I recently became one of many Newark residents hit with an outrageous parking fee—over $800—after my car was booted and towed from a lot without clear signage. I looked for warning signs before leaving my car and saw nothing. Yet I returned to find my vehicle immobilized, towed, and held for ransom-like fees payable only in cash.

This isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a predatory practice. And it’s happening to countless others across our city.

Booting and towing companies operating in Newark have been the subject of numerous consumer complaints for unclear signage, excessive fees, and aggressive enforcement. These are not isolated incidents—they represent a larger pattern of unfair and abusive behavior that disproportionately affects working-class residents and vulnerable individuals.

Other cities, like North Arlington, have already responded to similar concerns by banning these companies from operating within their borders. Newark needs to do the same.

We are calling on the Newark City Council to:

 • Investigate the private booting and towing operations currently active in our city.

 • Enforce clear, visible signage requirements in all parking lots.

 • Ban companies with excessive complaints or predatory practices.

 • Cap booting and towing fees to prevent financial exploitation.

We deserve safe, fair, and transparent parking enforcement—not surprise fees that feel more like extortion than regulation.