Can a car be towed when it is park in a visitor spot and the driver is in the process of obtaining the permit?

My daughter is a sophomore at Towson University. This is the first year she has had a car on campus. She and some friends went to visit other friends at Cardiff Hall Saturday night. She parked in a spot marked "Visitor Parking". It might possibly say something about a permit (we are checking on that). She knew she needed to get the permit from the kid she was visiting, so she went to their room and within 10 minutes was back at her car with permit in hand. Her car was already in the process of being towed. She had to pay $110 to get him to stop the process. When I called the apartment complex they told me they can't even be out of their car for one minute. So how are they supposed to get a pass? I am considering small claims court. Do I even have a chance?