New Waukesha Parking Law Means 5 Unpaid Tickets Gets You A Tow

WAUKESHA, WI -- Residents with at least five unpaid parking tickets now face the risk of having their vehicle towed after the Waukesha City Council voted 10-2 approve the new ordinance during a Sep. 18 meeting.

According to Waukesha City officials, the new towing ordinance requires the Police Department to notify a vehicle owner with at least five unpaid parking tickets in writing that their vehicle may be towed the next time it is found parked in the City.

According to the ordinance, the written notice must include information about the unpaid tickets
and explain how to pay them. Towing may only be started 24 hours after the date notice
was sent.

The ordinance states that the offending vehicle may only be released after the owner pays the cost of towing and impounding the vehicle; pays the unpaid parking tickets or schedules an appearance in court on them; and registers the vehicle as required by the state if it is not already registered.

Over the last seven years, if this ordinance was enacted, the city would have towed an average of nine vehicles per year, officials noted.

The State of Wisconsin recently passed a law authorizing municipalities to tow vehicles that have at least five unpaid parking tickets, though Waukesha officials said they were already working on drafting the new ordinance.

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