Property owners on the west end of Lincoln Highway asked two towing companies to remove the illegally parked cars of people dancing at the newest DeKalb nightclub.

A to Z Automotive, 1440 Pleasant St., and Lovett’s 24 Hour Towing, 1154 S. Fourth St., were asked by property owners around Amnesia, 1000 W. Lincoln Hwy., to patrol the area Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

“We’re solving it (the overcrowded parking lot),” said Jim Mason, owner of Colonial Townhouses, 1004 W. Lincoln Hwy., and Old Orchard Apartments, 1001 W. Lincoln Hwy.

“It takes a while to get people trained” to park legally along Lincoln Highway, Mason said.

Carter Glidden, owner of Glidden Campus Florist and Gifts, 917 W. Lincoln Hwy., said he did not have signs posted in the parking lot forbidding people from parking in his lot after business hours.

Glidden said he posted signs in the parking lot after “one guy got stuck” in his front lawn and “left a lot of tracks.”

According to the two towing companies about 30 cars have been towed in the past two weeks.

“The maximum we can charge is $55,” said Bill Lovett, owner of Lovett’s towing.

Lovett said he charges between $35 to $45 for night tows, but “has been charging $40. Forty dollars makes them think. It makes them tell their friends.”

A to Z towing charges $40 and will add an extra $10 for a late night release, said Pam Mataragas, the office manager.

“It’s wasted money,” said Domenico Carli, an NIU student, about the $40 towing fee. “It’s just part of the (messed) up system we live in.”

Carli said he was visiting a friend on Feb. 2 at Colonial Townhouses, 1004 W. Lincoln Hwy., when his car was towed.

“Whoever is towed is because they don’t belong there,” Mataragas said.

Mike and Chris Carpenter, owners of Amnesia, have employed parking lot attendants to warn customers of the dangers of parking illegally.

“We warned students and made announcements,” Mike Carpenter said. “We’re very sorry.”

Students were told to use an NIU parking lot on Annie Glidden Road, north of Rocky Rococo’s, 120 N. Annie Glidden Road, he said.

“I don’t even like to do this type of towing,” Lovett said. “It just causes bad feelings.”

Carpenter said he thought students were parking illegally because of the cold weather, and as warmer weather approaches the parking problem might slow down.