These Boots Are Made for Scofflaws

ST. PETERSBURG - Parking scofflaws, beware. St. Petersburg has a new enforcement tool: the boot.

The device, clamped on a parked vehicle's tire, renders it immobile.  Drivers can't leave the scene until tickets are paid up. The city will start using the boot on April 15, giving scofflaws a few weeks to pay overdue tickets.

On Wednesday, Mayor Bil Foster introduced the boot with a demo for reporters. City officials said the boot will help to make "parking in downtown St. Petersburg more accessible, convenient and fair."

The new rules let the city target vehicles whose owners have at least three outstanding and overdue parking tickets, or one overdue disabled parking ticket.

“We have a very small minority of drivers in downtown St. Petersburg who demonstrate a flagrant disregard of the city’s parking regulations, and have incurred significant debts in unpaid citations,” said Mayor Bill Foster.

One violator currently owes the city $8,405 in overdue fines stemming from 131 different parking citations.

Before a vehicle is booted, the registered owner will have received at least three tickets (or one major infraction for parking in a disabled only space without a disabled person credential), followed by a late notice for each citation, and a booting notice – in all, at least 10 prior notifications before the vehicle is booted.

The booting notice offers provisions for calling the city’s Parking Citation Office and arranging for payment options before the vehicle is placed on the boot list.

Once a vehicle is immobilized, the owner must pay a $25 booting fee, plus any overdue parking citations. In the event the vehicle is booted after office hours, the city’s towing vendor (Tri-J Towing) can collect payments during nights, weekends and holidays when the Parking Citation Office is closed.