Am I a prick? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

debaser · 06-02-2007, 09:36 PM

So I am leaving my friends apartment tonight and find a boot on my truck. Apparently I am not permitted to park in the common lot, but must park in the visitors lot instead. This is plainly explained to me on a sign in the visitors lot, which is farther into the complex than where I parked. So I call the poor idiot to get the boot off, and after taking my card and running it he proceeds to take the boot off. At this point I call my credit card company, and while standing there smiling at him, have a stop payment put on the charge. After that he got down-right unfriendly, and I shared a few choice words with him and the complex manager before leaving.

So, am I a prick, or am I justified in believing that visiting a friend shouldn't be a cause for profit ($100 gets your car free)? Please note that this apartment complex is in the middle of nowhere, so people aren't just parking there out of convenience in order to go elsewhere.

Jetée · 06-02-2007, 09:45 PM

Do you really want to know?

Your situation is just another clear case of wrong place, wrong time.

Just call this a bad day and look forward to fifteen brighter ones.

Willravel · 06-02-2007, 09:54 PM

You might have put your friend in a tough spot, but they should have put the sign where everyone could read it. If this goes to court, which it probably won't, you'd probably be fine. Still, they may be in a position to make the life of the friend you were visiting a bit more difficult, so you may want to give fair warning in case the idiots are vindictive.

If they do get vindictive, then go buy a few boots and see how they like it.

That'd be money better spent than paying a stupid fine.

debaser · 06-02-2007, 10:13 PM

The sick thing is that it isn't much more than a guy with some boots in his car driving about extorting money from people. I'm not even sure there is a legal grounds for the company, United Parking Enforcement (no website, just a yahoo mail address), to place a restraint device on a private vehicle. Of course what are you gonna do, walk to court to wax legal with some inbred mafiosi? Once they have you by the curlies you don't have much choice but to pay.

Perhaps some of the more legally minded could chime in?

World's King · 06-02-2007, 10:24 PM

You're a prick.

And a very good one.

I would have done the same thing.

Luciian · 06-03-2007, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debaser

while standing there smiling at him, have a stop payment put on the charge.

ur awsome

were you there for an exorbanant amount of time?

They dont even put boot on the first day at my last university..and thier total hardass's about parking there...

Charlatan · 06-03-2007, 01:54 AM

I will have to remember to do exactly that next time this happens to me.

pig · 06-03-2007, 05:54 AM

yeah debaser, i'd say you're an inspiration. great work. i see no moral problem with your actions in any way shape or form.

Toaster126 · 06-03-2007, 06:09 AM

There was a prick in the story, but it wasn't you.

dksuddeth · 06-03-2007, 07:13 AM

not only would I have done the same thing, i'd have filed complaints with the police about attempted extortion simply because your description of the placement of said sign holds no legal weight. then i'd sue the property owner or file a complaint to have them charged under the rico act....after filing for information on how many other people they may have scammed.

Jinn · 06-03-2007, 10:00 AM

That's pretty awesome - I would've never thought of that..

But no, I don't see how this alone could make you a prick.

As far as I'm concerned, what they did is no different than stopping you at the exit and saying that you must pay $100 before you leave. It's extortion at the best, unlawful seizure and unlawful detainment at worst.

What a racket, though. If I ever get short on money, I'm definitely just throwing some boots on cars and seeing how much I can rip people off for.

troit · 06-03-2007, 10:11 AM

Good work!

Dilbert1234567 · 06-03-2007, 10:39 AM

I'm adding my credit cards number to my speed dial right now.

QuasiMondo · 06-03-2007, 06:32 PM

If the towing company was smart, they would've been cash-only. Then you wouldn't have had the opportunity to be a prick.

But that's irrelevant. The world tries to screw us over every waking moment of our lives. Hat's off to you for screwing them back.

ItWasMe · 06-03-2007, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dksuddeth

not only would I have done the same thing, i'd have filed complaints with the police about attempted extortion simply because your description of the placement of said sign holds no legal weight. then i'd sue the property owner or file a complaint to have them charged under the rico act....after filing for information on how many other people they may have scammed.

