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COMMERCE CITY, Colo -- Parking isn't just a problem in downtown Denver or in Cherry Creek. It is also a growing issue at apartment and condo communities throughout metro Denver.
Two tenants at The Lakes at Dune Park in Commerce City reached out to Contac7 on Saturday, after waking up and finding their vehicles had been booted.
There is high demand for on-street parking in the complex, just off U.S. 85 and 112th Avenue.
Signs posted throughout the complex state that parking is limited to "48 hours," and that "violators will be booted."
Aggressive Parking Enforcement
Adriana Trevizo believes parking enforcement has become overly aggressive.
She said residents were initially allowed to park on both sides of the street ringing the complex, but now can only park on one side.
On Saturday morning, Trevizo discovered that her car had been immobilized with a boot.
"I was fixing breakfast for my husband," she said, "and he looks out the window and tells me, 'oh no.' I said 'what happened?' And he said, 'the car is booted.'"
Resident says boot not deserved
Trevizo told Denver7 she didn't deserve the boot.
"I called Park it Right, (the enforcement company) and said, 'why is my car booted?' And they said, 'because it hasn't been moved for 48 hours.'"
Trevizo said she can prove otherwise.
She produced a copy of her express toll statement, which lists transactions along the Northwest Parkway and E-470 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
She also provided a picture, sent from Express Toll, showing her car in an express lane.
"I called the HOA," she said, "and this is what infuriated me. They said, 'No one works on Saturday or Sunday.' I said, 'I have proof that my car was moved, that my vehicle has used the toll road.' They said, 'Well, send it in. We're going to review it Monday.'"
Trevizo said if she wants to use her car this weekend, she has to pay $370 to get the boot removed from her car.
Denver7 reached out to Overlook Property Management, Inc. and to Park it Right, but neither entity responded to phone calls seeking comment.
A member of The Lakes at Dune Park Condominium Association told Denver7, "We can definitely prove, more than likely, that she violated it, and you know what? It makes great short-term public fun for you all, but if she didn't, she'll be absolutely taken care of."
When asked if Trevizo will be compensated for lost time since her car was booted over the weekend, Nathan Peterson replied, "She can take anybody to court, and nobody gets paid for lost time. You and I both know that."
Fire Safety
Peterson also said that parking is no longer allowed on the inside of the street ringing the complex for safety and other reasons.
Signs posted on that side of the street indicate it is now considered a "Fire Lane."
Second Boot
Trevizo's neighbor, Armando Torres, found his car had been immobilized too.
Torres told Denver7 that he drove his car Thursday, parked it Thursday night and found it booted early Saturday.
"It wasn't 48 hours," he said.
Torres said rent is high, and getting higher, and that he can't afford to pay nearly $400 to have the boot removed.
He may be out of luck.
He said he can't prove that he moved his car, because he didn't drive on a toll road.
It's not the first time his Jeep was booted.
Torres told Denver7 that parking enforcement booted his Jeep before because of a small oil leak.
Abuse Complaints
While some residents complain about being booted, Peterson said there are many others who complain that some neighbors are abusing on-street parking privileges.
The demand is only going to grow as more units in the popular complex are completed and sold.