AUSTIN -- Troy Arn relocated his business, Resurrected Games, from Dobie Mall to the current location on 2815 Guadalupe Street #C in January of 2018.
Business is on track except for car booters running off his customers and creating problems for his store.
"They pull right up, I've had them pull right up to my door and actually block my door. Nobody can walk in or out. It's a fire hazard," Arn said.
Arn described what he regularly sees in front of his store.
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"The booting company illegally parks on the sidewalk blocking the sidewalk while they boot somebody," said Arn.
Arn showed pictures of what he called damage caused by a car booter.
"They've hit the pole, they've hit that," Arn described the pictures.
The 42-year-old has even been booted himself. But what makes him really upset is when car booters target his customers. That makes him lose money.
"It's absolutely ridiculous ... they realize can't afford it because they have to pay the $150 boot and they have to walk back in and get a refund on it," said Arn.
Austin Police Detective Tom Ballard is the one-man wrecker enforcement unit.
"In Austin, everybody knows that the parking situation is terrible, so booting down here is a big money maker," said Ballard.
Austin police already have a proposed ordinance ready to go for the city council.
It's one where the fee car booters can charge is capped at $50. Right now, they can charge whatever they want.
The proposed ordinance would also license the companies and conduct criminal background checks on the booters. They would also have to wear photo IDs.
That may be why Pflugerville police called for advice because the state is getting out of the car booting business in September.
"I emailed them a draft of our booting ordinance, also our APD rules for licenses," said Ballard.
Meantime, Arn has put up a larger sign on his door.
"Just needed to make sure it was a little more visible," said Arn.
He now hopes customers will see the warning and won't get booted anymore.
We've reached out to several surrounding police departments and right now, no one has a car booting ordinance or plans to develop one. In fact, the other three cities in Texas with car booting ordinances are Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Houston only allows their car booters to charge $25, Dallas $100 and San Antonio $35.
Austin police are expected to present the proposed ordinance to the Urban Transportation Commission on July 10. They were originally scheduled to go earlier in June. If passed, the proposal will then go before the City Council in August.