BOGUS CAR BOOTERS

"BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - A Birmingham city councilman wants to give the boot to folks who boot cars."



SOURCE: http://www.myfoxal.com/Global/story.asp?S=13668566

MAN SUES BOOTING COMPANY AND WINS "BIG CHECK"

Car Booting 'Gestapo tactics'

With at least a couple of city councilors opposing the move, and one resident denouncing it as "Gestapo tactics," city officials agreed this week to delay booting cars in residential areas or private driveways until they can gather more information.

-- Steve Collins


http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2010/10/13/business/doc4cb5da1bc1b23110910228.txt>/a>

BOOTING IN MORE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS!!

Here we go again. More clampers being hired to extort from private residences own driveways. Booting and demanding cash to remove the boot:

"They say that appears to constitute theft, also a crime."

"I think it's ridiculous," says Stephanie Filipelli."

"Unethical," adds Robert Soelberg, a retired police officer.

http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12793954

According to Nevada's own laws, however, this practice is ILLEGAL:

http://www.ktnv.com/Global/link.asp?L=448429

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION!

Thanks!

Theft, Extortion and False Pretenses

VEHICLE WHEEL CLAMPING IS ILLEGAL IN SUDBURY:

"
The POA also provides for a trial to prove your were guilty of the alleged offence. You weren’t given a trial or the option of having a trial, you were just found guilty and forced to pay on the spot by a private company who is breaking the law.

Section 51 of the by-law articulates who can issue summons and tickets and NO WHERE does this by-law allow a private company to do ANYTHING to ANYONE regarding ANY alleged offence.

In short, you got screwed.

The city needs to require this company to reimburse ALL people who have been a victim of this scam since it began.

Or you can sue them and you can seek additional damages for violating your charter rights. You can seek you legal costs in fighting this, too.

And you will win, too!"

City of Moncton Begs for Boot Ban

"I'm fed up with this issue and I cannot accept any arguments from staff that there's nothing we can do because this action occurs on private property," said Boudreau.

He added the municipal building inspectors regulate the number of parking spaces rental houses must have on their property, so there must be a way to regulate private parking as well.

He asked city manager Jacques Dubé to prepare a bylaw for the next council meeting June 21.

Until then, he said, he'll be boycotting any businesses that boot.

"This is a straightforward matter. Let's ban those idiotic items!" he said. "This booting stuff is insane."

SOURCE: http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/1085208

Class action suit filed against 'booting' company

"LEE COUNTY: A Fort Myers law firm has filed a class-action lawsuit against a local security company for unfair vehicle booting practices:

...a class action lawsuit filed on Tuesday that claims Whitestone's booting fines are "illegal" and "nothing more than a profit enhancer."

Last year, Collier County received so many booting complaints, most of them about Whitestone; it capped booting fines to $25.

Ernest Aviles, a former Whitestone employee, claims his boss told him 'I want you to kill Lee County. I mean, I want you to hit them hard' (with booting fees). "



SOURCE: http://www.abc-7.com/Global/story.asp?S=12191260#

TIRE CLAMPERS DEFEATED IN LEE COUNTY

Source: http://www.abc-7.com/Global/story.asp?S=12191464

CAR BOOTER ADMITS TO CORRUPT BUSINESS PRACTICES

"...Lee County commissioners will consider capping boot-removal fees at $50. Late last year, Collier County set a similar cap at 25 dollars, after receiving complaints about fees topping $200.

Mr.Aviles, a former car booter says a lower fee is "...only fair, especially in the economy right now. I've seen people wake up in the morning, they couldn't take their kids to school, they couldn't go to work, they didn't have 160 dollars cash in their pocket to get that boot taken off."


SOURCE: http://www.winknews.com/news/local/87967007.html

DALLAS CONTINUES FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL CAR BOOTING

"I just came out to go get something to eat, and then I came and saw my car was booted," Rivera said. "If that many cars are getting booted, there's got to be something wrong."

Francisco Guzman, who was parked just a few spots down, said he also paid the parking fee.

"There's a ticket here, and there's a couple of boots on my wheels," he said.

"We paid our $5," one angry customer told the parking lot attendant. "Where did it go?"

"There should be a camera showing that he put the money in there, because I witnessed him putting the money in there," said another irate customer. "We're not crazy. It has to be some kind of scam or something."

The drivers had to pay $100 to get the boots removed from their cars.

"This is theft, because I did pay the $5," Guzman said.

The car owners said they plan to appeal the fines they had to pay to get the boots removed from their vehicles."

RESIDENTS' CARS BEING BOOTED AND TOWED FROM THEIR OWN DRIVEWAYS!

Another out of control booting company:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

"The residents said they believed the park's management was getting a kickback from all the towing..."

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9776182

WHEEL CLAMPERS TARGET CARS TRAPPED BY SNOW

"Motorists who abandoned their cars in a pub car park returned the next day to find that they had been wheel-clamped. The drivers left their vehicles outside the Roebuck Inn, in Winchester, Hampshire, after ice and snow brought traffic to a standstill."

"This is the bit that is so galling about this story.....the pub was shut at the time, has been shut for days and has signs ALL OVER saying that it would not re-open until the new year. It's not exactly as if there were paying customers that lost out on parking spaces!!" --Jim Evans

SOURCE: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article6965764.ece

"CAR BOOTING" BAD FOR BUSINESS

"...While details and locations vary slightly, the villain remains the same: booting companies.

A growing number of folks have parked in unattended lots, left their money in a steel box as instructed and returned to their cars to find a boot on the tire. The men in bulletproof vests who arrive to remove the boot will only set vehicles free for a large fee. Assertions that they paid to park get car owners nowhere, leaving them stranded with an immobile vehicle.

Finally, though, the city of Dallas is cracking down on booters gone bad.

Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-booting_30edi.State.Edition1.2df3ec2.html

CAR BOOTER FINED $18,000.00

"California: Police Car Booting Extortion Scheme Foiled

Former reserve cop pleads guilty to forgery in scheme that made thousands from booting cars.

Brian Hanhart pleaded no contest on September 11 to forgery after being accused of running an extortion scheme while serving as a reserve sheriff's deputy in Marina del Rey, California. Hanhart runs Municipal Parking Services, a company that placed boots on vehicles parked in private lots in Lawndale and El Camino Village in 2004. Hanhart sought payment of $80-100 for the release of each car.

An August 2004 opinion by the state attorney general made it clear that police officers may only boot cars located on public streets. Hanhart must now perform ninety days worth of community service and pay $18,000 to charity -- an amount designed to deprive him of the profits gained from his illegal booting scheme."

Source: http://www.bootandtow.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11

HOW TO COMBAT PARKING LOT FRAUD

"...We intend to try to use video surveillance and any other means available to document what these THIEVES are doing. We have created a Facebook page called "We're Declaring War on the Parking Lot Boot Crooks in downtown Dallas", which we will use to document incidents. If you have a story to tell about the parking lot thugs, we would welcome your input to that page.

Posted by Mike O."

Source: http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2010/jan/02/how-combat-parking-lot-fraud/

DALLAS' NEW ANTI-CAR BOOTING ORDINANCE TAKING EFFECT

"...Booting companies can be cited and fined up to $500 for each violation."

Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/010810dnmetparking.3d4f12a.html

Deep Ellum Bans "Tire-Boots"

The rules have changed when it comes to parking in private lots in Deep Ellum. As of Friday, lots in Deep Ellum that allow booting must issue parking receipts, either electronically or through an attendant. The Dallas City Council approved the ordinance in August after hundreds of drivers complained about having their cars booted, even though they'd paid to park.

Barry Annino, President of the Deep Ellum Foundation says "...the new ordinance was more than a year in the making. “It’s taken thousands of emails, complaints and hours at City Hall.”

Source: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local-beat/The-Parking-Rules--80486762.html

TIRE CLAMPING ILLEGAL IN SAN DIEGO

"A company that was ordered last month by the state to stop clamping vehicles on Capitol Hill has moved its operations to San Diego, in a state where officials have also deemed the practice illegal.

Total Parking Solutions, a Seattle-area company, has been operating without a city business permit, according to officials with the Treasurer's Office in San Diego. Lot attendants have been demanding that vehicle owners pay $280 to remove boots from cars parked in business parking lots."

SOURCE: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/220385_clamping16.html

TIRE CLAMPING IS ABOUT MONEY, NOT PARKING CONTROL

"The truth is that the majority of car clamping has nothing to do with preventing traffic obstructions...."

"...car clamping is now just an end in itself, an easy way to rake in cash from motorists who have to pay whatever outrageous sum is demanded of them."

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1213261/Curb-cowboy-clampers-Time-run-thugs-town.html

DAILY MAIL CALLS FOR CRACKDOWN AGAINST LEGALIZED MUGGERS (TIRE CLAMPERS)

"The AA says the industry is 'totally immoral' and has clamped one in every 17 drivers.

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell admits clampers are 'indulging in unacceptable behaviour including unclear signage and excessive fees', and is planning legislation in this year's Queen's Speech."


SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212881/Curb-cowboy-clampers-Mail-leads-calls-crackdown-legalised-muggers-milk-1bn-year-drivers.html

DAILY MAIL DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST TIRE CLAMPERS

"WHAT THE NEW LAWS SHOULD SAY

FULL RIGHT OF APPEAL

Motorists who receive penalties on public roads have a legal right to an independent appeal. Motorists clamped on private land are at the mercy of a completely unregulated regime.

At best, firms offer a right of appeal only to themselves, and are obliged only to send a letter explaining why the penalty is being upheld.

AN INDEPENDENT TRIBUNAL SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO HEAR APPEALS BY MOTORISTS WHO ARE CLAMPED ON PRIVATE LAND.

STRICT LIMITS ON PENALTIES

For parking offences on public land, maximum penalties are fixed by the Department for Transport. Outside of London, the upper limit is £70. Inside the capital, it increases to £120.

The charge for recovering a vehicle which has been towed away is £105, with a storage charge of £12 per day. The maximum charge for removing a clamp is £40.

On private land, clampers can charge whatever they want. Drivers regularly receive demands for £500.

THE MAXIMUM PENALTIES FOR INFRINGEMENTS ON PRIVATE LAND SHOULD BE IDENTICAL TO THOSE ON PUBLIC ROADS.

RESTRICTIONS ON TOWING

Councils are advised to remove a vehicle only if it is causing a danger, blocking access or if it appears to have been abandoned.

Private clampers routinely tow vehicles away within minutes of a parking offence taking place. This allows them to maximise profits by charging for both the removal of the vehicle and the original penalty.

NO VEHICLE SHOULD BE TOWED AWAY UNLESS IT IS POSING A DANGER, BLOCKING ACCESS OR HAS BEEN ABANDONED.

INCENTIVES FOR CLAMPING

Councils are instructed not to offer incentives to traffic wardens to penalise as many motorists as possible. Because private car parks are unregulated, no such arrangements exist.

Deals can be struck between clampers and landowners to pay a commission for each motorist who is forced to pay a penalty.

THE USE OF INCENTIVES SHOULD BE BANNED. CLAMPING FIRMS SHOULD RECEIVE A FIXED SUM FOR POLICING PRIVATE LAND, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY MOTORISTS ARE ISSUED WITH PENALTIES."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1213482/Gone-30-seconds-How-cowboy-clampers-pounced-half-minute-claim-150-fine.html#ixzz0bPjdkD1H