UPDATE and fun photo: Dallas City Council delays “booting” vote until late August

by PegNews wire

Photo not provided by the city of Dallas

I bet you're wondering what this says. The red lettering and arrow on the left points out that patrons can't see any booting "caution" signs except for one, at arrow #2. The photo is of the Parking Company of America lot at 2600 Commerce.

The Dallas City Council has pushed a vote on requiring receipts in cash parking lots back until at least late August. Visitors to locations like Deep Ellum often find their cars booted even after they have paid the required parking fee. With no receipt to prove they paid, they're often stuck with an additional $100 fine to remove the boot.

The decision came after the Deep Ellum Community Association presented -- well, more like plastered and draped -- 830+ petition signatures from community members into a 50+ foot banner.

"We want the ordinance that the city of Houston adopted, and the Dallas city staff recommended -- to provide its patrons with a receipt at the time they pay (ie through a parking lot attendant, or an electronic payment machine)," Sean Fitzgerald tells Pegasus News. He's the president of the Deep Ellum Community Association. "Simple, fair, and it gives patrons with an actual way to prove that they paid, unlike the current system or the watered down ordinance the parking companies want."

He says the delay in vote is a good thing for Deep Ellum supporters. "At this point, we have sent a very loud message and I think it worked," Fitzgerald says. "Word has it the City Council certainly noticed our outcry. I spoke personally with Mayor Leppert and he seemed very receptive to our arguments, and noted that the whole issue wasn't really on his radar until he saw his inbox."

Posted by Erin and Sarah

Staff
Verified User
Anonymous

Russ Vandeveerdonk, says:

Well, a friend JUST yesterday was booted, downtown, paid his $100.00 fee as well as his parking ticket. His boot was removed 3 hours later. The process is active right now, this is proof!

Verified

5 months, 2 weeks ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

James Scott, says:

Russ - this vote is to require those that take cash for parking to give patrons a receipt for parking there. If they do not give a receipt, they would not have the authority to put a boot on your car.

This theoretically will prevent your car from getting booted when you have a receipt that shows you actually paid for the parking.

As it is now, it doesn't matter where you park or whether or not you paid, they can boot your car - as your friend found out.

That is my understanding of the issue.

Verified

5 months, 2 weeks ago
Link to this comment | Suggest removal

Mike Orren, says:

re: the photo: This is a longtime trick of the towing companies. I remember when TABC was first hot, before Uptown took off, I parked in an open field with about 50 other cars. There were no signs of any kind to be seen. When I got back, my car and several others were towed. On close inspection I found a flimsy towing sign on the ground, face down. I took pictures. When I showed them to the towing company they threatened to call the police and press charges against me for moving their sign.

Lovely business. Nice people.