I think that is a good idea. And I think it would be a good idea to go back and take photos first. To be able to prove exactly what the sign says, where it is, and where it is not.

What, exactly, does the sign say? No parking, parking will result in fine, will result in getting booted/towed?

Cynthetiq · 06-03-2007, 08:41 PM

Two Words... PRIVATE PROPERTY. You park on private property you are subject to different rules that normal. Examples I can think of are stop signs and speed limits in parking lots, neither are really enforceable by the security partrol and sometimes can be challenged if stopped by police. Same thing with the Shoppers with Children spots. Handicapped have laws, albeit there are some that can challenge a spot if it does not carry proper signage. The same goes for private lots that state that vehicles will be towed, there are laws governing that.

Had I been the guy removing the boot and I overheard you on the phone. I would have put it back on. The moment you touched me would have been assualt.

YMMV.

analog · 06-03-2007, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

Same thing with the Shoppers with Children spots.

Woah woah WOAH... you've seen a parking lot with parking spaces specifically for people with kids?

Seriously??

Quote:

Originally Posted by dksuddeth

then i'd sue the property owner or file a complaint to have them charged under the rico act....

The Rico act?

mokle · 06-03-2007, 11:59 PM

I've seen Disabled, Pregnant Women, and Seniors parking spots at malls...

Frosstbyte · 06-04-2007, 12:24 AM

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.

Menoman · 06-04-2007, 03:32 AM

sounds good to me :P

I have no idea what the fuck a "Boot" is on your vehicle though.

The_Jazz · 06-04-2007, 03:46 AM

I'm very interested to hear how this one sorts itself out. My initial thought is that debaser isn't as creative as he thinks and that there's already a system in place to stop exactly these kinds of shenanigans. If I were the booting company, that would be the very first thing that I would figure out how to overcome. No one getting a boot off their car is in a good mood, and I am positive that others have come up with this kind of quick fix before.

On a related note, I wonder why an apartment complex "in the middle of nowhere" thinks that they have enough of a problem with visitors parking in the wrong place to hire someone like this. One would think that some new signage would be a much cheaper, easier fix.

Cynthetiq · 06-04-2007, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by analog

Woah woah WOAH... you've seen a parking lot with parking spaces specifically for people with kids?

Seriously??

Yes. Grocery stores in Southern California...

uncle phil · 06-04-2007, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Menoman

sounds good to me :P

I have no idea what the fuck a "Boot" is on your vehicle though.

http://wctproducts.com/immobilizer_menu.htm

debaser · 06-04-2007, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosstbyte

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.

I never actually saw the sign, I was assured by the UPE employee and the apartment manager that it was clearly posted in the visitors lot, which was farther into the complex than I had driven. Now granted, my friend could have mentioned the parking policy and avoided the whole incident, but he forgot so here we are.

The_Jazz: On the back of my card it says "Ask for photo ID". The UPE guy did not ask for my ID, and I just signed the CC slip with an X. I figure that even if the parking company figures a way around my shens, I still have a valid out with my bank. Who know, I'll keep everyone informed.

My guess is that it is not in their interest to pursue these things. Why make hard money when you can make easy money?

Jinn · 06-04-2007, 06:41 AM

Quote:

The_Jazz: On the back of my card it says "Ask for photo ID". The UPE guy did not ask for my ID, and I just signed the CC slip with an X. I figure that even if the parking company figures a way around my shens, I still have a valid out with my bank. Who know, I'll keep everyone informed.

Well, that actually makes your credit card invalid for ALL purchases. Has to be signed to be legitimate.. "SEE ID" is not enough.

At any rate, I don't see how you wouldn't be clear even before the credit card comes into the situation. They're the ones who broke the law.

Quote:

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.

What right are you talking about? I hope you're not talking about legal rights, because you'd be absolutely, 100%, incorrect. Right to seizure of property or right to detain are rights NEVER granted to civilians. How would you feel if you went to Wal-Mart, and as you tried to leave the parking lot, they told you that you had to pay $500 or you couldn't leave the lot? Even if they posted signs, they have no legal power nor rights to do so.

