Reilly to Give Illegal Parkers the Boot

By Kevin Robinson in News on Feb 28, 2008 5:15PM

The city's License Committee added Alderman Brandon Reilly's 42nd Ward, which includes the Loop, River North and the Gold Coast to the list of wards where private businesses will have the legal authority to boot cars parked on private property. "It seemed like an interesting concept. I figured we’d give it a try,” Reilly told the Sun-Times, pointing out that illegal parkers wouldn't have to travel to remote lots to spring their towed vehicles, and that a private attendant would be on duty to remove the boot once the fine had been paid.

Private booting has been controversial in other wards, and the city made it illegal in 1999. That changed in 2000, when private businesses were permitted to use the so-called Denver boot with a license and the alderman's consent. Reilly says that he's aware of the controversy, but that it hasn't come up in his ward. “Those problems haven’t been raised with me. … We’ll monitor it closely. If it’s not working, we can always repeal this. I look at it as a one-year trial,” he told the Sun-Times.

Image via Joe Thorn