What is the City of Fort Worth actually doing?
When a Code Compliance officer finds an abandoned shopping cart in a public space, the Code officer will look for identifying markings on the cart, tell the business they believe owns the cart where it is, and request that the business pick it up within 24 hours. Code Compliance officers will ask to be notified when the cart is retrieved. If the cart is still there 24 hours later, then Code Compliance officers will retrieve the cart and take it to the nearest City Drop-Off Station. The cart will be stored for 30 days to give the business the opportunity to get the cart back.
How long does a business have to pick up their abandoned shopping carts?
If a shopping cart is found abandoned along roadways, waterways, parks or other public spaces, it will be tagged by the City. The City will notify the business that they have 24 hours to pick it up.
What happens to carts that are picked up by the City?
After 24 hours, abandoned shopping carts tagged by the City are picked up and taken to a City Drop-Off Station. The business may pay a fee and retrieve their shopping carts.
If more than 15 abandoned shopping carts are picked up within 6 months, a Shopping Cart Control Plan may be required.
Do businesses have to pay a fee for recovering their carts?
Businesses may pay a fee of $50 per cart to retrieve their shopping cart. If the business has installed a functioning wheel-lock system a recovery fee will not be assessed for these impounded carts.
What happens to carts that are picked up by the City?
Businesses have the option to recover carts for a fee from a convenient City Drop-Off Station within a period of 30 calendar days.
What is a Shopping Cart Control Plan?
A Shopping Cart Control Plan may consist of sensor-based wheel locks or additional cart corrals, etc. to address the business' needs.