtaining transcripts, or receiving a diploma. The service indicator will be released upon satisfaction in full of the delinquent fines.
Faculty/Staff Members
Ten calendar days and again 45 calendar days after a citation is issued to a registered faculty or staff vehicle, a written notice will be sent via campus mail regarding the necessity of satisfying the outstanding fine. Ninety days following the citation issue date a letter will be sent via campus mail detailing the amount of the delinquent fine to be deducted from the employee's next paycheck. Section 2.2-4800 of the Code of Virginia has authorized this action.
Visitors
If a visitor receives more than ten citations without obtaining a parking permit from Parking Services, his or her vehicle is subject to towing.
6.4 Appealing Tickets
The Parking Appeals Committee has been delegated the authority to rule on all appeals. Appeals must be filed within 10 calendar days of the date the citation was issued. Citation Appeal forms are available at Parking Services on the ground level of the parking deck, via mail or fax and on the Parking Services web site.
Appellant has the option to appear before the Appeals Committee to present his or her case. Appearance before the Appeal Committee is limited to a maximum of five minutes.
Citations that have not been resolved within ten calendar days after the citation was issued must be paid in full prior to an appeal review.
Delinquent citations must be paid in full prior to request for a second appeal.
Notification of the Parking Appeal Committee’s decision will be sent to campus email accounts. All returned emails will be followed by a written notification to the appellant’s official university address. Responses will be mailed to an alternate address at the appellant's request.
If an appeal is denied, the appellant has ten calendar days including the date on the notification letter to pay the fine or the 10-day ($5) penalty will apply. If Parking Services is closed, payment can be inserted in the drop box at the front of the Parking Services office or paid via the Web Citation Payment option.
If the appeal is denied by the Committee, at the request of the faculty, staff or student, the chair of the appeals committee and/or the Associate Vice President for Business Services may give the matter further consideration.
- RESPONSIBILITIES
Parking Services is responsible for sending a written notice via campus mail for all faculty/staff members regarding the necessity of satisfying outstanding fines provided the vehicle is registered. Students will be notified of violations via their campus email account. All returned emails will be followed by a written notification to the student’s official address. These notices will be sent approximately ten days after a citation is issued.
All faculty, staff, students and visitors are responsible for abiding by all parking and traffic regulations. Any parking fines that are received as a result of non-compliance with JMU Parking and Traffic Rules and Regulations must be settled with Parking Services.
- SANCTIONS
Sanctions will be commensurate with the severity and/or frequency of the occurrence and may include termination of employment.
- EXCLUSIONS
None.
- INTERPRETATION
The authority to interpret this policy rests with the President, and is generally delegated to the Associate Vice President for Business Services.
Updated 10/12/05
Index Terms
Parking fines
Parking violations
Parking citations