Parking at apartment or restaurant lots in Kent without the proper certifications can lead to a car getting towed, which for college students, could result in an unnecessary headache and extra bill.

Students who risk parking where towing is enforced are probably going to get caught, said Lisa Collins who is the office manager for City Service Towing Company.

Numerous businesses in Kent have signs outside that alert drivers that cars get towed, which Collins said is one of the biggest things motorists need to be aware of. 

Some of the most common places for students to get towed are apartment complexes like University Oaks and Eagles Landing and the Starbucks on Main Street. University Oaks could not speak on towing due to policy restrictions. 

Most students towed from the Eagles Landing are students who are trying to quickly run to the Schwartz Center or the business buildings, said Chris Miller, the Eagles Landing property manager.

“Students that are parking in the lots without a parking pass are taking a chance,” Miller said.

Eagles Landing does not monitor or control cars being towed. According to Miller, all the decisions are left to City Service Towing. The only involvement is that they allow for City Service to come on the property.

Miller said he does not do this out of spite, but to give the students who live at the apartments an opportunity to park.

“In the past, whenever we would go easy on the towing, we would get calls from residents saying how they have nowhere to park,” Miller said.

He informs all apartment residents of the guest meters that allow for resident’s guests to park for eight hours. Eagles Landing also does not tow on weekends or holidays.

Sophomore advertising major Mariah Tyler has experienced the trouble of being the towed. She was towed from Starbucks after she parked there for her class in Rockwell Hall. 

“The girl next to me … had been in my class, but by the time we got outside, my car was gone and hers was still there,” Tyler said.

Tyler called her roommate for the seven-minute drive to City Service Towing impound lot. She had to pay $107 in cash or $113 by her credit card. She ended up paying in cash after finding out that the towing service did not accept all card types including her Discover card.

Tyler said the strict towing laws make sense, but there needs to be more available parking for the students who do not have Kent State parking passes. 

When it comes to monitoring, Collins said most of the tows are called in from places that have contracts with them. Also, they set aside specific hours in which it is patrolled by the workers. When asked how many cars on average they tow, Collins did not answer. 

The places that are going to have the strictest towing laws are going to be the places that are close to campus, Miller said.

Emily Glatt is the parking and transportation reporter. Contact her at [email protected].