Condo’s Handicapped Parking Only Available to Visitors

M.M. from outside of Connecticut writes:

Dear Mister Condo,

My parents and sister live in a condo with 2 spaces allowed for each condo, the garage and the space in front of the garage. The rest of the spaces are for visitors. However, my father just got diagnosed with lymphoma and has been given a handicap parking space and he would like to use it to park in the handicapped parking space in the condos. The association is saying that he may not park there as they are allowed only the two spots and the rest are for visitors. Is this true for the handicapped spot? Can they really tell him he doesn’t have the right to use that spot?

Mister Condo replies:

M.M., I am sorry for your father’s illness. Condominium association parking lots are generally the property of the entire association and under the control by the Board via their powers granted in the governance documents. If the association rules state that visitor parking may only be used by visitors, then that is the rule of the association that all unit owners must abide by. That being said, you may wish to petition the Board for an exception and cite your father’s new disability. However, since the unit already has plenty of available parking right near the entrance of the unit, I doubt they would grant the request. Still, it is certainly worth asking. All the best!