Did you know that between 300 and 350 people receive a parking ticket at Lakeland per semester?

Among those individuals, only 15 percent appeal their tickets. However, parking tickets are not only a problem among students, they are also a problem among faculty and staff.

“Some faculty and staff choose, in the event of really cold or rainy weather, to park in visitor parking,” said Annette Gamache, director of safety and security. “This results in them getting a ticket.”

According to Gamache, another main contributor to parking tickets is students who should be parked in the lot for Grosshuesch, but decide to park in the lot for the apartments instead.

When it comes to appeals, security does not make the decision. The group that decides is the Hall Council, whose members are kept confidential for their protection.

When Hall Council meets, Gamache reads the appeals to the council. The council then decides whether it is valid and will be appealed or not. Students are unable to represent themselves in the appeal process.

Hall Council is a student led committee, which any student can volunteer for. If you want more information on how to get involved, contact Jim Bajczyk, director of residence life, in the campus center.

“I feel like the appeal process is a fair process,” said Afton Barrows, sophomore exercise science major.

Barrows had two successful appeals due to security’s lack of checking on their temporary parking list. She received tickets on two separate occasions when her name was on the temporary list.

Emma Landowski, sophomore religion major, received two tickets for the same parking violation, but the tickets were given at separate times.

“The thing that frustrated me the most was that security did not call me to tell me to move my car,” said Landowski.

She had not driven her car for most of the week that this happened and, by the time she had gotten out to her vehicle, she had received two tickets. For Landowski and for many students, it was also not clear whether the area she was parking in was part of her residence hall parking area or not.

“I would have appreciated being better informed about the appeal process and the opportunity to actually be at the appeal,” said Landowski.

If a student receives a parking ticket and feels it is unfair, he or she can appeal it within five business days of receiving the ticket.

The parking ticket appeal form is available in the security office and on my.lakeland.edu in the campus life section under “forms and documents.”