Springfield officials believe the new excise tax crackdown will increase payments by $500,000 or more the first year.
A Springfield parking enforcement official checks a wheel clamp commonly referred to as a Denver boot on this car at 57 Taylor St.SPRINGFIELD - Many motorists are “getting the boot” in Springfield under a new law that allows the city to immobilize parked cars when the owners have long-delinquent excise taxes.
Under the law, the Springfield Parking Authority has the power to immobile a parked car, known as “booting,” and can then have the car towed if the owners fail to pay their delinquent excise taxes within 24 hours, kept stored until the bill is paid. The overdue bills are detected by drive-by electronic scanning of license plates of parked cars.
As of Thursday at noon, 19 cars were booted during the first week of the excise tax crackdown, triggering the collection of $6,370 in excise taxes, and $1,375 in parking tickets, according to City Hall officials. Each owner also faced a fee of $100 for the booting attachment/removal, and any towing and storage fees, officials said.
In addition, the news of the new law and “word of mouth” have likely spurred many people to pay their excise taxes rather than risk being booted, said Stephen N. Lonergan, city treasurer-collector.
Local officials say they conservatively estimate the new program will generate payment of an additional $500,000 in overdue excise taxes during its first year, but the amount could be higher, Lonergan said. The city is owed approximately $5.6 million in delinquent excise taxes, according to records.
The home rule bill to allow booting was sponsored by City Councilor Timothy J. Rooke, and was recently passed by the Legislature and Governor, affecting Springfield only. Other communities could choose to file similar bills.
“It clearly is working,” Rooke said. “I think this is a great example of how I have been stressing that the city look at more efficient ways to govern, and stress efficiencies over increased fees and taxes.”
The booting presently occurs if there are unpaid excise taxes from fiscal year 2011, or prior years.
The Parking Authority was already using a “license plate reader” mounted to one of its vehicles during the past two years to scan license plates and to have cars booted in cases where there are five or more unpaid parking tickets, said Ehsanul “Bokul” Bhuiya, the authority’s interim parking manager.
Under an agreement with the city, the authority expanded that program to include the excise tax crackdown. Installation of Denver boots is being handled by the city's towing contractor, CJ's Towing.
“It’s very effective,” Bhuiya said. “People are paying. It obviously is a tool that has worked in other cities, so we implemented it.”
The authority’s single scanning unit was purchased by the city, and cost roughly $16,000, officials said. The effectiveness of the program will be analyzed quarterly to determine if additional units are warranted, he said.
The parking authority oversees on-street and off-street parking, with parking revenues going to the city.
Rooke said New Haven is among communities that use the booting to go after excise tax delinquents.
In communities such as Holyoke and Westfield, officials did not see any immediate need for the booting system, sometimes referred to as the Denver boot, to compel payment.
People who owe excise taxes already can be “marked” with the state Registry of Motor Vehicles for unpaid excise taxes, officials said. When marked, it requires motorists to pay the taxes before they can renew their registration or driver’s license.
In Springfield, those who are booted should have received multiple notices of their overdue taxes, Lonergan said.
Rooke praised the council, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, and legislators for backing the Springfield program.
In Westfield, City Collector Michael J. McMahon said he does not see the need to incorporate the use of the Denver boot. Multiple notices include financial penalties, he said.
“We’ve got a pretty good handle on it here,” he said. “We have no intention at this time of using the boot.”
In Holyoke, Tax Collector David Guzman said the city uses warning letters and the state Registry of Motor Vehicles to try to get excise-tax money owed by procrastinating vehicle owners.
“I think it’s been as successful as anything else we’ve done,” Guzman said. “It’s been successful to the point where people come in, and they want their license or their registration, and they’ll pay everything. But, really, the boot seems like a good idea.”
Staff writer Mike Plaisance and correspondent Manon Mirabelli contributed to this report.