In Nashville, Tennessee, a judicial decision has reinforced the state's position on controlling predatory car booting practices. According to FOX17, a lawsuit filed by Nashville Boots against the state over the Motion Act—a law that imposes restrictions on towing and booting companies—has been dismissed by a judge. The Motion Act, which came into effect last year, has been judged "likely constitutional," dashing the booting company's hopes for continued operations.
The failure to overturn the statute means that car booting will largely remain prohibited across Tennessee, a move that protects the public interest. Concerns over unlicensed booting operations and complaints about how long it takes to remove boots from cars have been persistent. In a statement obtained by WSMV4, a local resident, Sarah King, expressed that the practices felt "pretty predatory," indicative of the sentiments that have been prevalent in the community.
The state has registered 85 complaints against car booting over five years, which helped fuel the passage of the current regulations. Nashville Booting, in particular, argued that the law decimated their main revenue derived from booting 750 to 1000 cars a month. Despite these claims, the company's legal challenge was unsuccessful, with the court noting that while the law might be detrimental to booting companies, it benefits the public by mitigating reported abuses in the industry.
Some exceptions under the current law still exist that allow for car booting under specific conditions. Moreover, lawmakers have proposed new legislation to ban the practice outright statewide in the ongoing legislative session. Nashville Booting is not the only company affected, as it is one of the eight licensed third-party booting companies that have been hit by the state law, as reported by The Tennessean. Following an April 4 ruling by a three-judge panel against Nashville Booting’s appeal, the company can push forward to a jury trial. Still, the initial ruling casts doubt on their ability to prove the law's unconstitutionality.
