Getting the ‘boot’: Park parking lots too, not just street spaces

| West Seattle news | West Seattle parks | West Seattle police

If you have four or more unpaid parking tickets but you’re not taking the city’s “scofflaw” crackdown seriously yet – note that parking officers are apparently “booting” eligible vehicles found in parks, too. That’s the reminder Rob wanted to share along with the photo above (he also included a photo showing the notice left under the car’s windshield wiper). He spotted it in the north lot at Lincoln Park earlier this week: “I thought it was interesting because the car that patrols and boots cars with unpaid tickets is evidently patrolling the park’s lots too, not just the streets.” The city’s webpage for the “scofflaw” ordinance mentions only “city streets” – though parks, of course, are city facilities, so you might safely assume any parking place on city property/right-of-way is a place you might get caught.

Nicole aka Finance Diva July 31, 2011 (10:41 am)

I guess I am going to play devil’s advocate for a bit here. Instead of spending all of this money buying boots and hiring people to drive around – just in case they happen to see a car.

Has the city of Seattle thought about offering an amnesty program? Come pay your tickets for the original amount of the crime and we will waive all of the late and collection fees?

Just a thought.

WSB July 31, 2011 (11:00 am)

Actually, they did have an amnesty program, for a couple months before finally moving on to booting, as covered here and elsewhere – TR

coffee July 31, 2011 (11:06 am)

From what I was told by a city court employee the amnesty program did reduce the amount of outstanding tickets significantly, but a large amount remained unpaid. The boot program is happening in more and more cities too. It will be interesting after a year to see some stats on how much it produced in revenue and how much it cost to operate to see if it breaks even or produces income to the city.

WSB July 31, 2011 (11:14 am)

Coffee – I went back to look at one of the news releases re: the amnesty program, and they projected that after a slow ramp-up, which I imagine is still in effect now since it’s “only” been about 3 weeks, they think they can boot up to 50 vehicles a day. This high-tech small-size gizmo is certainly different from the “boots” I remember way back when – which I swear involved chaining a car to a barrel, or something like that!

K July 31, 2011 (11:06 am)

My girlfriend took advantage of the amnesty program recently, which was nice because she’s been trying to repair her credit, but had amassed a significant amount of unpaid tickets making it hard for her to get out of the red. The offer reduced her overall parking ticket debt by 1/3rd or more, and now she can wipe several collections off of her credit report, and she won’t have to worry about the boot. Everyone in this situation should have taken advantage of the deal, which I believe was more than fair.

Gunnerddog July 31, 2011 (11:50 am)

The city is booting cars parked legally or illegally on any public area. This includes community center parking lots, parks, paid spaces in commercial districts, even in front of your own house if it is on the street. The only ways to avoid it are to park only on private property or to pay what you owe. Even though the amnesty program, which lasted for two and a half months, ended, you’re still better off paying before you are booted as you will avoid the $145 boot fee.

Silly Goose July 31, 2011 (11:58 am)

I love that the city is doing this now if only the DMV would ask for proof of insurance before renewing car tabs!!

visitor July 31, 2011 (12:34 pm)

My car was chained to a barrel once a hundred years ago, and I just picked up the barrel, threw it in my trunk and had friends use bolt-cutters to remove the chains from the bumper. This was a violation from a parking-lot company, not the city!

Paul July 31, 2011 (2:40 pm)

just learn how to park I guess. I have never had a parking ticket or ever run out of gas, and I didn’t even get through high school

bg July 31, 2011 (3:01 pm)

here’s an idea everyone, pay your damn tickets!

Silly Goose July 31, 2011 (3:44 pm)

So visitor you went to all that trouble because you wanted to avoid paying to park and now you take the time to boast about it!! Must be awful to be you, I agree with bg pay your tickets people or better yet try to follow the rules.

Recall McGinn July 31, 2011 (6:58 pm)

I have never received a parking ticket, usually because I ride the bus downtown. Keep booting the deadbeats!!

And Silly Goose, you are right on about the DMV requiring proof of insurance before issuing tabs. That should be law.

wsguy July 31, 2011 (10:10 pm)

“if only the DMV would ask for proof of insurance before renewing car tabs!!” And gee-wizz if they checked for out standing parking tickets we might be able to save some tax dollars to. Is it just me ?????

Nelson July 31, 2011 (10:24 pm)

HA-HA!

Louise24 July 31, 2011 (11:35 pm)

…..saw this car on Friday in the Lincoln Park Lot. Unfortunately a thief took advantage of the boot… the passenger window was completely shattered out. uff. what a bummer.