University Police Department

Violations, Penalties, Warnings, and Fine Payment

University Police Officers as well as officers from other law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction on the campus of William Paterson University are empowered to enforce all motor vehicle regulations. As a result, drivers violating motor vehicle regulations on the campus may be issued summonses for acts prohibited by New Jersey motor vehicle statutes. Any summonses issued for a motor vehicle violation must be addressed by and adjudicated in the municipal court, which has jurisdiction for the violation. Parking regulations are enforced 24 hours every day throughout the year on the campus of William Paterson University. Enforcement by ticketing and towing is therefore constant. Summonses, for which specific fines are assessed, are issued on the campus of William Paterson University for the following infractions:

William Paterson University
Violation Fine Classes

Class I (no warning)
Handicapped: $150
Fire zone: $50
Obstructing Crosswalks: $25

Class II
Counterfeit/Stolen Altered: $30
Fraudulent registration of
Parking Permits: $30
No current decal: $30
Student parked in
Faculty/Staff area: $20
Reserved: $20
Not-between-the-line spaces: $10

Class III
No parking zone: $25
On lawns: $25
Impeding traffic: $30
Overtime parking (Residence hall parking areas): $30
Medical permit for
temporary parking: $30

Vehicles are immobilized under certain circumstances on the campus of William Paterson University. Vehicles will be immobilized for the following Fine Class II & III Infractions on the campus:

I. Parking in a “No Parking Zone”;
II. Parking more than 15 minutes in the 15-minute lot (Overtime parking)
III. Parking on Lawns/Developed/Restricted Areas;
IV. Parking in Reserved spaces;
V. Parking a vehicle bearing a student decal in a space or area designated for faculty/staff;
VI. Vehicles with outstanding tickets in excess of $100.00 or vehicles registered to Scoff Law offenders.

A Scoff Law is defined as an individual or vehicle with $100 or more in outstanding parking fines or five or more outstanding summons.

Vehicles are also towed in certain circumstances on the campus of William Paterson University.

Towing will be used for the following Fine Class I and other infractions:

I. Parking in spaces designated as Handicapped;
II. Parking in an area designated as a Fire Zone;
III. Parking in a manner that either obstructs a designated Crosswalk, obstructs Traffic, or obstructs a Loading Zones;
IV. Violating the Overnight Parking Prohibition;
V. Parking in a manner that fails to comply with Emergency Parking Rules (example - snow removal)
VI. Parking of an Unauthorized Vehicle.

For an immobilized vehicle or for a towed vehicle to be released a vehicle release fee must be paid. The vehicle release fee is $50.00 plus the cost of the fine. Immobilized vehicles will be released upon payment of all outstanding and current fines and the vehicles release fee. Vehicles will be released during normal business hours of the Violations Bureau. In addition, a vehicle immobilized for more than 96-hours will be impounded and towed at the owner's expense to the contracted tower's storage yard. The vehicle will remain impounded until all fines, fees and surcharges due to the University by the owner/operator of the vehicle are paid. Cost associated with towing and storage of the vehicle are additional. Fines are in addition to any towing, storage, vehicle release fee or administrative fee or action applicable to the violation. Warning citations may be issued for Class II and Class III violations at the discretion of the Department of Public Safety. Typically, warning citations are issued during the early weeks of a semester in order to facilitate the schedule adjustments of community members. The issuance of a warning citation is a recorded instance of the infraction of a parking regulation by a specific vehicle. The issuance of a warning citation influences the discretion utilized and the action taken by the Department of Public Safety during subsequent infractions of parking regulations by that same specific vehicle. The recipients of a warning citation should take the following corrective measures after the receipt of a warning citation for the following respective infraction:

Class II Violation Corrective Measure
Counterfeit/stolen parking permits: Obtain a legitimate parking permit
Fraudulent registration of parking permits: Properly register vehicle for a parking permit
No current decal: Obtain a parking permit
Student parked in faculty/staff area: Park in student parking areas
Reserved: Refrain from parking in reserved areas
Not between lined spaces: Park between line spaces.

Fines are in addition to any towing, storage, vehicle release fee or administrative fee or action applicable to the violation.

Class III Violation Corrective Measure

No parking zone: Refrain from parking in no parking zones
On lawns: Refrain from parking on lawns
Impeding traffic: Refrain from impeding traffic
Overtime parking limitations
Observe all timed parking
Unauthorized use of medical permit areas: Refrain from parking in medical permit for temporary parking areas without authorization

Fines may be paid by mail with a check or money order made payable to William Paterson University. Mailed payments must be postmarked within 10 days of the date the ticket was issued. Late payment results in additional processing fees for each ticket. Please send the actual ticket with the payment. Payments may also be made in person at the Parking and Transportation Services office using cash, credit card, money order, or the Pioneer Express card.

Immediate payment of fines avoids future action by the university. When a person fails to remit payment for a parking violation, a member of the Violations Bureau of the University’s Department of Public Safety will attempt to collect outstanding fines by contacting the debtor’s by e-mail and by mail. In addition, for debts outstanding for over one month, the Bureau will place a hold against the debtor’s account and will place a hold against the debtor’s records. When a hold is placed against a debtors’ account, the Violations Bureau of the University’s Department of Public he debtor will not be able to register for future classes. When a hold is placed against a debtor’s records, the debtor will not receive his/her diploma and will not receive copies of his/her transcripts.

Furthermore, William Paterson University is a state institution. As a result, any monies owed to the university due to outstanding fines may be collected from overpaid taxes, which are normally returned to the taxpayer through a tax refund, if the university applies for payment via the SOILS Program. SOIL (Set-Off of Individual Liability) is the New Jersey set-off program, which withholds personal NJ Gross Income Tax Refunds, Saver Rebates and Homestead Rebates from taxpayers who have outstanding tax debts, debts to other state agencies and/or to the Federal Treasury. The William Paterson University’s Violations Bureau intends to make applications for payment of outstanding fines through the SOILS Program when necessary.

Appeals Policy and Process

Appeals Policy and Process - University Summonses
Tickets may be appealed within 10 days of the date the ticket was issued. After 10 days, the right to appeal will be subject to forfeiture and the violator will be subject to making remittance for all fines associated with the ticket. Towing cost may not be appealed.

Appeal Procedures - University Summonses
The following procedure is the only method to request reconsideration after a University ticket has been issued. Returning a note with a ticket is not a valid form of appeal. All appeals must be submitted in writing on an official appeal form, available at the Parking and Transportation Services office or at this website.

Appearance is optional for appeals. Appellants who do not appear in court are informed of the Magistrate's decision in writing. Appellants are notified in writing of the scheduled court date and time and are expected to be on time. Postponements can be arranged by contacting the Parking and Transportation Services office at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled appearance. Failure to appear without requesting a postponement results in a decision by the court based solely on the written appeal.

The appellant may bring a peer-counsel. Peer-counsels may not be a practicing attorney, and may not be a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.). The peer-counsel shall be either a member of the faculty, staff, or student body.

Magistrate
The University Parking Appeals Magistrate is an adjudicative officer/judge who presides over an administrative hearing where appellants (faculty, staff, students) have the ability to present a written appeal in person for an issued summons.

The Magistrate who hears the appeals is empowered to reduce, adjust, remove, or uphold any penalties/fines associated with each citation. The Magistrate's decision is binding. An appeal may be resubmitted, but will only be considered if new evidence is provided which may serve to alter or reserve the original decision. The Magistrate decides whether to accept or deny any resubmission.