Decatur Crackdown On 'Booting' Stalled By Concerns

DECATUR, GA -- A move by Decatur's city commission to crack down on booting cars in private parking lots stalled at a meeting Monday night.

The commission was considering a measure that would have capped the fee to remove a boot at $40 and made other changes to a practice many residents and visitors have called, at times, predatory in Decatur's downtown shopping and entertainment district.

The measure also would have required companies that immobilize illegally parked vehicles to accept credit as well as cash, and that employees who accept money to remove the boots have proper identification showing they work for an immobilization company.

Mayor Patti Garrett and others said they have have received frequent complaints, particularly about a company working in downtown Decatur that charges $95 to remove the tire clamps.

"I get a lot of phone calls and a lot of emails about being booted ...," Garrett said at Monday night's meeting. "I think there are some customer service issues that maybe need to be brought out when working with some of the folks who are running the lots."

But a representative of those companies said a $40 fee -- which matches the amount Decatur charges for illegally parked vehicles on city property -- wouldn't be enough to keep them in business.

Brian Watson, who said his company maintains parking lots for several private companies in Decatur, said something closer to Atlanta's $75 cap on booting fees would be more workable.

"At $40, we can't help them," Watson said, referring to his company's clients. He noted that Decatur's city ordinance already requires there to be an attendant present at every parking lot where cars are booted, which is stricter than some other area cities.

"Capping the fee, absolutely, we would be in favor of that if I could use one person to do two or three properties," Watson said. "In the current state, (though) we would not be able to help our clients to continue to function at $40."

Several commissioners seemed to agree that more of a balance needs to be struck between protecting people, particularly out-of-towners, who are booted and protecting business owners who need space for their own customers to park.

"It's really tough to make a living if your clients can't get in there," said mayor pro-tem Fred Boykin, owner of Bicycle South in North Decatur Center. "That's the problem. How do you keep the lot open for the people who need to use it? I think 40 bucks is too light. I think it needs to maybe go up some."

Added Garrett: "We have to balance all of the things with the business-owner needs, but also the people who come in and want to visit our city ... . They're in the wrong if they got a boot ... but how do we make it where it's at least fair when they got a boot? For them to say, 'I'll never come back and shop in your city,' I think we want to balance that."

Commission members voted unanimously to postpone acting on the measure. The commission next meets on April 4.

(Photo via Wikimedia Commons)