Out-of-towners looking for parking on campus have resorted to leaving their cars in spaces they shouldn’t. At 9:30, Reynolds Towing Service, Inc. had already towed 75 vehicles. At 2 p.m., totals were up to 125.

“Kids have been infiltrating U of I parking lots reserved for staff,” said Susan Jepsen, chief financial officer for Reynolds.

Jepsen said individuals that have their vehicles impounded can pick them up at 1417 W. Kenyon Road in Urbana.

Reynolds has utilized additional staff and they’re much more prepared now than their first Unofficial, Jepsen said. This is their third year they dealt with the campus “holiday.”

Jepsen said she understood that students come from all over other college campuses, such as Wisconsin, Iowa or Southern Illinois to name a few.

She also said that many of the tows have been relocation tows, when someone is parking in a designated spot, like on the street, so the owner of the spot calls them just to get the random car out of the way. Reynolds began towing cars at 4 a.m.

“Other campuses don’t tow as seriously as we do,” Jepsen said. “The situation here might be a little different than other smaller campuses.”

The cost of the tows can range anywhere from $95-$225. The most expensive fees are for drivers who parked in garages, since it takes more time to get the car on the dolly and up the ramp.

The University parking department said they could not answer any inquiries because they were extremely busy.

Katie Foody contributed to this report