$140 boot fee for parking in Old Navy parking lot (Chicago: tenants, landlords)

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by FAReastcoast

I'm smart enough to not leave my car in a private lot, so it doesn't matter what the fine is. Also, you do realize you are under no obligation to shop at Old Navy and/or park in their lot, right?

So, if I leave my laptop, my belongings, at a Starbucks or McDonald's to go across the street for 5 minutes, and come back and find out the staff took my stuff, do they reserve the right to "not give it back" or even offer to sell it back to me?

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by koctail

What if their rules say you have to pay $1,400 or $14,000. I suppose I would have to pay it since those are "the rules"..

I'm not an advocate of making retaliations far worse than the damage caused.

Certainly if someone stole $5 worth of candy, they could be punished more than $5 (like for criminal mentality). But I wouldn't go as far as shooting someone who stole flowers from my lawn.

[SubconsciousMe]

I'm still confused. Why is this thread 6 pages?

I have been in that lot, and did not leave, many times. Many times. I see the signs, they're clear as day. They state very clearly not to leave the lot and the consequences of doing so. I have lived in Chicago for awhile, the large majority of that time with a car (either my own, Zipcar, or a company car) and have yet to get a parking ticket or boot. It is possible.

Pay attention to signs. Follow the instructions. Don't get the boot. Really, that simple.

If you got a boot in an unmarked lot without clear signs, maybe I could see justification for the complaining.

[deeman7]

Originally Posted by NealIRC

So, if I leave my laptop, my belongings, at a Starbucks or McDonald's to go across the street for 5 minutes, and come back and find out the staff took my stuff, do they reserve the right to "not give it back" or even offer to sell it back to me?

Your argument doesn't make sense. The owners of the lot are not 'stealing' the car. They are enforcing parking rules for the lot. Parking is a premium in many places and they may have had issues with people using the lot to shop elsewhere...perhaps in times of heavy shopping and their own customers could not park there. Since it is private property they can put up signage stating 'parking only for customers of x store' and boot cars for people who park and leave.

If someone parks their car on my private driveway, i'll call someone to remove the car.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by deeman7

The owners of the lot are not 'stealing' the car.

Right, they're only temporarily moving it away, which is not stealing. However, if they're selling it back to you, then they are stealing it from you, as selling inquires ownership.

Originally Posted by deeman7

They are enforcing parking rules for the lot.

Right, you can do both. You can steal, and enforce rules, at the same time.

Originally Posted by deeman7

Parking is a premium in many places and they may have had issues with people using the lot to shop elsewhere...perhaps in times of heavy shopping and their own customers could not park there.

Yes.

Originally Posted by deeman7

Since it is private property they can put up signage stating 'parking only for customers of x store' and boot cars for people who park and leave.

Just like in any store, they can put signs stating "surveillance cameras in bathrooms" as well as "if you plug in your laptop without buying something, we reserve the right to take the laptop from you." And they could have a security guard that keeps an eye on you. He's not morally inclined to say "stop, don't plug in your laptop before your purchase, or else we'll take it from you." He could wait for you to plug it in 1st and then take it.

Originally Posted by deeman7

If someone parks their car on my private driveway, i'll call someone to remove the car.

Right.

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by SubconsciousMe

I'm still confused. Why is this thread 6 pages?

I have been in that lot, and did not leave, many times. Many times. I see the signs, they're clear as day. They state very clearly not to leave the lot and the consequences of doing so. I have lived in Chicago for awhile, the large majority of that time with a car (either my own, Zipcar, or a company car) and have yet to get a parking ticket or boot. It is possible.

Pay attention to signs. Follow the instructions. Don't get the boot. Really, that simple.

If you got a boot in an unmarked lot without clear signs, maybe I could see justification for the complaining.

But this doesn't say anything about justification for the intensity of the crime.

You completely left that out.

You completely avoid if someone is deservant of a $1,400 fine or a $14,000 fine - after all, the signs says.

If you actually tried to be helpful, you would say it's their loophole - to justify taking your car away if you leave the area. And to counter that, there's another loophole - the loophole is to not go solo, and leave a 2nd person to sit in the car. If people never traveled solo, this would never be an issue.

[NealIRC]

Okay, I got another argument to bring to the topic.

I work in a wholesale warehouse that sells to grocery store owners predominantly.

You know what they do when a car is parked there and they don't know who it is and is there for days or whenever? They put a sign on the car, as well as places inside the warehouse with a picture of the car, saying, please remove your call, it will be towed at ____. And the date/time it will be towed.

This is how you can differentiate people whom are crooks on the inside and people whom aren't. To make it about money, that kind of makes it a "conflict of interest" in the sense that your loss is someone else's pay.

[SidewaysLS4]

This thread peaked my curiosity so I took a look on Google maps and found myself thinking...how can you not miss those signs in that lot? One of those lots that raises the hair on the back of your neck knowing a more-predatory lot monitoring company is running the show...so don't ignore it! But I guess others aren't as concerned or something.

Gotta say, it's been some time since I've been there from the looks of things. Whole Foods taking up an old 'parking' lot from back in the day, and it is so gentrified now. How things change. I see Blackhawk street (famous for drunks driving their car into the river from, to be found again many years later) is right by there.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by McdonaldIndy

Fortunately this isn't a problem here in Indy.
Unlike Chicago we don't abuse our citizens and suck every last $$$$ out of them.

Yup, b/c when I think of Indiana, I think "now there's a tolerant state that loves and cares for all of its citizens." I'm sure Indy has never been the subject of a nation-wide boycott or consistently in the news for some silly, intolerant law it attempts (or sadly succeeds) in passing .

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by McdonaldIndy

Fortunately this isn't a problem here in Indy.
Unlike Chicago we don't abuse our citizens and suck every last $$$$ out of them.

Don't rub it in! you trying to get us to move to Indy? its a 4 hour commute to downtown so that wont work.