Motor Vehicle Regulations
POLICY ON HABITUAL PARKING VIOLATORS AND PARKING SCOFFLAWS
DEFINITIONS:
Habitual Offender: By definition a habitual offender is one who accumulates four or more parking citations within a given school year (September through May). Habitual offenders may be considered for suspension of their parking privileges without reimbursement of any fees charged for parking.
Scofflaw: By definition a scofflaw is one who is in total disregard for established rules and regulations. A person who has accumulated ten citations within a school year will have their vehicle banned from campus and may be subject to additional fines and discipline by the College’s Coordinator of Community Standards.
PROCEDURE:
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When it has been determined that a person has accumulated two parking citations, paid or unpaid, a Department of Police Services Sticker – “Notice to Tow on Next Violation” will be attached to the front driver’s side window.
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When a vehicle has been stickered with a “Notice to Tow,” the officer will make note of this on the citation in the “Officer’s Comment Section” and send an email to the Chief of Police Services that the sticker has been applied.
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An email will be sent by the Chief of Police Services to the person who has been issued the tow sticker notifying them that their vehicle will be towed on any and all future violations.
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On the third violation the vehicle will be towed from campus by the firm designated by the firm designated by the department to tow vehicles. The officer responsible for the tow will notify the student whose vehicle has been towed by email.
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On every subsequent parking violation the vehicle is to be towed from campus regardless of whether the previous parking fines have been paid or not.
When it has been determined that a person has accumulated ten citations in an academic year, paid or unpaid, the Chief of Police will be notified and he will send a final notice to the person that the vehicle will be towed from campus and the department will cause the Parking Decal to be removed from the vehicle without reimbursement of any fees charged for parking.
The Chief of Police Services will send an email to the Assistant Dean of Student Life and the Dean of Students notifying them of the person’s scofflaw status.
The Chief of Police Services will send an email to the person whose vehicle has been towed notifying him/her that the vehicle has been towed, the fact that the parking decal has been removed and that the vehicle is banned from traveling and or parking on the property of Merrimack College. The person will be advised that he/she may appeal this matter to the Dean of Students.
PARKING AND TRAFFIC REGULATIONS
The privilege of driving or having a motor vehicle (which includes scooters and motorcycles) on the Merrimack College campus at any time of the day or night, Sundays and holidays included, is extended to those who comply with the following regulations.
Freshman Resident Students are not permitted vehicles on campus. All operators must be legally qualified to operate a motor vehicle in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the vehicle must be legally registered to operate on the highways of the state. Campus Police or any police officer on the campus may at any time require the operator to present evidence that the motor vehicle is covered by public liability insurance and property damage. Operators and passengers on motor cycles must wear a helmet while riding on campus.
The college reserves the right to withdraw motor vehicle privileges from any student, staff or faculty member at any time for any cause.
The Vice President of Administration of the college reserves the right to make exceptions to the following motor vehicle regulations solely to himself and the Director of Police Services. All exceptions must be made in writing and signed personally by one of the above before becoming effective.
GENERAL REGULATIONS
Any student, staff or faculty member who operates a motor vehicle on the campus that has not been registered with the Department of Police Services. from the time it is brought onto the campus, is deemed to be operating this vehicle illegally and appropriate action will be taken.
Every vehicle must display in full view the college registration sticker, which must be affixed to the rearmost section of glass on the driver’s side of the vehicle. In the case of a convertible, it may be placed on the left vent window. Motorcycles and scooters must register with the Department of Police Services. Those who fail to fail to register will be fined $50.
Stickers must be removed after a student, staff or faculty member is no longer registered at the college, or when a vehicle is sold or transferred to another. A lost or defaced sticker must be replaced at once.Stickers are not transferable. Stickers issued to students, faculty and staff are issued only for their own personal use. Any transfers or misuse of these stickers will result in cancellation of said sticker. All persons involved will be fined $100.00 each.
Students from states other than Massachusetts, are reminded that if they operate a motor vehicle in this state for 30 days or more, they must comply with the statutes of the Commonwealth regarding compulsory insurance.
OPERATION
The operation of a motor vehicle on or about the campus in excess of 20 mph, shall be prima facie evidence of careless driving and violators are subject to a $25.00 fine.
Traffic signs, signals, and instructions of the police shall be obeyed.
Accidents involving personal injuries must be reported at once. Property damage accidents must be reported if the damage exceeds $250.00
Any person who operates a motor vehicle on a sidewalk or the lawns of the college shall pay for any damage done and is subject to a $25.00 fine and possible disciplinary action.
PARKING REGULATIONS
All students, faculty and staff, must park on the campus in the designated areas provided for this purpose.
