Frosstbyte

Ignorance of the rule is never excuse for being exempt from the rule. The place has visitor only parking and resident only parking. You parked in the wrong place and, signs notwithstanding, they are perfectly within their rights to boot or tow or whatever else they want. It does not have to be pristinely clearly marked, so long as a reasonable person would have understood. You've given us scant details, but it sounds like you parked in the most convenient spot without looking around much. Why they have different lots or where they are or where the signs are doesn't really matter much. You were there and subject to their rules and you broke them.

This is not a RICO conspiracy. It's not extortion. It's not anything even really in a gray area of against the law. No question he's being a dick and trying to catch people, but that's kind of what the whole parking industry is about. If anything, he is entitled to sue you in small claims court. You might note that when you use your credit card you sign a contract to pay for the service or good you received (in this case taking the boot off). You basically used it fraudently in this case because you had no intent of paying and then followed through and prevented payment.

In your gut (and clearly in most everyone else's) you did the "right" thing to screw a dick, but you've got no legal ground to stand on and being a dick to a dick doesn't really solve anything.

Note after re-reading people's comments: If they didn't have a sign at all and he just made that up, then you're totally fine and justified. I can't tell for sure if there was a sign that you didn't see (for whatever reason) or if he just tried to tell you there was a sign and there really wasn't.