Tennessee bill proposes tougher regulations on car booting

A bill that would enforce stronger regulations on the car booting industry in Tennessee is making its way through the state legislature.

The effort comes as a growing number of Nashville residents have expressed frustration over what they say is the predatory practice of companies booting cars on private lots and charging a fee to remove the boot.

The issue has been especially contentious at locations like the Inglewood post office in East Nashville, where a private company waits to boot unsuspecting drivers who park in the wrong lot.

Senate Bill 1692, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, essentially bans vehicle booting across Tennessee with exceptions for companies that are licensed and regulated by local governments and meet minimum state standards.

State regulations would include: a $75 cap on how much companies can charge to remove a boot, signage requirements, photo identification for booting company employees and criminal penalties for businesses that violate the law.

The bill also requires that companies respond within 30 minutes to remove a boot after a driver has paid the fee. The proposal is stricter than Nashville’s city ordinance that requires companies to respond within one hour.

The bill passed unanimously on Tuesday in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and will head to the Senate floor for a final vote. The bill hasn't yet advanced in the House.

Johnson in an interview said he’s been working on the issue over the past year after hearing concerns about possible scammers.

“I found out that there’s some bad actors in the field who were just going into parking lots and putting boots on people’s cars, and the consumer doesn't know any better,” he said. “You’re paralyzed. They’re holding you hostage.”

Johnson last year co-sponsored the Booting Consumer Protection Act, which went into effect in July and added safeguards such as requiring booting companies to accept credit cards and prohibiting them from paying their staff on commission for how many cars they boot.

The law, however, removed the $75 cap on how much companies could charge to remove the boot.

Johnson said the current bill adds back the $75 cap and also allows local jurisdictions to pass tighter regulations in addition to the state law.

Nashville’s city code requires licensing for the businesses and has a $75 cap on how much they can charge to remove a boot.

But some residents have said local leaders could be doing more. Last month, one of the city’s largest companies, Nashville Booting LLC, was ordered to refund hundreds of drivers after it was discovered that the business was booting on an expired city permit in December.

Resident Steven Knapp, who discovered the problem after his car was booted and appealed to the Metro Transportation Licensing Commission, has said the city should do a better job of enforcing regulations and reviewing applications.

For now, local leaders say they’re working on the issue.

Metro Council member Jacob Kupin, whose district covers Downtown Nashville, in an interview last month said he’s been meeting with stakeholders for possible new regulations.

The bill also proposes new regulations for towing and parking, including requiring that vehicle owners are properly notified if their vehicle is being towed, sold or demolished by a towing company.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee bill proposes tougher regulations on car booting