NO PARKING
At the start of each semester, there will be a three class day grace period for vehicles to have the appropriate parking decal. at all times, including the grace period, vehicles must be parked in a legal space (marked by yellow lines on each side of space) and must be parked in the appropriate parking area (commuter, resident, faculty/staff lots).
Unless given permission from the Department of Police Services, vehicles may not park or drive on sidewalks and other areas marked “Service Vehicles Only.”
Resident Students who are authorized to have a vehicle on campus must always be parked in a designated resident space/lot.
Commuter students must always be parked in a designated commuter space/lot and may never park in a resident space/lot. Commuter students parking oncampus overnight
(as a guest of a resident student) must follow overnight guest parking rules.
RESPONSIBILITY
The student, staff or faculty member who owns and or operates a vehicle on campus, shall be responsible for any liability or damage claims (including parking penalties) arising from the vehicle
The college assumes no responsibility for the care or the protection of any vehicle or any of its contents at any time including the time it is in any parking area.
Any person owning or controlling the operation of a motor vehicle which becomes disabled while on the Merrimack College campus, must assume the responsibility of notifying the Department of Police Services of the disablement before abandoning the vehicle to return to his/her home or dormitory room. Failure to do so will result in the removal of the vehicle from the campus at the owner’s or operator’s expense, at the discretion of the Department of Police Services.
REMOVAL OF MOTOR VEHICLES
Vehicles are towed by Elm St. Automotive, Andover, Massachusetts.
SNOW EMERGENCIES
Following a snow storm it is the student’s sole responsibility to call the traffic hotline at ext. 5666 to determine when and it their vehicle must be moved to facilitate snow removal. The Director of Physical Plant will determine if vehicles must be moved. All vehicles which impede snow removal will be towed at the owner’s expense.
VIOLATIONS
The Department of Police Services at its own discretion, may remove any vehicle at any time which is parked in violation of the college regulations. Cost of such removal and any other penalties which may be incurred are charged against the student, staff or faculty member who owns and or operates the vehicle.
The abandonment of any motor vehicle on any part of the Merrimack College campus is prohibited. Any motor vehicle parked on the campus without current state registration plates attached to the vehicle will be deemed to be an abandoned vehicle, and as such will be subject to immediate removal from the campus. The last registered owner or person in control of the abandoned vehicle, as indicated by the Department of Police Services records, will be personally responsible for the cost of removal, storage, or any other charges that may be involved. The defense that this vehicle has been sold or transferred, to another person at a prior date is void. All transactions of this nature must be properly registered and filed with the department of Police Services at the time the transaction took place.
SPECIAL PERMITS
Only those vehicles displaying valid state handicapped license plates or a placard will be authorized to park in designated handicapped parking areas. Those individuals who require temporary access to handicapped parking areas, due to a temporary medical condition, may obtain a temporary handicap permit from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles after providing appropriate medical documentation signed by a physician. Applications are available at the Police Services Department, rear Monican.
There is a downloadable copy of the form on the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles website (PDF format). HP Placard or Tag
Violators will be fined $50 and the vehicle is subject to tow.
PENALTIES
All fines will be paid directly to the business office, and be billed only by the business office.
A $25.00 fine shall be levied for any student, staff or faculty member, or any person(s) who refuses to stop and identity themselves, or who deliberately drives their motor vehicles on the wrong side of any divided roadway. Habitual offenders shall be subject to disciplinary action, the revocation of their parking privilege and in the case of staff or faculty, department heads will be notified.
An additional $25.00 fine shall be assessed on each ticket in excess of three violations.
Cancellation of any parking ticket issued shall be made only by the Director of Police Services or his representative.
After three unpaid violations in one academic year, the Department of Police Services may impound or immobilize the vehicle until the unpaid violations, and any fines related to the impoundings/immobliztions are paid.
ENFORCEMENT
Enforcement of these regulations is the responsibility of the Department of Police Services or any police officer who is employed by the college to work on the campus.
Any student who has an unpaid fine at the end of the semester will have his grades or diploma withheld until the fine has been paid in full at the business office and he/she will not be allowed to register for the following semester classes.
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RIGHTS
- Any individual will have the right to submit an appeal within ten calendar days. All appeals will go directly to the Director of Police Services or his representative, and no appeals will be heard unless all previous fines have been paid. No appeals will be heard for violations of designated handicapped or fire lane areas.
CAMPUS PARKING IS BY PERMIT ONLY
The absence of posted signs or marked areas shall not constitute a valid excuse for violating the regulations set fourth in this booklet. Campus parking and traffic regulations will be strictly enforced.
HANDICAPPED PARKING AREAS
These spaces are marked by signs and pavement markings