Urge your State Representative to OPPOSE HB 972 to protect property owners from illegal trespass.

HB 972 significantly undermines private property rights by criminalizing a property owner’s ability to boot or tow a vehicle that is illegally parked on their commercial property. Under this bill, it becomes a criminal offense for a property owner to enforce their own parking rules through booting, and it severely restricts their ability to tow unauthorized vehicles.

By stripping property owners of their right to manage access to their land, HB 972 effectively transfers control of private property to the state by limiting enforcement options. Property owners—who bear the costs of maintaining their lots—should not be forced to tolerate trespassers and unauthorized vehicles with no legal recourse.

Additionally, this bill sets a dangerous precedent by criminalizing a common and necessary private enforcement mechanism. If property owners cannot remove unauthorized vehicles, they lose control over their own land, which could lead to parking chaos, loss of business, and increased costs for enforcement through government channels.

HB 972 is an unacceptable government overreach that weakens private property rights and erodes a fundamental principle of ownership—the right to control and protect one’s own property. Tennessee must reject this attack on property rights and uphold the ability of landowners to manage their own property without state interference.