Q&A: Condo Parking Conundrum

Q&A: Condo Parking Conundrum

Q. I live in a small condo association with limited parking. Our condo docs clearly state that each unit has one reserved parking space which is numbered with the same number as your unit.  The remainder of the parking spaces are clearly marked "guest." 

Unfortunately, a large amount of owners and / or their guests do not seem to understand the difference between an assigned parking spot and a guest spot.  Frequently, if you go out at night, you will come home to find someone parked in your space. You have no way of knowing if it is a visitor or someone that lives here parking in your spot, which is really irrelevant since they are in a reserved spot anyway.  Homeowners don't have a decal or any other identifying mark, and visitors are not required to put anything in their windshield identifying them as being a visitor or with whom they are visiting.

The association really has no set policy for dealing with violators. If you are lucky enough to be able to reach a board member or the management company, they may come put a sticker on the car in violation stating that it will be towed in 24 hours. The violator is rarely there for 24 hours, and therefore goes unpunished except for having to scrape the sticker off of their window.  Meanwhile, residents are sometimes forced to park in the grass if someone is in their spot and then end up getting a ticket from code enforcement for being parked in the grass.

I recently called the police regarding someone parked in my assigned and numbered spot and was told there is nothing they can do because it is private property. I assume if I lived in a private home and found someone in my driveway, I would be able to do something about it.  Why is a condo not able to do anything?  I was also told that they have no way of knowing if someone is trespassing or lives here since homeowners have nothing on their vehicle to identify them as an owner. Other people have been told the same thing.

I (and some of my neighbors) put chairs and benches in our spots if we leave our homes.  I have had chairs stolen and others knocked over. Tonight I plan on putting a barricade with caution tape to make sure I have my assigned parking space when I return home. I do not think I should have to resort to this. This has been an issue for years, yet the management company seems unable to come up with a solution. What are our rights as owners? And, what (if anything) should our management company be doing to combat this? I’m stumped for a reasonable answer.

               —Peeved in Port St. Lucie

A. “I sympathize with your predicament as I can only imagining how frustrating this must be.  At the outset let me share with you that a good portion of my day as a community association lawyer is spent assisting clients dealing with problems and violations involving “The Three P’s: Pets, People and Parking.” Parking problems and parking violations are unfortunately very common in Florida community associations. You are not alone in your frustration!” states David G. Muller, a shareholder attorney with the law firm of Becker & Poliakoff in the Naples/Sarasota office.

“But what can be done?  If you have an assigned parking space then you have the exclusive right to park in this space.  If someone is parking in your parking space that is a violation and you should ensure that your condominium association is made aware of the violation (which you have done).  

“Regarding enforcement efforts, the condominium association, through the board of directors, has various “enforcement tools” that it can utilize to try to address a violation and bring about compliance. These enforcement tools include, but are not necessarily limited to, the pursuit of a fine against the violator and the suspension of certain common element use rights by the violator.  You should be aware that there are several procedural requirements mandated by Florida Statutes which must be followed in order to impose a fine or suspend a resident’s common element use rights. Another enforcement tool, which I often refer to as the “hammer” option, is for the board to notify the attorney for the condominium association.  The association attorney can send a demand letter to the violator and demand that the unauthorized parking in your assigned parking space stop immediately.  If the violations continue, the association has the option to pursue litigation against the violator.  In the ensuing litigation the association has the right to seek the recovery of its prevailing party attorney’s fees and costs.  The bottom line is that your condominium association has several options to attempt to address these parking violations based on the above-referenced “enforcement tools.”   

“Another enforcement tool that your association may be able to pursue is the remedy of towing.  Generally speaking, towing is a remedy that I recommend be used sparingly.  Since towing is a “self-help” remedy, a judge will often examine the association’s towing process very carefully if the association is sued for wrongful towing.  Since towing is not a remedy specifically incorporated within the Condominium Act (Chapter 718, Florida Statutes), the condominium documents would need to confer such authority on the association.  Further, the association needs to be aware that Florida has a detailed statute governing the towing of vehicles, which is found at Section 715.07 of the Florida Statutes.  

“The above summary addresses various enforcement rights and options available to your condominium association.  From what you have described, however, it does appear that the overall “administration” of the parking in your condominium is severely lacking.  Your condominium board may want to consider addressing this administrative deficiency by adopting rules to help address this nightmarish parking problem.  The condominium association should consult with the association attorney and obtain their assistance in drafting these additional parking rules.  

“Your association attorney will need to confirm the goals of the community and confirm that the board has the authority to adopt said rules.  That being said, it is very common for condominium associations to adopt rules which identify certain vehicles (via parking sticker or otherwise) so that the association’s management knows whether a given car is or is not supposed to be parked in a given parking spot.  The association can also consider adopting rules which require guests to use a specific guest parking pass, which must be prominently displayed. Again, the scope and specific language of the parking rules should be carefully considered, drafted and adopted, but this effort will be well worth it.” 

