A breakfast run to McDonald’s almost cost Thomas Enwright $200.
Enwright stopped at the Acworth location in November, but seeing there wasn’t room for his large commercial truck, he parked in a lot next door. When he returned five minutes later, there was a boot on his wheel and a man demanding $200 to remove it.
“I tried to use common sense with the guy, but people like that don’t care," he said. "They’re doing their job but not using common sense.”
Cherokee County sheriff’s officers were eventually called in to settle the dispute, and Enwright ended up paying for only his breakfast. But instances like this have grabbed the attention of county commissions, which are considering a ban on booting by private property owners.
Cherokee commissioners will hold a hearing Feb. 1 to talk about prohibiting or restricting the practice. At least three other metro Atlanta counties have enacted ordinances banning booting -- Cobb County in 2004, Gwinnett County in 2007 and Clayton County in 2010.
But booting companies say they offer a needed service that is a cheaper alternative to towing. And they believe parking violators, not companies, should be punished for their actions.
Lt. Jay Baker, a spokesman for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, said there have been five complaints over the past year related to booting. In some cases the fine is up to $500. Private property owners have the right to hire booting companies to help prevent cars from parking there for long periods of time, he said.
“The Cherokee Sheriff's Office has communicated with at least one commissioner about these incidents and has suggested passing an ordinance regulating booting so that unsuspecting citizens don’t get booted for simply parking their car while they enter McDonald's,” Baker said. “On the other hand, booting is a legitimate alternative for vehicles that have been abandoned in the parking lot for long periods of time.”
According to the Cobb County ordinance, commissioners found that booting led to "unnecessary anger, conflict, a drain on public safety resources better spent elsewhere, and does not resolve the issue of the improper use of a parking space."
Clayton County Commissioner Wole Ralph said the board didn't like that residents could not appeal or protest the boot after they paid, and that the booting companies were not licensed in the county.
"Our citizens have been greatly appreciative of it," he said of the ban.
But Anthony Leete, who owns Atlanta Impound and has been in the booting business since 1999, said counties are wrong to ban the practice outright rather than implementing regulations. Counties can require companies be licensed, request a portion of the boot fee or require the lots be clearly marked, he said.
Atlanta Impound was hired in August to boot trucks in the McDonald's lot who were staying overnight or for long periods of time. He said some of the truckers live in Cherokee but can't drive their vehicles home because they do not have space for parking. Leete said he set a $500 boot fee because it is cheaper than the estimated $650 towing fee for large trucks.
"This problem should not be put on the business owner, the booting company or the towing company," he said. "The responsibility should be put on truckers who park wherever they choose. Regulations are not solving the problem."
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