G.G. from Clark County, Washington writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Can a COA change the rules to allow roommates and non-owner renters to use visitor parking areas while telling owners they may not use the parking? Roommates and renters are occupying 75% of the 4 spaces at all times. We are a non-profit, and those with roommates and renters are profiting off of the use of what has always been designated visitor parking, with limited loading and unloading and guest parking only. All three management committee members have roommates or renters
Mister Condo replies:
G.G., I am sorry that parking is an issue at your condo but if you follow my column you will note that parking is almost always a problem for condo associations as there are just never enough spaces to go around for all of the vehicles owned by residents. As for the COA’s right to change the rules, they sure can! Your COA Board of Directors is the governing body elected by members of your association. The parking lot is a common area governed by the Board. If the Board wishes to change the rules, they most certainly can. This has nothing to do with the non-profit status of your association. This has everything to do with the quality of people elected to serve. Guess what? If enough members of the association don’t like how these volunteers are governing, they can be voted out of office. Just be sure you have enough “ready to serve” folks willing to take their place. If enough like-minded people are on the Board, the rules can be changed back to the way they were. All the best!