Earlier this week, Director of Parking Glen Sicard confirmed that refunds are being given to students who paid a fee to have boots removed from their vehicles between September 2006 and September 2007.
To receive a refund, students must go to the River Campus Parking Office, which is located in the basement of Fauver Stadium. This refund opportunity comes in light of the recognition in September of this year that the practice of placing boots on vehicles was in violation of a Rochester city ordinance passed in 2006.
“We have been giving refunds to the students,” Sicard said. “The only thing they need to do is come to the [River] Campus parking office and they will be refunded.”
Sicard did not respond to further inquiries regarding specific details surrounding the refund process.
According to students in the position to receive a refund, no personal contact has been made by Parking and Transportation Services to inform them of the refund decision, or how to go about securing it.
The ordinance was passed in September 2006, and states that “no person shall place a parking boot on, or otherwise immobilize, a vehicle owned by another person which is parked on private property.” Attorneys for the City of Rochester Law Department have said that the ordinance was not aimed to affect University policies, but rather to address and deter actions that had been taking place in downtown Rochester.
However, the Parking and Transportation Office continued to boot cars despite the ordinance, rendering boots given in that time period illegal.
Before the suspension of the practice, announced by Associate Vice President for University Facilities and Services Richard Pifer on Sept. 12, boots were placed on vehicles which had accrued four or more unpaid parking tickets, as well as vehicles parked in Todd Lot during business hours.
Moeller is a member of the class of 2009.Additional reporting by Dani Wisch.
