Parking and Transportation Services (PaTS) of UNC Charlotte stick to their policies, no matter what the situation.

Last week, a student was given with a ticket of $150 for parking in an area that is reserved at all times even though his car was broken down, and he had a note on his vehicle from campus police indicating that the vehicle was disabled.

In an email sent to Aaron, whose identity is being kept anonymous, immediately following his ticket on Monday, March 11, Carol Ross, parking data specialist for PaTS, said, “Placing a note on your vehicle does not allow for improper parking. If your vehicle is disabled and are planning on having it towed, we will be happy to provide you with a suggested tow company.”

After returning from spring break, Aaron, who is a resident of Holshouser, parked in Lot 8 in order to unload his car so he did not have to make multiple trips on the bus to North Deck across campus.

When Aaron went to move his car after he finished unloading it, the vehicle would not start. Officers drove by while a friend was trying to jump his car and asked what was going on. They then issued him a disabled vehicle sticker to put on his car until he was able to move it.

In an email response to Ross, Aaron said, “They [the police officers] told me I would not be ticketed and gave me until [March 13] to get my car fixed and move it to a proper lot.”

Aaron was able to get his car moved later Monday afternoon, but still went through the PATS protocol of submitting an appeal to the PATS office on Tuesday, March 12.

The appeal included the citation number, date and time, car information, reason for the citation and Aaron’s argument of why he felt the citation was unfair to him.

In the argument section of the appeal, Aaron included the number of the officer who issued the disabled vehicle sticker and informed him he would not be ticketed for the improper parking.

Despite his efforts, Aaron’s appeal was denied. In an email, Lindsey Harris of the UNC Charlotte Citation Appeals Committee told Aaron that, “Parking and Transportation Services recognizes that this is disappointing news, but based on the information provided, there is not sufficient reason to overturn the citation.”

Harris explained that, “Your vehicle was in violation from the time you parked it in this lot, prior to the disabled vehicle sticker being applied. This area is strictly enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

PaTS lowered the fine from $150 to $75 if paid within 10 business days from the date of the letter, Thursday, March 14.