Tow Policy Discussion

1
Tow Policy Discussion

• Suggesting some changes to our tow policy
• Current tow policy
• Industry best practices
• Benefits of implementing best practices
• Revenue implications of implementing best
  practices

2
Current Tow PolicyRelated to Revenue Collections

• Published PolicyCustomers with 3 or more or
  100 or more unpaid citations are eligible for
  tow
• Practice
• Billable customer vehicles with 4 or more unpaid
  citations are relocated to lot 88
• Unaffiliated customer vehicles with 4 or more
  citations are towed to wrecker lot with a hold
  until citation fees are paid
• Employee vehicles with 4 or more citations AND
  who have been issued a tow warning are towed to
  wrecker lot with a hold until citation fees are
  paid
• No towing after 3 pm Friday, overnight or on
  weekends
• Late fee/early payment 10 discount 14 days after
  issue date
• Issue citation due notices 5 and 15 days after
  issued date of citation and monthly thereafter
  (beginning of semester will change to 1, 7, 15
  day notices)

3
Challenges with Current Policy/Practice

• Different practices for different customer
  classifications
• Not doing what we say we do
• Hinders consistency in
• Communication to customers about what they can
  expect
• Training
• Revenue collection

4
Citation Statistics for FY10

• Total citations issued FY10 57,626
• Total vehicles cited FY10 31,655
• 32.73 (18,860) of the citations issued during
  the last fiscal year were 9.62 (3,045) of the
  vehicles cited.
• Total number of citations issued per year is
  decreasing 2010 60,000/year
• 2005 65,000/year
• 2001 108,000/year

5
Most Frequently Written Violations

• The 4 violations written most often are
• No Permit 21,686
• Unauthorized area 18,358
• Pay-by-Space violation 7,137
• Time violation 4,768
• Per year percentage of violations from these four
  categories
• 2009-10 89
• 2008-09 88
• 2007-08 87

6
Unpaid Citation Balances

•  
• Citation balances outstanding more than 2 years
  are written off as uncollectible
• 2008 161,965
• 2009 126,488
• 2010 107,410

7
Citation Collection

• BEST PRACTICE
• Implement consistent policies and practices
• Suggestions for Implementation
• Billable customers- Relocate to on-campus lot
  vehicles with 3 or more unpaid citations
• Non-billable customers - Issue tow warnings in
  conjunction with 2nd violation and tow vehicles
  with 3 or more unpaid citations

8
Citation Collection

• BENEFITS
• Gain consistency in
• Practices
• Communication to customers about what they can
  expect
• Training
• Revenue collection
• Increases compliance with the rules and creates
  better availability of parking for paying
  customers
• Opportunity to offer wait list choices more
  quickly due to fewer violators cluttering popular
  lots

9
Citation Collection

• BEST PRACTICE
• Relocate/Tow customers with balances gt 90 days
  old or gt 100
• BENEFIT
• Disincentive to allow balances gt 90 days old or
  gt 100 to remain unpaid
• Increases compliance with the rules and creates
  better availability of parking for all other
  customers
• Opportunity to offer wait list choices more
  quickly due to fewer violators cluttering popular
  lots

10
Citation Balances

• Outstanding citation balances from customers who
  have fewer than 3 DUE citations where at least
  one of the due citations is greater than or equal
  to 90 days old
• Total of customers in this category 4,717
• Total of citations due in this category 5,938
• Total associated with this category 245,711
• Outstanding citation balances from customers who
  have fewer than 3 DUE citations where balance due
  is greater than or equal to 100
• Total of customers in this category 4,457
• Total of citations due in this category 5,155
• Total associated with this category 213,511
•  

11
Citation Collection

• BEST PRACTICE
• Consistent practices on weekdays, evenings and
  weekends
• BENEFIT
• Customers consistently know what to expect
• Increases compliance with the rules and creates
  better availability of parking for paying
  customers
• Opportunity to offer wait list choices more
  quickly due to fewer violators cluttering popular
  lots
• Installation of after hours payment terminal
  enables releasing towed vehicles after 3 pm
  Friday and on weekends

12
Citation Collection

• BEST PRACTICE
• Additional 10 escalation of citations 30 days
  past due
• BENEFIT
• Provides disincentive for allowing balances to
  remain unpaid

13
Citation Collection

• BEST PRACTICE
• Additional escalation of citation fines when
  individuals have 3 or more citations in any of
  top four citation categories
• unauthorized area
• no valid permit
• time parking
• pay by space violation
• BENEFIT
• Provides additional disincentive for continuing
  to violate the rules
• Increases compliance with the rules and creates
  better availability of parking for paying
  customers
• Opportunity to offer wait list choices more
  quickly due to fewer violators cluttering popular
  lots

14

• Questions?