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Petoskey board reviews options — booting, towing or court — after low collection rates for parking fines
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Summary
Staff told the board contracted collections recovered about 3.5% ($4,500) since 2018; the board discussed enforcement tools (boot, towing, small claims, garnishment, amnesty) and council direction favoring legal action and the boot, while members asked for a phased approach and clearer scenarios.
Parking staff briefed the board on the city’s recent efforts to recover unpaid parking fines and described several enforcement and collection options under consideration.
Amber, who framed the update, said that using an outside collections agency recovered about 3.5% of referred balances between 2018 and 2023 — "a whopping $4,500" — and listed outcomes from small-claims and civil-court cases: several judgments were awarded but payments frequently stalled or payment plans stopped. Staff explained that the previously approved barnacle (wheel-lock) technology was not implemented in 2024 because of liability concerns ( cracked windshields and the difficulty of locating a safe return receptacle) and that towing had been tried once. Amber said a tow company had indicated willingness to trial a boot or towing service under specified liability terms.
Board members and staff reviewed a range of options: resume litigation and pursue garnishment where feasible, trial boots or towing targeted to the highest-balance offenders, or institute an amnesty window to encourage one-time payment of base ticket amounts while waiving many late fees. One participant summarized the problem bluntly: a small cohort of repeat nonpayers accounts for most of the outstanding balances, and without credible escalation those balances continue to grow.
Council direction was referenced: council declined a broad towing ordinance amendment and instead urged staff to pursue court remedies and consider the boot. Members asked staff to prepare clear, scenario-based examples showing steps taken for sample cases (number of contacts, court filings, returns on attorney fees), so the board can explain the approach to council and the public. No new enforcement tool was implemented at the meeting; staff may recommend a phased policy that combines education, amnesty windows, and selective escalation.
What happens next: staff will compile case scenarios, cost/recovery estimates for each enforcement option, and a recommended triage sequence (education/amnesty → boot → towing/legal action) for board review and presentation to city council.
