Parking Control – Tips on Enforcing Visitors Parking

It is not uncommon for Condominiums to face challenges in enforcing their parking rules.  Especially in urban areas where parking is at a premium and residents can become frustrated by the need to rent spaces when they pass unused visitor parking on their way to their own space.
Condo Boards and Management face the challenge of enforcing the Corporations rules that require these spaces to be protected for use by visitors.
Here are some tips that may help residents, board members and managers understand the challenges faced by others in dealing with parking:

• Visitor parking is reserved for use by visitors in order to comply with by-law requirements set by local municipalities.  A certain percentage of parking spaces must be provided in order to receive permits when planning the condominium community.
• Enforcing parking provisions can be difficult and many condos have found that issuing parking tickets can be successful but towing vehicles may open the Corporation up to some liability.
• Towing vehicles is also complicated by the fact that many towing companies demand payment for service be made in advance and require the manager or security guard on site to sign that they accept all responsibility and liability for damage to the vehicle.
• Local municipal police officers are reluctant to, or sometimes prohibited from, patrolling private visitors parking.  The Police may be active in monitoring abuses of handicapped spaces or fire lane violations but that does not mean they are available whenever they are called.  Condos can be left to the luck of the draw when trying to enforce these serious parking infractions.
• This leaves the option of private ticketing firms who will come to the site regularly but must rely on the courts to enforce the collection of their tickets.  These firms can be aggressive in collection leaving your residents or their guests with a rather negative experience and a feeling of persecution as a result of their visit to your property.

In the end the method of collection must be level headed and even handed or you risk    damaging the sense of community.  While random visits by paid parking patrol firms have a cost to them, they have proven to be successful and can protect the Management and Board members from unwanted – and unwarranted – attacks from owners who feel unfairly treated.