The city of Topeka wants a Lawrence woman to know her free parking has run out. It’s suing her for more than $18,000 in unpaid parking tickets.

“If it isn’t a record, it’s got to be pretty close,” said John Knoll, Topeka’s chief prosecutor.

Topeka filed a lawsuit in Douglas County District Court against Dorothy L. Gallaway, 628 R.I., in an effort to collect the money. The fines cover violations racked up at parking meters over a two-year period, Knoll said.

Topeka doesn’t just want Gallaway to pay the fines.

It’s also asking the court to grant interest on the fines accrued since Jan. 29.

Gallaway couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday or Friday.

Knoll said he didn’t have any other details about the case.

In January 2001, Topeka relieved its municipal court of responsibility for collecting unpaid parking fines, shifting the work to a private collection agency.

Under its agreement with the city, that agency may hire a lawyer and file lawsuits to collect the debts if necessary, Knoll said.

“I think it’s worked pretty well this way,” Knoll said.

Thomas Valentine, a Topeka attorney who filed the lawsuit against Gallaway, said he couldn’t comment on the case.

Before it began hiring the collection agency, the city would issue an arrest warrant for a motorist who didn’t pay fines. Then it was up to law enforcement officers to find the violator, Knoll said.

That is how Lawrence handles unpaid parking fine violators. And so far Lawrence hasn’t found it necessary to use private collection agencies, Municipal Prosecutor Tom Porter said.