Georgia Parking Authority Stop & Pay Inc S & P TOWING Illegal Booting Activity Stockbridge Georgia
We had a tractor trailer pull into the BP truck service center on 2964 Moreland Ave in Conley, GA.
Our driver went into the station, took a pee and immediately returned to his truck to leave. Once in the truck, he belted himself in, and prepared to pull off when a red pickup pulled up in front of him, blocking his path. A guy gets out and applies a tire boot to the steer tire. Next, he demanded $500 to have the boot removed.
These are illegal tactics.
In disputing these tactics they were unable to offer a law in support of their business but they did say, "We've been doing this for 8 years" a lot. When I convinced them to give us a FULL refund, they agreed but only if we'd sign a document admitting that our driver ad mits to being parked "Illegally" and that he was there for an excessive amount of time. Our driver was there for about 10 - 15 minutes. That is not excessive.
What's worse is that the BP Station Owners are also involved and getting fat on this scam. They are the ones calling allowing the booters to operate on their property and they are the ones telling them which vehicles to boot.
So this little truck stop is luring trucks in then calling a boot service to extort money from out of state companies. The Georgia Parking Authority is no authority at all. They are crooks, they run a crooked business and they do it with the assistance of the BP Station.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Righter
Anytown,Florida,
The TRUTH??????
#3Author of original report
Sat, January 25, 2014
Your driver pulled into the truck stop.
I'm glad that you admit that it is a truck stop.
The parking lot probably has several signs stating something to the effect that the spaces are for customers only.
You said "Probably" because you know that it does not have any such signage.
Now, of courst this guy takes one of the longest pees on record and comes back 10 minutes later....
Mischaracterization. This is a large dimension commercial vehicle. Pulling in, parking, unbelting. stepping down, stretching, walking in, go to the boys room, come out, look around for a minute maybe contemplate buying another pop and chips, deciding no then walking back to the truck. I said that he was there for no more than 10-15 minutes. This was a grace but the point was that he was not loitering nor in any other way, being a nuisance other than not making a purchase. So it seems by your response that any 18 wheeler that stops there and does not spend money, will have 3-5 hundred taken from them when the store employee calls you and tells you to boot the truck.
How am i doing, I bet I hit the nail on the head....so lets continue.
No. You aren't even close.
You see your driver was NOT a customer, he was a free-loader. Well unless this truck stop charges people to use the restroom. Perhaps the station hired this company because they were tired of truck drivers just taking up spaces from PAYING customers because they just wanted to use the restroom and leave.
This BP station has public restrooms. They are public by the fact that the store is open to the public, the restrooms are open to the public and there is no signage stating otherwise. This is an amenity that attracts people to the store. If this is the opinion of the store, perhaps they should have a sign that reads "DO NOT ENTER UNLESS YOU WILL BE SPENDING MONEY OR YOU WILL BE BOOTED".
There is also one other possibility, unless he really did take a 10 minute pee, perhaps he also just decided to hop across the street or perhaps even the business next door because they don't have truck parking and he figured it was just a few minutes.
If you would please, no defense on hypotheticals. Please stick to the facts. It's not like you PROBABLY booted us after your pickup blocked our path rendering us forcefully parked.
If you or your driver really thought this was illegal you would have called the police. But the fact is that when they showed up you would have had to admit that he wasn't really a customer.
The police did respond. You know that they did. There is a police report number. The police are simply confused by neighboring booting ordinances. We're working on clearing that up.
The truth is that you are making MILLIONS of dollars a year doing this. By your own statements, "I manage over 40 properties" and "We just did 40 of these last weekend". Atlanta has an ordinance. Your company is registered there. You are familia with their rules. In our incident, you violated 4 of their majors.
They are:
Sec. 162-253. License to operate a vehicle immobilization service.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any vehicle immobilization service to be licensed hereunder if that vehicle immobilization service is also engaged in the business of parking lot ownership of operations or valet parking operations.
Sec. 162-258. General requirements for vehicle immobilization services and operators.
(i) It shall be unlawful for a vehicle immobilization service or operator to fail to provide a receipt of payment of the booting fee to the owner, driver or person in charge of a vehicle. The receipt shall have the following information: The name, address, and phone number of the vehicle immobilization service or company and the name and signature or the person who applied/removed the boot or vehicle immobilization device.
Sec. 162-260. Fees charged by vehicle immobilization service.
(a) Any vehicle immobilization service, engaged in the business of the immobilization of vehicles, shall not charge the owner of any immobilized vehicle or personal property, in excess of $75.00 per day for the removal of the vehicle immobilization device or devices. The $75.00 fee shall be all-inclusive; no additional fees may be charged for using other equipment.
Sec. 162-261. Signs.
(4) Such signs shall state in letters at least three inches high that "Unauthorized vehicles may be impounded (towed or booted) at owner's risk and expense." Such signs shall also include the following language in letters at least two and one-half inches high:
a. Cost of impound $50.00 per day;
b. Fee payable by cash, check, and credit or debit card.
c. Boot Removal—Call 000-000-0000.
d. Tow information—Call 000-000-0000.
e. Vehicle may not be impounded if owner/operator returns before boot or tow is attached.
f. Booted vehicles may be towed after 24 hours.
g. By order of City Code.
h. Complaints may be made to:
Parking Company 000-000-0000
Atlanta Police Department 404-853-4470
I think that you are missing a couple of things from your signage. But, we weren't in Atlanta. We were in Dekalb County where you can get away with this nonsense.
You know, if two or three hundred of these companies pooled their receipts, I'll bet that it would make for an interesting IRS audit.
Robert
Irvine,California,
So here is what really happened
#3Consumer Comment
Fri, January 24, 2014
Your driver, pulled in and parked at a Truck Stop. The parking lot probably has several signs stating something to the effect that the spaces are for customers only. Now, because your driver wanted to to his best Forest Gump impression..after all when you gotta pee you gotta pee..figured that becuse he was only going to be there for a few minutes that those signs don't apply to him. Now, of course this guy takes one of the longest pees on record and comes back 10 minutes later..by your own words immediatly afterwards.
How am I doing, I bet I hit the nail on the head...so let's continue.
You see your driver was NOT a customer, he was a free-loader. Well unless this truck stop charges people to use the restroom. Perhaps the station hired this company because they were tired of truck drivers just taking up spaces from PAYING customers because they just wanted to use the restroom and leave. There is also one other possibility, unless he really did take a 10 minute pee, perhaps he also just decided to hop across the street or perhaps even the business next door because they don't have truck parking and he figured it was just a few minutes.
If you or your driver really thought this was illegal you would have called the police. But the fact is that when they showed up you would have had to admit that he wasn't really a customer.