The right to seizure and detainment are granted only to state-licensed officers of the peace, and for good reason. Even in the case that you've parked illegally in someone's backyard, they have no right to boot your car or otherwise attempt to "fine" you. They're able to take you to civil court AFTER the fact, but they are not able to withhold your vehicle. They may phone the PROPER authorities and have it towed from their premises, but nothing more.

Quote:

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.

Really? Since you seem so knowledgeable, perhaps you could cite the law that allows a private citizen on private property to levy such a fine?

Mister Coaster · 06-04-2007, 06:44 AM

I've seen a show about how notorious these booters are in the UK. These fools are in it for the quick & easy buck, and you were probably booted as soon as you walked around the corner from your car, even if your friend warned you when you got to his place, I'm sue it would have been too late. I'd say with them not taking your ID, you signing with an X, and the fact that they probably never wrote down your plate number, you are in the clear.

Nizzle · 06-05-2007, 12:12 AM

I have no idea what country you are from, but I will assume United States. Detaining your vehicle is not legal. They know this. You don't have to worry about them taking legal action, that's the last thing they would consider.

It is, in fact, extortion, so no moral qualms either.

Nizzle · 06-05-2007, 12:12 AM

(edit: reposted on accident)

Frosstbyte · 06-05-2007, 01:07 AM

I should not make posts really late at night, because I think I totally misunderstood what happened in this post and made up facts that were not actually included in what the OP described. Sooo....just ignore me.

smooth · 06-05-2007, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by World's King

You're a prick.

And a very good one.

I would have done the same thing.

QFT

*the only concern being that you might go visit your friend again*

EDIT: now that I've read the thread I have no idea what so many of you seem to be thinking...private lots boot, tow, and restrict cars all the fskn time. Park in a mall or Quizno's and walk to the beach and you'll come back to an empty stall (or a different car, anyway). As for the WalMart example, ok, granted, people can't come out of stores and demand money before you leave the lot...but that doesn't mean you can't be charged and detained for parking in a lot...unless people reading this have never seen/heard/used toll parking!

I'd love to see that one...leaving the airport or hotel: "you don't have the right to detain me!" *rams the toll gate*

...wakes up to police knocking on front door...

Plan9 · 06-08-2007, 11:58 AM

When I was in high school I saw this guy with an old crusty Astro van get booted for parking in the delivery lane for like ten minutes. He came out... saw the boot on... nodded... got in the van and drove off with it on his van! It tore the hell out of the fender and wheel well, but it came off. He brought it back and threw it on the doorstep of the school security building.

Jinn · 06-08-2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smooth

EDIT: now that I've read the thread I have no idea what so many of you seem to be thinking...private lots boot, tow, and restrict cars all the fskn time. Park in a mall or Quizno's and walk to the beach and you'll come back to an empty stall (or a different car, anyway).

Towing is perfectly legal, provided it is private property. AS I SAID IN MY POST, they are perfectly right to tow your car and the towing company is within their rights to charge you for the service.

Booting? I think not. You'd be better advised to read the appropriate laws in your state if you think this is a legal practice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smooth

I'd love to see that one...leaving the airport or hotel: "you don't have the right to detain me!" *rams the toll gate*

This is a totally different situation, and you know it.

ScottKuma · 06-08-2007, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smooth

I'd love to see that one...leaving the airport or hotel: "you don't have the right to detain me!" *rams the toll gate*

By taking your ticket and parking in the lot, you've entered into a contract with the lot's owner. You're SOL in that event.

If in the OP's case, the practice isn't clearly marked *before* reaching any parking spaces (or, reasonably visible from the first parking spaces), he may have an argument.

Kadath · 06-08-2007, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JinnKai

Well, that actually makes your credit card invalid for ALL purchases. Has to be signed to be legitimate.. "SEE ID" is not enough.

I was curious enough about this to hijack the thread, because I use "Ask for ID" on all my cards. My signature is nothing close to consistent (not that people ever look at it anyway). It turns out it you are technically correct, but none of their policies make sense. Visa has a nonsensical section in their "Merchants" section:

Quote:

If the card has a “See ID” in place of a signature…
1. Request a signature. Ask the cardholder to sign the card and provide current government identification, such as a driver's license or passport (if local law permits).
2. Check the signature. Be sure that the signature on the card matches the one on the transaction receipt and the additional identification.

