Sandy Springs enlarging no parking signs

No parking signs to get larger in Sandy Springs

Sandy Springs city council members say they've been getting complaints from citizens about their vehicles being booted when parked in lots. City leaders determined signs warning drivers of booting weren't big enough.

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. - Drivers in Sandy Springs will soon get a big warning about being booted if they park illegally.

What they're saying:

In a parking lot on Hilderbrand Drive in Sandy Springs there are signs that read, "Do not park and leave this property for any reason or your vehicle will be booted".

Claudine Molson, who owns Strive Foods in the shopping plaza says, despite those signs, she often sees cars in the lot after hours with boots on the wheels.

"It happens all the time that i see a car with a boot on it. The signs have been notoriously small. So most people don't even see them," said Molson.

No parking signs in Sandy Springs. 

City leaders agreed and decided something needs to change.

"We've had people who didn't know that they were able to be booted. And so we took a look at the signage and felt that it was not large enough that people could see it when they came in," said Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul.

Tuesday night, the city council voted to increase the size of the signs from 12 inches x 18 inches to 24 inches x 48 inches. 

Why you should care:

They pointed to a class action lawsuit in metro Atlanta that has been settled for $5 million because the booting company didn't properly inform customers. The signs there were larger than the ones currently in Sandy Springs.

What's next:

Those signs will now be replaced with signs that are 3 feet by 4 feet.

"We want people to know what the potential is, and be informed and know if they're going to park there, they could come back with a piece of metal wrapped around their tire," said Mayor Paul.

Dig deeper:

City leaders may make additional changes down the road, including putting in additional signs in parking lots.