When University of Rochester junior Graham Saathoff left class and returned to his car one day about six months ago, he found a parking ticket on his windshield. Saathoff had parked in a metered space on Wilson Boulevard. The fine for overtime: $25 if it's paid within 30 days. But rather than write a check and be done with it, Saathoff decided to do a little research.

And his research paid off.

Saathoff discovered that the UR and the city have an unusual agreement concerning the meters on Wilson Boulevard. The meters are the property of the university, but the Rochester Police Department enforces parking violations on that street. Even more unusual: the UR collects the revenue from the meters. And the UR charges three times more per minute for those meters than the city charges for its meters.

City officials have authorized four classes of parking meters and have specified how much can be charged at each type. Class A meters, the most common, allow drivers to park for two hours at a cost of 5 cents for six minutes. The meters on Wilson Boulevard require 5 cents for every two minutes.

At a hearing, Saathoff pleaded not guilty and presented his research on the meters to the administrative judge, who dismissed the case.

But Saathoff, who doesn't live on campus and uses the metered parking frequently, received another ticket on April 10. This time, the city may be a little less accommodating.

"The UR was authorized to have parking meters out there in September 1992," says Larry Seltzer, the city's municipal parking coordinator.

The UR is allowed to set two and three-hour time limits on the meters, and the rate isn't supposed to exceed 60 cents an hour. But the UR is charging $1.50 an hour. Seltzer says the city has sent a letter to the UR seeking clarification.

"The meters do belong to the UR, and the agreement has been that they collect the revenue in exchange for maintaining Bausch and Lomb Riverside Park," Seltzer says. "That parking was never intended for student or faculty use. Those spaces were meant for visitors and people using the park."

In the late 1980's, there were more than 100 meters along Wilson Boulevard, but with the construction of the park and improvements made to the street, the UR reduced the number of meters to 72. A UR spokesperson says the university increased the rates because of that reduction.

There is no other nearby parking except in lots requiring permits, and the permits cost $155 a year.

"What they [UR] are really doing is pushing you into buying a permit for one of the lots, which is fine if your car is on campus all day and you park there at night," says Saathoff. "But for those of us who don't, it's a big expense when you're already living on student loans."

Saathoff's before the Bureau of Parking Violations for his second ticket was the morning of May 2. Once again, citing Saathoff's research, the administrative judge dismissed the case.