Parking Enforcement

General

The purpose of Northeastern Junior College’s (hereafter referred to as “College” "NJC" or “Northeastern”) parking enforcement practice is to provide safe and efficient access to all campus buildings in a manner that supports campus activities and residence life. Parking is governed under the authority of the College President by the policy statements in the College’s student handbook, sections 3.27(a) and 3.27(b).

Northeastern Junior College does not currently have a vehicle registration process.

Northeastern’s Campus Safety Office oversees parking enforcement. Currently, the Coordinator of Campus Safety is primarily responsible for enforcing parking regulations. During occasions when the Coordinator of Campus Safety is unavailable, Hall Directors, Assistant Hall Directors, and Physical Plant staff may enforce Northeastern’s parking regulations. All parking enforcement will be prompt and impartial.

Any parking enforcement action must have accompanying photographs depicting the vehicle in violation of the College’s parking policy, the license plate of the vehicle, the make and model of the vehicle, and a photograph of the warning, fine, or notice of immobilization placed on the vehicle.

Parking information must be obtained from the student handbook, sections 3.27(A) “Vehicle Regulations and 3.27(b) “Vehicle Regulation Enforcement,” or by contacting the Vice President of Student Services. Incorrect information received from any other source is not considered a valid defense for parking violations or standing for an appeal.

All vehicles must be parked in designated parking areas and abide by the restrictions detailed in this document. Designated parking spots are striped or parallel to buildings.

The vehicle owner is responsible for all enforcement actions related to their vehicle. The vehicle owner is the person or party to which a vehicle belongs. In the case that a student’s vehicle is legally registered to the student’s parents but operated by the student, the student will be considered the vehicle’s owner.

If a vehicle owner allows another party to use their vehicle for any reason, the owner assumes responsibility to ensure that the vehicle is operated in compliance with Northeastern’s policy.

Enforcement Methods:

Warning:

In most cases, a parking warning will be issued as a first-step response to parking violations. Generally in the form of a written notice, but can include verbal warnings. Campus Safety maintains a log of parking warnings issued. In some aggravated circumstances, a warning may not be issued. In these cases, Campus Safety will employ booting or towing.

No monetary fine or disciplinary sanction is imposed on the vehicle owner for a parking warning.

Fines:

Fines are due immediately upon receipt of the parking fine notice on the violating vehicle. A fine is considered “overdue” if it is unpaid or an appeal has not been filed (as provided in the student handbook) within ten (10) business days after issuance of the fine. All overdue fines are doubled in cost. Delinquent fines will result in a hold being placed on a student’s account.

The fine schedule is as follows:

• First Fine: $50
• Repeated Fine (second, third, etc.): $100

If the College receives any fines due to improper parking, the full amount will be added to the fine the vehicle owner is responsible for paying. For example, if a vehicle owner is blocking dumpster access and the College is subsequently charged $150, the vehicle owner will be fined the amount of the parking fine, plus $150.

The cashier’s office may generate a promissory note to cover the costs of any fine temporarily.

Immobilization (Booting):

Northeastern does not currently have a vehicle registration process. Therefore, Campus Safety may not be able to determine who to assess the fine for parking violations. Vehicles that have outstanding unpaid parking fines will be immobilized by booting. If a vehicle is booted, the owner must pay all fines before removing the boot. The cashier will contact Campus Safety, or the vehicle owner will provide Campus Safety with receipt proof that the fine is paid.

If a vehicle is booted, a notice of vehicle immobilization will be placed on the driver’s door window to the vehicle. The notice will include a statement warning the vehicle operator of the boot’s presence, a statement telling the driver not to operate the vehicle until the boot is removed, instructions to have the boot removed, and a warning not to attempt to remove or damage the parking boot.

Parking boots may only be removed by an authorized College employee after all parking fines are paid at the cashier’s office. The cashier’s office is open from 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. during the regular business schedule. Boots will only be removed from 8:00 A.M. to 5 P.M. during the regular business week.

Unauthorized removal of a parking boot is prohibited. The vehicle owner is responsible for all damage resulting from the unauthorized removal of a parking boot.

If the owner of a vehicle fitted with a parking boot has not paid the parking fines or initiated the proper appeal process within five (5) business days will be subject to towing at the owner’s expense.

Northeastern may employ vehicle immobilization only in areas or parking lots with visible signs warning vehicle drivers about booting or vehicle immobilization.

Towing and Impounding:

Towing will only be employed as the last step in parking enforcement or in circumstances where no other alternative method of enforcement is sufficient. Northeastern recognizes the significant burden placed on a vehicle owner when their vehicle is towed. The vehicle owner is responsible for all costs associated with towing. These costs include the impound fee and cost of recovering the vehicle, costs billed to the College as a “no-show fee” or a “drop fee.”

Campus Safety will make a reasonable attempt to contact the owner of a towed vehicle. The College is not responsible for any further actions assisting the vehicle owner in recovering a towed vehicle.

Law Enforcement Action: 

Local law enforcement (police department, sheriff’s office etc.) has the authority to enforce parking regulations in accordance with the Colorado Revised Statutes and City Code. The College does not have any authority in the actions of law enforcement actions on campus. The College’s appeal process does not apply to any enforcement action taken by law enforcement.

Appeals Process:

Any person who is issued a warning, fine, or has an immobilization device placed on their vehicle has the right to appeal a parking violation. To submit an appeal, written notice must be provided to the Vice President of Student Services within seven (7) days of the enforcement action. All appeals and responses are then forwarded to an appeals officer appointed by the College President or an appeals committee for initial review to determine if the appeal meets the limited grounds and is timely. The original enforcement action will stand if the appeal is not timely or substantively eligible and the enforcement action is final.

If an appeal has standing, the documentation is forwarded for consideration. Because the original enforcement action is presumed to have been decided reasonably and appropriately, the party appealing the decision must specifically cite the error(s) in the original documentation on which the appeal is based. The ONLY grounds for appeal are as follows:

1. A material procedural or substantive error occurred that significantly impacted the enforcement action (e.g. substantiated bias, material deviation from established procedures); which must be explained in the written appeal;

or

2. To consider new evidence, unavailable during the investigation and enforcement action that could substantially impact original enforcement action. A summary of this new evidence and its potential impact must be included in the written appeal as well as the reasons the new evidence was not available when the enforcement action was taken.

The appeals committee shall be appointed by the NJC President and shall consist of one (1) administrator, one (1) faculty member (the faculty member shall not be a current or past instructor or advisor of the student filing the appeal), and one (1) student representative (an officer from the Associated Student Government). If the appeals officer or committee determines that a material procedural or substantive error occurred, it may return the complaint to the Chief Student Services Officer or designee with instructions to reconvene to cure the error. In rare cases, where the procedural or substantive error cannot be cured by the Chief Student Services Officer or designee in cases of bias, the appeals officer or committee may order a new hearing be held by a different individual acting in the place of the designated Chief Student Services Officer or designee. The results of a reconvened hearing cannot be appealed. The results of a new hearing can be appealed, once, on the two applicable grounds for appeals.

If the appeals officer or committee determines that new evidence should be considered, it will return the complaint to the Chief Student Services Officer or designee to reconsider in light of the new evidence, only. If the subject matter pertains to discrimination and/or harassment pursuant to 3.18 of the NJC Student Handbook, the appeals officer or committee will return the complaint to the Title IX Coordinator to reconsider in light of the new evidence, only. The reconsideration of the CSSO, designee, or Title IX Coordinator is not appealable.

Upon decision by the appeals committee, the enforcement action will either stand or be voided.

See section 5 of the student handbook for additional information.