DENVER — Since Colorado passed the Towing Bill of Rights to protect people from predatory towing, consumer advocates say "booting" cars has become more prevalent.
The Colorado legislature defines booting as "the placement of a wheel clamp to immobilize a vehicle, typically for too many parking tickets or other fines."
At Fox Ridge Farm mobile home park in Arapahoe County, residents called parking a problem — one that too often ends with a boot.
"It's actually been really demoralizing," said Dre Chiriboga-Flora, the executive director of Justice for the People Legal Center, which has been advocating for residents at Fox Ridge since the managers quit allowing on-street parking. "For us, it just feels like a predatory practice. In one case, [a resident] just parked for a few minutes to unload her groceries, and in a matter of that time, her car was booted."
Denver7 Investigates has been exposing towing and booting practices for years, and while lawmakers have since passed several measures to protect consumers from bad actors, advocates said the laws don't cover certain types of booting.
"What's interesting is a lot of the predatory behavior we saw in big towing is now also present in booting," said Zach Neumann with the Community Economic Defense Project.
Neumann described the problem as private companies immobilizing cars with little state oversight or consumer recourse. Advocates say the practice primarily impacts those with a lower socio-economic status.
"They only make money when they put boots on cars. So what are they incentivized to do? Boot more cars," he said.
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which regulates towing, has received 88 complaints about booting in the last three years.
State records show the PUC has proposed a rule change to address a gap in booting regulations, which only cover devices that immobilize wheels. Some devices target a car's axle or drive shaft.
State lawmakers are also considering House Bill 25-1117, which would take control away from the booting companies and require property owners and managers to approve boots. The bill would also allow people to pay a percentage of the booting fee upfront and pay the rest over time.
"A boot on your car should not be what stands between you and paying your bills or getting to work. And so we've got to bring these fees down so that people can get that boot off for an affordable amount of money," said Neumann.
Consumer advocates said the measures are a starting point in protecting some of Colorado's most vulnerable.
"We're really excited about this legislation," said Chiriboga-Flora. "These fees, these inconveniences, can really impact working-class families negatively."
The Colorado House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee will hear the bill on Feb. 18.
