By ALLISON BRINKERHOFF
allison@du2.byu.edu
Towing and booting is a prevalent practice in Provo, especially around BYU campus, said Ken Berkey, Provo City parking enforcement supervisor.
'Most of the towing and booting that happens in Provo occurs around BYU campus,' Berkey said.
The most common towing near campus occurs due to parking in red or tow zones, blocking intersections, overtime parking or having expired plates.
If any of these circumstances cause impoundment, a citation will be given and a car will be towed, Berkey said.
The city fine for the towing procedure is $80 per hour, with a daily storage fee of $8 - $10.
Farther away from campus, vehicles are more likely towed for other reasons. The most common towing occurs when a car is left on the street for 72 hours, after which an impound sticker is placed on the vehicle. If the vehicle is not moved within 72 hours of placing the sticker, the car will be towed, Berkey said. Vehicles are also towed when they have four or more outstanding tickets issued.
In both cases the fines must be paid in full before the vehicle is released from custody, Berkey said.
Berkey said towing is an effective parking solution.
'We tow to get people's attention. By towing cars we get people to pay their outstanding tickets,' Berkey said.
Apartment complexes hire parking and towing companies to manage their lots, and all have different arrangements and different prices, said Jackie Colton, office manager of Express Towing.
Express Towing, also known as Knight's Towing, tows vehicles from most of the large apartment complexes, Colton said.
The hours that towing starts in each complex vary.
'Some complexes tow around the clock while others enforce parking only during the evening hours. The earliest evening enforcement begins at 6 and the latest begins at midnight,' Colton said.
The most common apartment tows occur when vehicles do not have parking passes for the complexes in which they are parked, Colton said.
'Other tows occur when cars are double parked or parked in red zones. Vehicles breaking these laws can be towed from any apartment complex at any time,' Colton said.
If a tow truck is not readily available at the time of the breaches in complex parking policies, a boot may be placed on one of the tires to assure that the owner does not get off without paying a fine, Colton said.
Fines for removing a boot are constant at $40. However, towing prices range from $50 - $80, depending on the complex, Colton said.
Towing and booting fines on-campus are generally lower.
'While BYU does tow cars that violate parking laws, they tend to use boots more often,' said Lt. Rhoades, manager of BYU parking and security services.
Booting and towing on-campus occurs when a vehicle has received seven or more citations in a calendar year, an unregistered vehicle has two or more outstanding tickets, a vehicle is blocking an intersection, fire lanes, or causing a problem and of course if a vehicle is parked in a tow zone, Rhoades said.
Generally, the prices for towing on-campus is $25 unless an amount is posted that states otherwise. Boots are only $20 to remove.
'If an on-campus citation is issued no impound fee is charged,' Rhoades said.
Tow zone violators will always pay $50. And, those who willfully park in a disability stall will incur a penalty of $100 according to state laws, Rhoades said.