Victim: Snow cone shop made me pay cash to remove boot off car
AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) – Austin police need your help finding a suspect who is illegally booting cars on Guadalupe in the Spider House Lounge parking lot.
The suspect, William Wade Brugier, owns the snow cone stand Wacky Wade’s Wicked World of Snowballs, on 2915 Guadalupe. Police believe he targeted multiple cars on Sept. 30 after a victim came forward. There are six additional victims out there who were targeted, but so far no one else has talked to police.
The victim told police he had to pay Brugier $150 in cash to get a boot taken off of his car. Investigators say the snow cone owner does not have a Texas Booting License, and failed to put a sign in place stating the parking restrictions.
Additionally, officers say the cash transaction between Brugier and the victim was illegal. Licensed booters are required to accept any form of payment to remove boots. Not only did Brugier not have a license, he was not authorized to accept cash payments and did not give the victim a receipt.
On the Wacky Wade’s Wicked World of Snowballs Facebook page it says the snow cone stand has parking available on the street and in the parking lot.
Investigators ask that anyone else who thinks they may have been illegally booted to come forward. You can call the APD Wrecker Enforcement Unit at 512-974-8132.
Your Rights
Proper signage must be posted at every single entrance to a private lot. That signage must have the required information and in the required color.
According to the towing and booting occupations code, signs must have the international towing symbol along with the type of enforcement, either towing or booting, at the top of the sign in white letters on a red background. The middle of the sign should include who is allowed to park in the lot, a statement that unauthorized vehicles will be towed. The bottom of the sign must state the days and hours of enforcement. The tow company’s phone number must also be included.
Missing information or information detailed in the wrong letter color could make towing from the lot illegal.
If a vehicle owner sees their car being towed, they can ask the tow truck driver to “drop” their vehicle. The tow company must do so and if the vehicle is not completely mounted onto the truck, they must drop the vehicle free of charge. Once the vehicle is completely mounted onto the tow truck, the vehicle owner can still ask the tow company to drop the vehicle and they must do so, but they would be able to charge a drop fee. A vehicle is considered completely mounted once a driver needs only to get in the tow truck and drive off the lot.
Once the tow truck driver has left the private lot with the vehicle, the vehicle owner can no longer ask them to drop it.
Drop fees cannot exceed one-half the standard tow charge set by municipalities. The maximum tow charge allowed by state law is $250.