NJ viral video: Man drives away with tire boots still on his truck

🚗 Video of NJ truck fleeing with booted tires goes viral

🚨 Private companies boot cars in NJ city

💵 Fees to get boot removed are often hundreds in cash

NEWARK — A clip of a man driving away from a Newark private business with at least two boots on his truck tires, seemingly causing extensive damage to his vehicle, has gone viral on social media.

New Jersey Shade posted the video to Instagram this week. It shows the truck was parked in a Dunkin lot, where two boots were clamped onto the driver’s side tires.

The driver then took off into the intersection of N. 6th Street and Park Avenue in the Roseville section of North Newark.

More than a thousand comments were posted. Some wondered why a person would do such extensive damage to a vehicle.

Others shared their own pricey experiences parking and being booted in Newark.

Private companies boot cars in Newark, NJ

In several cases, commenters on the video described parking as a business customer, but then stepping far enough away that a booting company representative rushed to clamp their tires and then demand cash payment — often $200-$350.

Newark allows owners of any private parking lots to hire contractors for such booting services.

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Under city ordinance, it is illegal to boot or immobilize a vehicle at any location unless there is a sign.

It must be at least 3 by 3 feet, visible at all vehicular entrances to the property, explaining the risk of being booted at the owner's expense.

Each sign is also legally required to include the specific charge for boot removal, along with the name, address, and telephone number of the booting company.

Google Maps street view captured in May 2022 at the property where the viral video was shot shows a sign in the store’s window.

“The charges shall not exceed the fee specified in the ordinance on file with the Municipal Clerk for the booting or immobilization of motor vehicles,” according to Newark ordinance.

Fees to get boot removed in Newark often pricey

As for how much it costs to remove a boot, Newark ordinances listed online do not lay out specific guidelines.

What is listed is the fee for licensing booting companies with the city — $300 every other year.

There is also a maximum fine for companies or property owners that violate signage and practices of booting vehicles — not more than $500 or up to 30 days in jail, or both.

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If a driver returns while the booting company is still there, the city requires that they “must release the vehicle to its owner for the “minor” boot removal fee, not the “full” removal fee.

Newark adopted an ordinance one year ago that required companies that boot vehicles to register with the city.

The paperwork for registering was not available until months later, in December.

In the meantime, vehicles were still booted at a cost of $200 or more to their owners, NJ.com reported.

Such companies are not required to be BBB accredited.

The full video clip posted by NewJerseyShade to Instagram can be seen here.

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