Parking

Appeals

Individuals who receive a parking citation and believe circumstances call for waiver of their parking fine may file an appeal to PATS for reconsideration. Parking citations must be appealed within fourteen (14) calendar days of the citation. Appeals may be made either in writing or electronically, by the driver receiving the citation or owner of the vehicle. You can use the appeal link on this page. Appeals filed electronically allow you to receive time-stamped email confirmation that the appeal was received. (Note: Warning citations are no-fine and cannot be appealed.)

Citations not paid within fourteen (14) days of issuance will accrue a late fee. Late fees do not accrue during the period that the appeal is under consideration. If an appeal is not submitted within fourteen (14) calendar days, the right to appeal is forfeited. After 45 days, the unpaid citation will be referred to collections with additional fees added.

The written appeal will be reviewed by the Appeals Mediator/PATS staff and adjudicated based on the current Parking Rules or Regulations. The decision notification will be sent by email and/or USPS mail. The following are reasons that will not be accepted by PATS, or the Student Government Supreme Court as reasons to dismiss or reduce a citation. This is not an all-inclusive list:

  • Disagreement with the Parking Regulations
  • Ignorance of the Regulation
  • Could not find a valid parking space
  • Operation of the vehicle by another person
  • Patrollers did not issue citations previously for similar violations
  • Tardiness to class and/or appointment
  • Inability to pay fine
  • Traffic congestion
  • Received incorrect verbal information
  • Perception that designated parking area is unsafe

If you are going to file an appeal, please consider the following:

  1. Prepare a concise written argument.
  2. Attach any supporting documents to your appeal.
  3. Only those persons or departments responsible for incurring the citation or the registrant of the vehicle cited may appeal a citation.

What to Expect:

  1. The first appeal will be reviewed by a PATS appeal mediator and judged based on the current PATS Regulations, and a letter of decision will be mailed.
  2. Those dissatisfied with the decision of the appeal mediator, can request a final appeal. Final appeals can be made in person with oral arguments not exceeding five minutes. You can also make an appeal in writing using the appropriate form or web-link. Final appeal requests must be made within fourteen calendar days from the date of the appeals mediator's letter of decision. Once a hearing is scheduled and you are unable to attend, you may re-schedule for the next available hearing date. You are allowed one reschedule only.
    • If a student is dissatisfied with the decision of the Appeals Mediator, they may make a final appeal to the USF Student Government Supreme Court within 14 calendar days of the first appeal decision.
    • If a non-student (person or department) is dissatisfied with the decision of the Appeals Mediator, they may make a final appeal to the USF Parking Final Appeals Committee within 14 calendar days of the first appeal decision.
  3. The appropriate committee will review the appeal and may dismiss, down-grade, or uphold the citation, but the committee may not contradict the prevailing parking regulations. The committee is the final appeal authority, pending review of dismissed citations by the Director of PATS for adherence to the prevailing parking and registration regulations.

File an appeal now.