Booting vehicles in private parking lots may be coming to the northwest side’s 45th Ward according to DNA Info Chicago.
Alderman John Arena (45th) recently introduced an ordinance to allow the practice in his ward.
Private booting allows the owner of a parking lot to enforce the vehicles which park in their lot by immobilizing vehicles whose drivers park in the lot but then leave the premises. Private booting is seen as alternative to towing as a way to make sure vehicles are not trespassing on the property and/or to make sure parking spots are available for shoppers who want to patronize businesses where the lot is located.
According to the story, about half the city’s wards allow private vehicle immobilization.
Arena’s Chief of Staff Owen Brugh says he spoke to nearby wards which allow the practice and did not hear of any problems from the wards he spoke to. But obviously, Brugh did not speak to 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack.
Waguespack did experience some problems with Global Parking Management, the main supplier of private booting in Chicago. In particular, a few years ago complaints to the 32nd Ward service office became so frequent, Ald. Waguespack almost pulled the plug on allowing Global Parking to operate there.
Ultimately, Waguespack’s office got Global Parking to make changes to their practices and since then, problems have in general, declined.
Here’s the story from DNA Info Chicago, “Cars Parked Illegally on Private Property May Soon Get the Boot.”
