As you know, HOAs have many regulations in place to help better the community. One of the areas which they typically cover is parking.
Parking rules are often put into place to help ensure the HOA keeps its curb appeal and property value. The type of HOA community and how much parking you have can dictate the rules you put into place and how you enforce them.
Most importantly, HOAs need to make sure that they are following whatever regulations are present in the governing documents. And that they adhere to those rules across the board.
There are three main areas in which HOAs typically create parking policies around:
1. The number of cars allowed.
2. The type of vehicles allowed.
3. Where you can park those vehicles.
An HOA can’t tell residents how many vehicles they can purchase, but they can determine how many are allowed on the property. In some communities, where there is a parking lot with designated spaces, only one car is allowed. In a situation where homeowners have a driveway, they may allow two or even three.
As far as the type of vehicles allowed, many HOAs ban large or bulky vehicles that can hurt the curb appeal like RVs or commercial vehicles. They may even require certain types of vehicles to be parked inside of a garage instead of in the driveway or on the street.
Some HOAs have rules regarding parking in common areas. They may also provide guidance about where people can park along private roads that are within the community.
There are a few ways that HOAs typically enforce these policies. But it’s best to first make sure that homeowners are well informed of all of the rules, as this can be a big step in helping to prevent issues in the first place. Make sure proper signage is posted so that homeowners know the parking policies. Also, when any new community member joins, be sure the parking policies are included in the welcome packet. Continue to help your homeowners be aware of the rules by putting the information out there as needed.
When someone violates the rules, start with a warning first. Sometimes just communicating the policy and providing a warning is enough to resolve the issue. If it becomes a continuous problem, then you may consider fines as the next step. Some HOAs pause certain community privileges or in a worst-case scenario call a tow truck. If you choose to tow, it should only be in a case where it’s an ongoing issue. You must follow the laws regarding how the towing is issued. You will need to warn the owner and provide the towing company with paperwork showing that you have the authority.
Parking violations can be difficult to deal with. It’s important that your community’s policies are clearly stated in the governing documents and that homeowners are aware of them. That will help prevent many conflicts from occurring and will provide a consistent framework for how to handle these situations.
If you’d like help managing your HOA, please reach out to us at PMI: https://www.pmiprincewilliam.com/. We’d be delighted to help you keep your community running smoothly.