If the signatures appear reasonably the same and the authorization request is approved, go ahead and complete the transaction.

So if my card says "See ID" I should sign the card and then you should see if my signature on the card matches the one on the receipt? GOOD PLAN. Because it's sure as hell not going to match the signature on my driver's license. I had to sign that on an electronic pad -- does anyone signature look the same on an actual surface as it does when signing a pad?

It seems like they suggest if you want to do this you should sign it and ALSO put "Check ID" on the card, because then you enter the agreement and also get that 10% of clerks who actually look at the card to check your ID. But the bottom line is this: we need a better way to prove identity than signatures. We need something like thumbprint ID, and that requires all Americans to register, and a lot of people hate that.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. debaser, you stuck it to the man. Well done. And don't go back there.

thingstodo · 06-09-2007, 09:07 AM

Seems like charging to remove a boot is much different from charging to collect a car that has been towed from private property. And it would seem tough to tow a car if it wasn't parked where a sign clearly said you would be towed.

There has to be more to this story. I've always heard there's three sides to every story: yours, mine and the cold, hard truth (the Eagles).

Telluride · 06-09-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debaser

So, am I a prick, or am I justified in believing that visiting a friend shouldn't be a cause for profit ($100 gets your car free)?

I don't think you're a prick. Or, if you are, you're my kind of prick. I would have done the same thing in that situation.

Ourcrazymodern? · 06-09-2007, 01:06 PM

What a tangled web.

I think your vehicle's kidnapping entitles you to be a prick. Be a big one.

BBtB · 06-09-2007, 06:42 PM

Doesn't your bank charge you to stop payment? I mean yea I am sure its less then $100 but you still ended up losing some for it. I am not sure who is right on the legal end of things but I am pretty sure you are right on the moral end of things. I mean you have to have a sign where it can be read not fifty feet down the road, you know? Its like thinking your in a 50 MPH speed zone and a cop pulling you over and saying its 25 MPH then saying "Didn't you see the sign? There is one up the road a bit that says 25 MPH starting one mile back"

Also I know they exist but I have yet to experience an apartment complex that was really super concerned with their parking (it should be noted I don't live in a dense city). At my last apartment complex my car broke down and sat there for four months till I towed it without anyone ever saying anything. Eh.

06-02-2007, 09:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
debaser Sir, I have a plan... Location: 38S NC20943324	Am I a prick? So I am leaving my friends apartment tonight and find a boot on my truck. Apparently I am not permitted to park in the common lot, but must park in the visitors lot instead. This is plainly explained to me on a sign in the visitors lot, which is farther into the complex than where I parked. So I call the poor idiot to get the boot off, and after taking my card and running it he proceeds to take the boot off. At this point I call my credit card company, and while standing there smiling at him, have a stop payment put on the charge. After that he got down-right unfriendly, and I shared a few choice words with him and the complex manager before leaving. So, am I a prick, or am I justified in believing that visiting a friend shouldn't be a cause for profit ($100 gets your car free)? Please note that this apartment complex is in the middle of nowhere, so people aren't just parking there out of convenience in order to go elsewhere. __________________ Fortunato became immured to the sound of the trowel after a while.

06-02-2007, 09:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jetée The Reforms Location: Rarely, if ever, here or there, but always in transition	Do you really want to know? Your situation is just another clear case of wrong place, wrong time. Just call this a bad day and look forward to fifteen brighter ones. __________________ As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world (that is the myth of the Atomic Age) as in being able to remake ourselves. —Mohandas K. Gandhi

06-02-2007, 10:13 PM	#4 (permalink)
debaser Sir, I have a plan... Location: 38S NC20943324	The sick thing is that it isn't much more than a guy with some boots in his car driving about extorting money from people. I'm not even sure there is a legal grounds for the company, United Parking Enforcement (no website, just a yahoo mail address), to place a restraint device on a private vehicle. Of course what are you gonna do, walk to court to wax legal with some inbred mafiosi? Once they have you by the curlies you don't have much choice but to pay. Perhaps some of the more legally minded could chime in? __________________ Fortunato became immured to the sound of the trowel after a while.

