Parking Advice and Enforcement?

We have a parking situation in our community. We were set up for 2 cars per home and VERY little to no overflow. There are homeowners with 2+ cars fighting over spots. As the President I deligated a "Parking Committee" to come up with a resolution. Some want tags to hang in the windows and others want the parking stalls painted with assigned numbers.

FYI - We have tried sending out letters to homeowners reminding them of 2 spots per home and be respectful of neighbors....blah blah blah but it is not working.

I am looking for advice on what other communities are doing and how are you enforcing it?

Thank you as always!
Melissa

I live in a townhouse community. We also allow 2 cars per home.We tried letters,decals,towing,security($100,000)and now hanging tags. All failed. Good Luck
Barbara

Yes, Indeed, What type of community? We have a similar situation where we just assigned 2 spaces (labeled with lot #s, IE "RSVD78"). The label is painted on the concrete curb. All the other spaces were deemed visitor. We had the curb painted with Visitor and also painted "VISITOR" on the asphault in the area just to the rear of where the rear bumper would be. That way it's pretty easy for visitors to figure out where to park. But now we have numerous small 2 and 3 bedroom townhomes (18-20ft wide) where there might be 3 to 5 adults living in the same home, so there really isn't any visitor parking. We tried to promote the idea of making the visitor parking spaces just for visitors, but that didn't sell. Then of course, you have to come up with a written definition of visitor and that's not easy. All I know is that it unfortunate that there never is any visitor parking; and both fish and visitors stink after 3 days.

Melissa,
After the cars have been I.D'd so that you know who each owner is and how many cars they own and that they are using their own spots, then any car NOT in their correct spot, tow them. Warn them twice by letter and then tow them. Your Board can go on forever with this if you do not take a major stand on the violators. Do you have the ability to fine per your CC&Rs? Hopefully you do so letting this go on is unacceptable, especially if I came home and someone else was in my parking spot. We use a small sticker in the corner of the windshield. Visitors got paper tags with days allowed to be parked and hung them from the mirror or on the dashboard.Visitors park in "visitor" allocated spots.

Melissa,

You can have the vehicles towed once they are on HOA property, probably known as common property aka/ parking lot other than the assigned individual spaces. In other words, not in your own space. You must have some wording in the documents regarding parking areas. Look that up and send it to us. Thanks.

The stickers or hang tags can be sequentially numbered so that you can keep track of who is who.

Robert - Don't you love the fact that most buider/developers are too afraid to broach the subject of parking and establish rules. Having worked for builders in the past over 12 years, I've always heard them say to the newly formed board.. "After we (the developer) leave and turn over control, you all can decide on how you want to handle parking. IE- whether or not you to assign 1 or 2 spaces or what). Typical?

Mike, I am glad this posted twice, it needs to be said twice. And this goes all the way from the smallest 4 unit condo to an HOA containing thousands of units. When build out, or before occurs, parking is a big issue, even in the planning stage. I believe it also goes to the county or city planners and they know parking is not going to be adequate when they plat the development, many times. They figure such figures as 1 and 1/2 parking space per unit. What the hell does that mean? It means trouble down the line. Our complex of condos has underground parking. We have 65 units, over 27 years you can imagine what has happened, so now, they flip the other way and say from now on, there will be only one space per unit, all others will be guest parking. All decreed from an absentee board. So we have one bedroom places with 1 space and three bedroom units with 1 space, all the while the 3 bedroom is being assessed an apportioned share, which means they are paying more for their one space than the one bedroom. Then you add God only knows how many renter cars descend on the place during season and there is NO available parking for the three bedroom guy that is paying the big bucks.

And I consider,from reading some of these posts, that we are lucky.

The developer is a Bottom Line Guy, and he should be watched like a hawk. I do not understand how an association can sit at the table and take some of this stuff from the developer. They always have to consider costs, and if they can cut down on the number of parking spaces they will. What does a parking space cost to plan for and build these days.....a lot.

aha,
Another SC poster. Make sure you root around in SC Lawyer link, this page on left highlighted in Yellow and also be aware there is new proposed legislation in State House to establish an HOA statute and do some other tweaking of condo statute. Check link as I suggested and use link off that site to SC legislation.

Tell them you just moved from Missouri and ask them to show you the law or cite the code so you can look it up. Bottom line - without the info they are requesting, can you park there without being towed while you fight it out?

To add to what Robert said.

SC does have The SC Horizontal Property Act that does cover multi-unit high rise associations or as commonly called, Condos. This act does not cover townhome nor standalone home associations.

There has been a proposal for an act to cover townhomes and standalone homes (HOA's) stalled in the SC for the last 4-5 years. It is not expected to see the light of day. I for one work to keep it stalled. I do not want politicians and bureaucrats that know little to nothing about the realities of the situation making laws and controlling associations.

Hope this helps.

OOPS..and I have not been drinking...yet....