Proposed ordinance would crack down on car booting in Mount Pleasant

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD)- Mount Pleasant leaders are looking to give predatory parking enforcement practices the boot.

The town council is expected to give final reading on Tuesday to an ordinance that would tighten regulations for booting and other car immobilization practices in commercial parking lots.

Mayor Will Haynie said complaints over parking enforcement practices have been mounting with people saying it is too expensive and takes too long to get boots removed from their vehicles.

Some of those problems — like the price drivers must pay to park — are out of the town’s control because the lots are privately owned, Haynie explained. But, some aspects can be regulated.

“We can’t control the price, but we can control what is allowed in terms of booting of cars, fines that are assessed, how long you might have to wait if your car was booted,” Haynie said. “And, we wanted to make sure those practices are fair and that they are in the best interest of the business and the reputation of Mount Pleasant.”

The proposed ordinance would require signs to be installed at the entrances of parking lots that clearly outline the parking policy and include contact information for boot operators.

“There is often inadequate signage indicating the times when a car may be booted and the price of a nonconsensual boot, leading to confusion and confrontation between motor vehicle owners and commercial parking lot owners, and boot operators,” the ordinance states.

It would also cap the fee to release the vehicle at $125 per day and require that operators arrive to remove the boot within 30 minutes if requested by a driver between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The wait time would be no longer than one hour if outside those times.

“What was really bothersome was hearing that some people who actually paid and got a receipt ended up getting their cars booted and having to wait for several hours,” Haynie said.

A driver would not have to pay the booting fee if an operator does not arrive in the allotted time, according to the ordinance.

The regulations would apply to any commercial parking lot where customers must pay for parking using a digital device.

“We’re hoping that by toughening up the laws…that we can get the practices to be more professional and more fair to the consumers,” Haynie said.

The ordinance would go into effect immediately if approved.