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7 Comments

  • Andy - Annoyed with over reach. on Thursday, October 24, 2019 10:49 AM
    Hello, my situation is a bit different. I need some advice if possible please. We have a new manager in my condo in Miami, FL. I have an assigned parking space with a number on it and associated with my condo unit. I use different cars, rentals etc. I also let my friends park in my assigned space once in a while. The new manager wants me to register every car that parks in my spot and ask for a permit to park in my spot or be towed at my expense. This makes no sense at all, if the the parking lot was open with unassigned spaces I would understand. this is not the case, every unit has an assigned and numbered parking spot. So any car in my spot is obviously mine. This new measure is not in the bylaws of the association nor it has been submitted to a vote by the owners. The guard gate is absent a lot of times, I have my guard key to drive in and park in my assigned spot. I do not want to be chasing the guard around to register my new rental that I park in my assigned spot. Specially in the middle of the night when all I want to do is get in bed. They say I have to or I will be towed. I think this is an overreach by my association manager. Obviously a car parked in my spot belongs to my unit. What are your thoughts please. Your help is greatly appreciated. Very frustrated in Miami, FL
  • Back in February they placed a green warning decal from a towing company in my vehicle and in many other vehicles parked. I am an owner and assigned to my parking space. I called the association and they told me to send an email with my vehicle information and registration. I did and after that I didn’t get a reply back. We went into lockdown due to COVID-19 and once they started to partially open the economy my car was towed away. I work nights in a laboratory so it was upsetting paying for a taxi cab and towing fine before getting to work that night. I have been parking across the street since then. I have called and sent emails and just today the association told me that I had to pay 25$ and to send the information over their mailbox. I told them that this issue has been frustrating and that they didn’t told me this from the beginning back in February. Thank you
  • Approximately a year ago my wife and I purchased a condo on the beach in Panama CIty. Realizing our lifetime dream. Is now becoming a nightmare. The board recently amended the Condo covenants on parking. When we purchased our unit it also came with 1 parking space in the parking garage. The parking spaces are not numbered.( Per unit) from what I understand the parking garage is a common element of the complex. The boards amendment states that they are going to charge $25 a week for all of my tenants to park in the common parking area. And they are only going to allow my wife and I friends and family that will never be charged for rent. Six weeks a year, and even a long weekend counts as a week! Everything after that they say they are going to charge me the owner $25 a week park. And if I show up at my condo and there are no parking places I have to go park across the street at a supermarket. One of the spaces in the parking structure 365 days a year is what I bought. Can the association do this to us. They did not have a proxy vote for their owners. To decide their own fate! There are 84 units in the complex. 50 units rent. 34 units are either snowbirds or live there year-round. The boards decision is that only the 50 units that rent will be abiding by these rules. So only the 50 units will be contributing to the reserves. And 34 units will be getting a free ride. This is not fair and equal practice for everyone! Is this not discriminatory behavior by the board? I would appreciate your thoughts on my association board decision on parking.
  • I bought an apartment in downtown Tampa late February. When I bought I was assigned a parking spot which is covered. A month ago the manager tells me that I have been reassigned to a uncovered spot. When I communicate with him that one of the reasons that attracted me to buy this place was the garage parking and covered space. He tells me that the association has the right to reassign spaces. I asked him what is the criteria they use to reassign and how often is this done. I had no answers for my questions and it is not in the bylaw of the condominium. I see my neighbors are still on the same spot. I would love to find a answer to that before I agree to move my car. Thank you
  • Jan 07, 2022_**Reading some of these parking problems is somewhat similar to my condo, 50+ in Clearwater, FL. There was never a Vote about parking Rules that I know of. They assigned position to my neighbor that became the Parking Monster. She had one guys truck towed from extended parking for not having the Parking Card on his dash. She told him to park there & can't use the 'unmarked guest parking'. He did then she had him towed. He told me he did not know he had to display the Parking Card. She told a renter that was parked in the condo's parking space that he had to display his Parking Card or be Towed. Owner's Lawyer sent Board threatening letter they will seek action if action against their Parking Monster. We were told as long as we have permission from Owner to park in there space is fine. I parked my SUV in her spot after her 'knee surgery' (hers suv being serviced) she would not have to walk across to mine carport. Parking Monster know my SUV and still put a "Warning" on my SUV. We finally got her off the Board as Parking Coordinator and no one really has that position. No one really cares who is where until you complain and they still don't care. They offer this Parking Monster open Carports when Snowbird does not come down. Yet they don't offer the same to other Owners. I recently complained which was unless. There was a time when the Parking Monster had to park in the Extended Parking. I took pic's several times where she herself 'did not display the Parking Card' but had the nerve to tow another owner's truck. Years ago I had a neighbor with a car & truck. They pushed him to sell the truck one year as then they did not allow trucks. The next year they approved trucks. We did not allow motorcycles but when a board member's boyfriend had a motorcycle, they approved this. I had told one member of the Board that if they offer the Parking Monster an empty carport, the should send out letter's to all owner's to inquire with them for their 2nd auto. I don't see that happening as I see that they help those that are their friends and discriminate with all other owner's. One Board member had a boyfriend for years. She had a carport for him all the time. He had more privileges not living here than Owner's. I wrote years ago to that Tallahassee Division of Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes. They wrote me back that I was out of their Jurisdiction. Really! I live in Florida and I am not in their 'jurisdiction? BULL....I want to move so bad and now is the best time to sell, but where do I go? Can't live in a Senior Apartment because I have too much money from my sale of my condo when I do sell. Prices are so high now on apartments you feel you can't escape these hypocrite Board Members.
  • Please help The developer of this small mixed use condo bldg (5 residential units, 1 retail shop) had a site plan showing 4 parking spots for the retail spot, the develop assigned 2 spots for parking. none are required by the city for retail or office, when developer sold the units all purchase contracts contained the assignment of parking slots. Each buyer was aware of their assigned spots. The condo docs say the BOD can assigned. Does the condo documents hold up over the site plan. I feel as it should. ALSO can a HOA assign a handicap spot to only the retail unit? Thanks
  • Q I moved in as a renter 10 years ago. Everyone with a sticker on their vehicle MUST pay a refundable 100.00 fee. I purchased my condo a few years ago and am now selling. I am unable to find my sticker receipt so will not receive my refund. No one is able to tell me where my 100.00 will end up.If everyone must pay for that sticker i don't understand why a receipt is required