NW Atlanta homeowners fight 'aggressive' booting in neighborhood

ATLANTA — Homeowners in a northwest Atlanta neighborhood say a booting company is being too aggressive and their homeowners association isn't doing anything to stop it.
 
Many of the homeowners near Abbotts Lane and Hollingsworth Boulevard in the West Highlands neighborhood complained about parking enforcement.
 
They say as soon as the clock strikes midnight, the booting company, that their HOA fees pay, 
starts hunting.
 
"Everyone that lives on that street gets nervous," said Adrienne Hill. "They tell people to park somewhere else and walk."
 
There is no overnight parking from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. without a permit.
 
Many of the homeowners say they are unhappy with the Secure Parking Enforcement's tactics and the response from Sentry Management.
 
"It just makes us uncomfortable," Terese White said. "It's to the point where we don't even want to have people over because that's embarrassing." 
 
Homeowners say cars that had permits showing have been booted, as well.
 
They also say that enforcers refused to back down from immobilizing a car even if they returned to the car before the boot had been attached.
 
"I just think that's a little unacceptable," said Hill.
 
Homeowners say the rules were put in place years ago to during construction when there wasn't enough parking. 
 
Now, they say the enforcement is mainly punishing them and their guests.
 
Over the weekend, a new allegation arose accusing a driver of pulling a handgun on someone who was trying to stop a booting.
 
The alleged victim left a note on the booted car explaining the confrontation, but didn't identify themselves and didn't report the incident to police.
 
The homeowners who shared the incident with neighbors did not want to be identified but say that wasn't the first confrontation.
 
"We've had run-ins with them and they've been extremely rude to us," said one homeowner. "They've already cursed us out several times."
 
An HOA advisory board member says that since the gun incident was never reported to police they can't take action.
 
"We will continue to monitor their performance to determine the corrective course of action to take, if any," wrote Robbie Burr. 
 
Still, some homeowners are calling for a change.
 
"I feel like they need to have a company that's going to work better with the homeowners," said White. 
 
The neighborhoods' representative from Sentry Management could not be reached.
 
A manager with the booting company said the rules are being enforced as they should be.
 
He said they will continue to work in the neighborhood as long as they're contracted.

WSBTV