The city of Syracuse should preserve the right of local property owners to boot illegally parked vehicles in their lots, not dissolve it.

The Syracuse Common Council agreed Monday to withdraw a proposed law that would impose fines or jail time for owners that use boots on vehicles that illegally park on their property. But Councilor Steve Thompson, who proposed the legislation in February, said he plans to reintroduce the law with more specific language in the future, as reported by Syracuse.com.

The legislation comes in response to community complaints that date back to last year regarding the Westcott area, where several private property owners — primarily businesses — have been booting vehicles. The measure to stop the booting has since been supported by Mayor Stephanie Miner and Police Chief Frank Fowler, who have argued that the boots exploit car owners through expensive fees — the boots generally cost $150 be paid to the owner to remove — and lead to unnecessary conflicts.

Syracuse does not currently have legislation that prevents private lot owners from booting a vehicle and those restrictions should not begin with this proposed law. As long as notice is given through proper and explicit signage, private property owners in Syracuse absolutely reserve the right to boot illegally parked cars that may be detracting from their businesses or occupying space that does not belong to them.

In these cases, those who subject themselves to fines are not even owed a reason or explanation and owners can do as they please with the property. The city government should table the legal fight in recognition of the fact that it does not have the authority to interfere in a situation in which owners are simply exercising their rights to protect their property, not actively trying to exploit the public.

Although the fines may be costly in some cases, which a driving factor behind the city’s legislation against the use of boots, the legislative process shouldn’t offer baseless sympathy to vehicle owners who knowingly placed themselves in the situation.

City leaders should acknowledge that when a vehicle owner makes the conscious decision to park in a private lot with visible signs that clearly explain the consequences of unlawfully occupying the space, the vehicle owner is accepting the fines and chance of being towed that come with parking on private property.

The city of Syracuse should not move forward with this legislation that would place limitations on the rights on property owners — rights that shouldn’t be subject to regulation in the first place. And rather than petition on behalf of those who believe they can get around the law, the city government should work to protect its citizens whose properties are being taken advantage of.

Published on February 29, 2016 at 11:00 pm

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