Apartment Booted My Car Even Though It’s on My Lease, Damaged It, and Selectively Enforced the Rule. What Are My Rights?

Hi everyone,

I need advice (especially from lawyers or tenant rights advocates) because what just happened at my apartment feels shady, unfair, and maybe even illegal. I’ve been a responsible, quiet tenant here for over a year. I’m a nursing student, I’ve never been late on rent, and I’ve never had noise complaints or any issues.

I’ve lived here for over a year(since March 2024). My car is:

• Listed on my lease

• Registered in their system for over a year

• Parked in the same spot I always park

The only thing I didn’t have? The physical parking sticker (which was a brand-new policy introduced in June 2025).

A few days ago, I walked out to find my car booted no warning, no conversation, nothing. I’m a registered resident with a registered vehicle in the apartment's system, but they still made me pay $150 to have it removed. After the boot was taken off, I noticed my tire pressure was noticeably lower than before. I have before/after photos showing it, and I strongly believe the boot caused the damage and I also noticed scratches left because of the boot.

Here’s where it gets even worse:

• Out of 400 cars in the complex, only 4 cars were booted that day.

• Around 80% of vehicles here don’t have a sticker, so why just 4?

• When I confronted the booting company, they literally told me they “didn’t have enough boots.” That’s selective enforcement.

• When I confronted the apartment, they said, “We sent out emails about this new policy a couple of months ago.” But the sign in the parking lot clearly says:

“UNAUTHORIZED VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT PARKED IN THE CORRECT DESIGNATED PARKING SPOT WILL BE SUBJECT TO BOOT AND/OR TOW AT OWNER’S EXPENSE.”

Nothing about registered residents with registered vehicles being booted for a missing sticker.

I had already filed a police report about the boot before noticing the tire damage. Once I noticed, I asked if I could add it (yes, you can).

This feels wrong for several reasons:

1. My car was authorized; missing a sticker doesn’t make it unauthorized when it’s in the system and on the lease.

2. Selective enforcement is obvious 80% without stickers, only 4 booted.

3. The sign doesn’t match their actions; their rules say “unauthorized” vehicles in the wrong spots, not registered resident cars.

4. They charged me $150 without warning and damaged my property.

Questions :

• Is selective enforcement like this legal?

• Could this be considered trespassing/damage to personal property since my car was legally registered and parked?

• Could both the apartment and the booting company be jointly liable?

• What’s the most effective legal route: small claims, demand letter, or something else?

I’m ready to provide photos, receipts, and my police report. I want to fight this not just for me, but because this looks like predatory enforcement and I don’t want other residents to go through it.

Location: Arkansas