06-02-2007, 10:24 PM	#5 (permalink)
World's King Here Location: Denver City Denver	You're a prick. And a very good one. I would have done the same thing. __________________ heavy is the head that wears the crown

06-03-2007, 01:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I will have to remember to do exactly that next time this happens to me. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

06-02-2007, 09:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	You might have put your friend in a tough spot, but they should have put the sign where everyone could read it. If this goes to court, which it probably won't, you'd probably be fine. Still, they may be in a position to make the life of the friend you were visiting a bit more difficult, so you may want to give fair warning in case the idiots are vindictive. If they do get vindictive, then go buy a few boots and see how they like it. That'd be money better spent than paying a stupid fine.

06-03-2007, 05:54 AM	#8 (permalink)
pig pigglet pigglet Location: Locash	yeah debaser, i'd say you're an inspiration. great work. i see no moral problem with your actions in any way shape or form. __________________ You don't love me, you just love my piggy style

06-03-2007, 06:09 AM	#9 (permalink)
Toaster126 Extreme moderation Location: Kansas City, yo.	There was a prick in the story, but it wasn't you. __________________ "The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me." (Ayn Rand) "The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." (M. Scott Peck)

06-03-2007, 07:13 AM	#10 (permalink)
dksuddeth Junkie Location: bedford, tx	not only would I have done the same thing, i'd have filed complaints with the police about attempted extortion simply because your description of the placement of said sign holds no legal weight. then i'd sue the property owner or file a complaint to have them charged under the rico act....after filing for information on how many other people they may have scammed. __________________ "no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."

06-03-2007, 10:00 AM	#11 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	That's pretty awesome - I would've never thought of that.. But no, I don't see how this alone could make you a prick. As far as I'm concerned, what they did is no different than stopping you at the exit and saying that you must pay $100 before you leave. It's extortion at the best, unlawful seizure and unlawful detainment at worst. What a racket, though. If I ever get short on money, I'm definitely just throwing some boots on cars and seeing how much I can rip people off for. __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

06-03-2007, 10:11 AM	#12 (permalink)
troit Transfer Agent Location: NYC	Good work! __________________ I've yet to dephile myself...

06-03-2007, 10:39 AM	#13 (permalink)
Dilbert1234567 Devils Cabana Boy Location: Central Coast CA	I'm adding my credit cards number to my speed dial right now. __________________ Donate Blood! "Love is not finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." -Sam Keen

06-03-2007, 06:32 PM	#14 (permalink)
QuasiMondo Wise-ass Latino Location: Pretoria (Tshwane), RSA	If the towing company was smart, they would've been cash-only. Then you wouldn't have had the opportunity to be a prick. But that's irrelevant. The world tries to screw us over every waking moment of our lives. Hat's off to you for screwing them back. __________________ Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer. -From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

06-03-2007, 08:41 PM	#16 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	Two Words... PRIVATE PROPERTY. You park on private property you are subject to different rules that normal. Examples I can think of are stop signs and speed limits in parking lots, neither are really enforceable by the security partrol and sometimes can be challenged if stopped by police. Same thing with the Shoppers with Children spots. Handicapped have laws, albeit there are some that can challenge a spot if it does not carry proper signage. The same goes for private lots that state that vehicles will be towed, there are laws governing that. Had I been the guy removing the boot and I overheard you on the phone. I would have put it back on. The moment you touched me would have been assualt. YMMV. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

06-03-2007, 11:59 PM	#18 (permalink)
mokle Psycho Location: Alberta, Canada	I've seen Disabled, Pregnant Women, and Seniors parking spots at malls... __________________ Mokle "Your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see" -Ali

06-04-2007, 12:24 AM	#19 (permalink)
Frosstbyte Winter is Coming Location: The North	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. Last edited by Frosstbyte; 06-04-2007 at 12:29 AM..

