J.B. from California writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
If the residential parking for my condominiums is first come first serve with no assigned parking, can the leasing office reserve parking for themselves and other residents in that building? Do they have to provide handicap accessible parking for residents also?
Mister Condo replies:
J.B., almost all condominium parking is controlled by the Board of Directors for the association. Rules about who can park where and when is their purview as is enforcement of those rules. If the Board has allowed the leasing office to designate a space for their exclusive use and the use of other building occupants, there isn’t too much you can do about it. If the leasing company did this without the Board’s approval, the Board can and should intervene to protect the rights of the association. If a resident makes a request for the use of a dedicated handicapped space, the Board is obligated to review that request and decide if it puts an “unreasonable burden” on the association to provide the space. For many associations, there is such limited parking that it is unreasonable and the request can be denied. However, there are circumstances such as the rental of a clubhouse or other common amenity that subject the association to rules about handicapped parking access where they must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and provide access to all. So the short answer is it depends on your association and the level of access they are required to provide. For many associations, they are just fine leaving well enough alone. All the best!