News 
The city of New Orleans has a new policy when it comes to booting vehicles.
Cars used to be booted after receiving three or more violations, but now, in an effort to increase revenue, city officials are cracking down, saying they'll boot anyone with just one delinquent parking ticket.
It's a story we're working on with our partners at the Lens.
Buck Stother says he struggles everyday to find a parking spot for his delivery truck. “I’m in a freight zone right now but there are some days when you're in a bigger truck and you can’t fit in a freight zone. And you try to park someplace else, and then you're gonna get a ticket,” Stother said.
Stother turns in his tickets to his company, but sometimes, it can take weeks for them to get paid. Now, the city says anyone with just one delinquent ticket, will get booted. “I hope it don't happen, but it could. It’s not right,” Stother commented.
City officials say year to date they've got a 134 percent increase in the number of vehicles booted as opposed to 2011, meaning their efforts are paying off.
But attorney Stephen Rue doesn't agree saying, “I know there’s been discussions with lawyers about perhaps a lawsuit being filed, a class action lawsuit, because of the failure of proper due process.”
Rue says he's been inundated with calls from residents who say their cars have been booted, but they never knew they had gotten a ticket in the first place. “Certainly we know the city is trying to have other vehicles of revenue but at what cost?” Rue asked.
Residents we spoke to, like Eura Jones, say they don't agree with the new policy change. “I think it’s terrible. It’s ridiculous,” Jones said.
Garth Sevdalis added, “It seems kind of a strong penalty."
But despite concerns from residents, the city is moving forward with the new one delinquent ticket policy and hopes to put over 3,000 boots on cars this year.
In order for a ticket to be considered delinquent, the owner must not have responded to notices sent to their home, and there had to have been no payment on it for 120 days.
Cars used to be booted after receiving three or more violations, but now, in an effort to increase revenue, city officials are cracking down, saying they'll boot anyone with just one delinquent parking ticket.
It's a story we're working on with our partners at the Lens.
Buck Stother says he struggles everyday to find a parking spot for his delivery truck. “I’m in a freight zone right now but there are some days when you're in a bigger truck and you can’t fit in a freight zone. And you try to park someplace else, and then you're gonna get a ticket,” Stother said.
Stother turns in his tickets to his company, but sometimes, it can take weeks for them to get paid. Now, the city says anyone with just one delinquent ticket, will get booted. “I hope it don't happen, but it could. It’s not right,” Stother commented.
City officials say year to date they've got a 134 percent increase in the number of vehicles booted as opposed to 2011, meaning their efforts are paying off.
But attorney Stephen Rue doesn't agree saying, “I know there’s been discussions with lawyers about perhaps a lawsuit being filed, a class action lawsuit, because of the failure of proper due process.”
Rue says he's been inundated with calls from residents who say their cars have been booted, but they never knew they had gotten a ticket in the first place. “Certainly we know the city is trying to have other vehicles of revenue but at what cost?” Rue asked.
Residents we spoke to, like Eura Jones, say they don't agree with the new policy change. “I think it’s terrible. It’s ridiculous,” Jones said.
Garth Sevdalis added, “It seems kind of a strong penalty."
But despite concerns from residents, the city is moving forward with the new one delinquent ticket policy and hopes to put over 3,000 boots on cars this year.
In order for a ticket to be considered delinquent, the owner must not have responded to notices sent to their home, and there had to have been no payment on it for 120 days.
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