Change to the Bloomington city code now permits towing of automobiles with six outstanding tickets

Bloomington, Indiana – On June 12, a new rule permitting the towing of automobiles with six or more unpaid tickets enters into force. According to Indiana Public Media, the modification was made after Bloomington City Council adopted the new city code provision last year.

The City of Bloomington’s Common Council mandates that before a car is freed from towing services, the owner of the vehicle must provide documentation that all parking tickets have been paid. Chandlers Towing Service, Hawkins Towing and Recovery, Ken’s Westside Service and Towing, and Rick’s Towing are some of the towing companies on this list.

Madelyn Powers, a resident of Bloomington and a former IU student thinks the move won’t prompt more people to pay for their tickets.

Towing someone’s car and making them pay to have it recovered won’t help them pay their outstanding tickets any faster, according to Powers. The question “What’s the point?”

Before June 12, Bloomington Parking Services will send an email and U.S. mail notices to drivers who currently have six or more unpaid tickets.

A neon green “Immediate Action Required Notification” card will be used to remind the owner of the vehicle of a tow warning when parking enforcement issues a fifth ticket.

IU student Jayma Hayes thinks that Bloomington’s prices for parking, parking permits, and tickets make it unnecessary to include this clause in the city code.

“Parking in Bloomington is already expensive enough for a college student. Personally, I believe Bloomington’s parking regulations are already a disaster,” Hayes remarked. I believe it will have an impact on new students and residents as well as current city residents.

According to the Bloomington city code, an approved towing agency may not charge more than $135 for services unless special handling or daily vehicle storage is required. The daily maximum for special handling and storage is $25.