Parked illegally in Alta? A sign could keep you from getting towed

ALTA, Utah — If you’re parked illegally in the town of Alta, a homemade sign could save you from getting towed.

The town is asking overnight parkers to put up a sign with their contact information on their dash or windshield so authorities can call them to move their car.

Alta Town Marshal Mike Morey said they want to allow people to move their cars rather than have them towed.

“By the time you pay for the towing and our citation, you can be [paying up to] $800. And that’s an awful high penalty for a small parking mistake.”

While this public service might seem like the opposite of what many towns would do, Morey said they want to avoid having a tow truck come to the top of the canyon, especially in bad weather.

Some people may feel worried about putting their personal information out in the open. In that case, even basic information like initials and a phone number works.

“We’re not asking people to leave a bunch of personal information out that they’re not comfortable with,” said Morey.” What we’re asking is, give us a place to start looking in case we need to move your vehicle.”

Morey said this could even help you avoid a citation. He said he just wants cars out of the way for snow plows because it snows so much and so often there.

Related:

• Avalanche mitigation now safer at Alta Ski Resort thanks to new tech
• Winter parking reservations go into effect in Big Cottonwood Canyon this month