Citations and Appeals
Citations
Parking regulations are in effect 7 days a week, year round, including break weeks, holidays and weekends. Scheduled enforcement of parking regulations on the main RIT campus occurs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Parking regulations related to resident housing restrictions are in effect through the weekend. Public Safety and the Parking Office may issue citations at other times as deemed necessary to provide a safe and orderly environment. The Institute is under no obligation to mark all areas where parking is prohibited. It is the responsibility of the vehicle operator to park in accordance with the regulations. Lack of signs does not imply lack of enforcement.
Citations issued for parking violations identify the type of violation and the amount due. Students and employees who accumulate parking citations without making payment are subject to disciplinary action. Citations issued to unregistered vehicles belonging to immediate family members of a current or former employee or student are the responsibility of the current or former student or employee.
All citations are valid and must be paid unless they have been adjusted through the RIT Parking Office and/or appeals process. Do not delay taking immediate action on a citation. Contact the Parking office immediately for clarification of a violation and the next steps to be taken. Any citation not appealed within ten days of the citation date is deemed valid and payable. All rights to appeal a citation are null and void after 10 days. Constant violation of rules and regulations may result in any or all of the following:
- Withholding of grades/transcripts,
- Denial of class registration,
- Inability to obtain or purchase parking permits,
- Revocation of current permits,
- Towing/impounding of the vehicle,
- Disciplinary action via Student Affairs or Human Resources.
Payment of parking fines may be made online, by mail or at the Parking Office in Grace Watson Hall. Parking fines that have been transferred to a student account must be paid at the Student Financial Services office in George Eastman Building. The citation should be included with payments by mail. Checks should be made payable to RIT, and should include name and citation number. Cash should never be sent through the mail.
Payment methods accepted for parking fines and permits are: Visa, MasterCard, Tiger Bucks, payroll deduction, check, cash, or money order.
Appeals
Parking Appeals Process
Goals of the Appeals Process - The appeals process provides members of the RIT community with a way to resolve contested parking citations. The appeals process has been designed to:
- Provide information and assistance for the appellant.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of campus parking regulations, signing and enforcement efforts and suggest ways to improve them.
- Modify the behavior of repeat offenders.
Before you Appeal - If your vehicle has been issued a parking citation for the following types of violations, call the Parking Office (475-2074) immediately! Do NOT file an Appeal!
- Visitors - Send a brief note of explanation with the citation to the Parking Office.
- First Citation – The Parking Office allows a "First Ticket Warning" each year. This is not an automatic process; you must contact the Parking Office.
- Unregistered Vehicle – If the vehicle is registered within 10 days of the citation issuance date, the unregistered citation(s) issued within that period will be voided. This is not an automatic process; you must contact the Parking Office.
- Forgot your Reserved Permit – The Parking Office will verify that you have a current permit and resolve the citation.
Filing an Appeal – You may file an appeal directly on-line or by mail. In both cases, your appeal must be filed or postmarked within 10 calendar days of the citation's issuance. If this deadline is not met, your appeal will not be eligible for review and your rights to appeal will be forfeited. Submitting an appeal to the Appeals Administrator does not substitute for payment of the towing, storage fees or late payment charges.
Examples of defenses that are not grounds for appeal:
- Never got the ticket
- Didn't know the Parking Rules
- Only parked a few minutes
- Lot was full
- Was late/weather was bad
- Had my flashers on
- Flasher don't work/ battery is weak
- Picking up/dropping off friends/books/labs etc.
- Someone else was using my car
- No money to pay fine
- My co-worker/friend told me I could park there
- Repeat violations
The appeal decision will be based on these factors:
- Accuracy of the extenuating factors and information presented;
- Supporting documentation included with the appeal;
- Consideration of unusual circumstances; and,
- Current parking record.
If you do not have an RIT computer account you should:
- File your appeal by mail: Completely fill out the Citation Appeal Form and mail to the Rochester Institute of Technology, Appeals Administrator, Parking and Transportation Services, 61 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623-5603. You will receive the Appeals Administrator's decision by mail or email within four weeks after the appeal is received. Incomplete appeals will not be processed. Remember to keep a copy of your appeal and citation for your records.
If you are a University Members with an RIT computer account you should:
- File your appeal on-line: Every university member with an RIT computer account should use the on-line process available at "myParking Account", 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Simply go to the subsection "View, Pay or Appeal Citations". Select the citation you wish to appeal and follow the prompts. You will receive the Appeals Administrator's decision by email within four weeks. Remember to keep a copy of your appeal and citation for your records.
If an original appeal through the Parking Appeals Administrator is denied or unsatisfactory, members of the RIT Community, persons doing business with RIT, and visitors may continue their appeals process through the RIT Parking and Traffic Appeals Board. Appellants who disagree with the Appeals Administrator's decision may schedule a hearing before the Parking and Traffic Review Board by completing a Request for Parking Appeals Board Hearing form. Forms are also available from the Parking Office. The completed form must be returned to the Parking Office within thirty days of the date of the Appeal Administrator's decision. If the completed request is not received by the Parking Office within that time, the citation may not be contested further.
Definitions of Appeals Actions
- Denied means that your citation has been upheld in accordance with the Traffic and Parking Regulations and that payment is due.
- Reduced means that there may have been mitigating circumstances which warrant a reduced fine. Payment of the reduced fine is still required.
- Approved means the appeal has been granted and the fine is waived.
- Warning means the ticket is valid, but the Appeals Administrator has found grounds to cancel the fine.
Appeals FAQ's
- Who may contest a citation? Any person (visitor, student, faculty, staff, contract staff, vendor, etc.) with probable grounds for appeal may contest a citation.
- What if it is 10-days past the citation issuance date? Anyone who fails to appeal within the prescribed time waives his right to an appeal and subjects himself to the monetary fine. If you are a student, the citation fine will be automatically transferred to your Student Financial Services account.
- What should be included in the written appeal statement? The statement should include clear and convincing evidence. It should clearly state all the facts and deal with both sides of the issue. The statement may include an explanation of circumstances that were life threatening or situations that were beyond the petitioner's control.
- Who is the Appeals Administrator? The Appeals Administrator is a fair and impartial arbitrator and a member of the University community.
- Can a meeting be scheduled with the Appeals Administrator? All appeals must be in written form. The Appeals Administrator does not meet nor speak with the petitioner. Therefore, a concise and accurate statement of appeal is very important in the outcome of the Administrator's decision.
- What happens when a ticket decision is denied/upheld by the Appeals Administrator? If the Administrator denies the appeal/upholds the citation, the fine must be paid. The petitioner will be notified of the decision. A student's parking fine will be transferred to the Student Financial Services account. Employees or other community members will need to make payment arrangements immediately through the Parking Office or through the on-line payment process. If the appeal is granted/approved, the appellant's account and/or record is adjusted accordingly.
- What if I disagree with the Appeal Administrator's ruling? If you disagree with the decision, you may schedule a hearing before the Parking and Traffic Review Board by completing a Request for Parking Appeals Board Hearing form. The completed form must be returned to the Parking Office within thirty days of the date of the Appeal Administrator's decision. If the completed request is not received by the Parking Office within that time, you lose your opportunity to further contest the citation.
