The city is planning to begin installing wheel clamps, known as boots, on cars belonging to parking ticket scofflaws in the outer boroughs as soon as next week, according to a published report.
The Daily News is reporting the city will launch a three- to six-month pilot program to boot parking ticket offenders in Brooklyn, and then Queens and Staten Island beginning Monday.
It will eventually be rolled out citywide.
A spokeswoman for the city Finance Department told the News that booting "could be a better collection tool, both more convenient for motorists and a potential deterrent for future violators."
When a car has more than $350 in judgments, a city sheriff will authorize employees of the boot's operating company, Paylock, to attach a boot, according to the News. The driver can then call a toll-free number to pay the fees over the phone, and will be given a code to release the lock.
Drivers can also pay in cash at designated payment centers.
In addition to the ticket fines, the driver will have to pay a $180 boot fee, a $70 city fee and a 5 percent surcharge on the total bill. There will be an additional fee for paying with a credit card.
Local
And a car that gets the boot could still also be towed -- if the driver doesn't pay in two days, the vehicle will be towed, and by then, the owner will be charged both the $180 boot fee and an additional $185 towing fee.
The city Marshals Association, which currently tows cars when offenders exceed $350 in fines, will not participate in the boot program.
According to the Daily News, the fees for retrieving a towed car and for removing the parking boot are comparable at about $300 for someone who owed $355 in judgments.
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