06-04-2007, 03:46 AM	#21 (permalink)
The_Jazz Asshole Administrator Location: Chicago	I'm very interested to hear how this one sorts itself out. My initial thought is that debaser isn't as creative as he thinks and that there's already a system in place to stop exactly these kinds of shenanigans. If I were the booting company, that would be the very first thing that I would figure out how to overcome. No one getting a boot off their car is in a good mood, and I am positive that others have come up with this kind of quick fix before. On a related note, I wonder why an apartment complex "in the middle of nowhere" thinks that they have enough of a problem with visitors parking in the wrong place to hire someone like this. One would think that some new signage would be a much cheaper, easier fix. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

06-04-2007, 06:44 AM	#26 (permalink)
Mister Coaster Big & Brassy Location: The "Canyon"	I've seen a show about how notorious these booters are in the UK. These fools are in it for the quick & easy buck, and you were probably booted as soon as you walked around the corner from your car, even if your friend warned you when you got to his place, I'm sue it would have been too late. I'd say with them not taking your ID, you signing with an X, and the fact that they probably never wrote down your plate number, you are in the clear. __________________ If you have any poo... fling it NOW!

06-05-2007, 12:12 AM	#27 (permalink)
Nizzle God-Hating Liberal Location: Silicon Valley, CA	I have no idea what country you are from, but I will assume United States. Detaining your vehicle is not legal. They know this. You don't have to worry about them taking legal action, that's the last thing they would consider. It is, in fact, extortion, so no moral qualms either. __________________ Nizzle

06-05-2007, 12:12 AM	#28 (permalink)
Nizzle God-Hating Liberal Location: Silicon Valley, CA	(edit: reposted on accident) __________________ Nizzle Last edited by Nizzle; 06-05-2007 at 12:12 AM.. Reason: repost

06-05-2007, 01:07 AM	#29 (permalink)
Frosstbyte Winter is Coming Location: The North	I should not make posts really late at night, because I think I totally misunderstood what happened in this post and made up facts that were not actually included in what the OP described. Sooo....just ignore me.

06-08-2007, 11:58 AM	#31 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	When I was in high school I saw this guy with an old crusty Astro van get booted for parking in the delivery lane for like ten minutes. He came out... saw the boot on... nodded... got in the van and drove off with it on his van! It tore the hell out of the fender and wheel well, but it came off. He brought it back and threw it on the doorstep of the school security building. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

06-09-2007, 09:07 AM	#35 (permalink)
thingstodo A Storm Is Coming Location: The Great White North	Seems like charging to remove a boot is much different from charging to collect a car that has been towed from private property. And it would seem tough to tow a car if it wasn't parked where a sign clearly said you would be towed. There has to be more to this story. I've always heard there's three sides to every story: yours, mine and the cold, hard truth (the Eagles). __________________ If you're wringing your hands you can't roll up your shirt sleeves. Stangers have the best candy.

06-09-2007, 01:06 PM	#37 (permalink)
Ourcrazymodern? still, wondering. Location: South Minneapolis, somewhere near the gorgeous gorge	What a tangled web. I think your vehicle's kidnapping entitles you to be a prick. Be a big one. __________________ BE JUST AND FEAR NOT

06-09-2007, 06:42 PM	#38 (permalink)
BBtB ClerkMan! Location: Tulsa, Ok.	Doesn't your bank charge you to stop payment? I mean yea I am sure its less then $100 but you still ended up losing some for it. I am not sure who is right on the legal end of things but I am pretty sure you are right on the moral end of things. I mean you have to have a sign where it can be read not fifty feet down the road, you know? Its like thinking your in a 50 MPH speed zone and a cop pulling you over and saying its 25 MPH then saying "Didn't you see the sign? There is one up the road a bit that says 25 MPH starting one mile back" Also I know they exist but I have yet to experience an apartment complex that was really super concerned with their parking (it should be noted I don't live in a dense city). At my last apartment complex my car broke down and sat there for four months till I towed it without anyone ever saying anything. Eh. __________________ Meridae'n once played "death" at a game of chess that lasted for over two years. He finally beat death in a best 34 out of 67 match. At that time he could ask for any one thing and he could wish for the hope of all mankind... he looked death right in the eye and said ... "I would like about three fiddy"