The lack of designated parking in my residential complex is causing a great deal of irritation. More often than not, I am unable to secure a parking spot due to the car park being at full capacity, leaving me no choice but to resort to street parking in the evenings. The block’s entrance signposts clearly state ‘parking reserved for residents’, however, enforcement of this rule doesn’t seem to be taking place. The vicinity’s connectivity to train and bus lines leading to Dublin has resulted in non-residents utilising our parking and leaving on foot, further exacerbating the issue. The amount of parking an individual flat is entitled to is also unclear to me. Can I request the managing company to allocate parking lots or devise a strategy to tackle this? Any advice?
From your explanations, it’s apparent that an unacceptable parking condition has been allowed to persist in your flats, and the existing parking management or lack thereof doesn’t serve the property owners or the residents. The reality that non-residents can park without restraint in your block while you cannot find a spot is markedly distressing and may be creating needless insurance risks for your Owners’ Management Company (OMC).
You’ve mentioned that there is an OMC in place, possibly even a managing agent. The resolution of this issue will rely heavily on the OMC, its board of property owners, and the managing agent.
The initial step should be to determine which parking zones are privately owned by the OMC and if any of them belong to the public sphere. Typically, in most blocks of flats, the original developer would have handed over the control of the common spaces to the OMC, and legal maps depicting their territory should be available. These areas, owned by the OMC, should fall under their jurisdiction, and the OMC should be authorized to impose fair rules and regulations to manage them.
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The forthcoming task will be to ensure car owners are fully aware of the areas that are private property of OMC. This might necessitate new or updated signs. If the block has only one point of entrance or exit, the OMC might consider setting up a gate to facilitate resident parking. However, this could necessitate planning permission, and if approved, might lead to initial and maintenance costs. Nevertheless, it could prove a beneficial investment by the OMC for improved parking management, security, and safety.
Implementing a parking management system will be a requisite step in overseeing the parking spaces. Several apartment complexes recruit a clamping service for aid in this area. The purpose of this is not to generate income, but to enforce penalties for those contravening the parking directives. The decision to enact this approach will be contingent on property owners and might be deliberated upon at the succeeding annual general meeting. If the OMC opts for the use of such a service, an annual fee could be incurred. Prior to commencing their services, the clamping company would erect signs to inform that clamping measures are in effect.
The necessity of allotting dedicated spaces to distinct owners could partially be dependent on the number of spaces and the number of apartments/vehicles. The legal aspects of this would need to be confirmed with the OMC’s legal representative. In some establishments, the ratio of spaces to vehicles is such that detailed management of these may not be needed.
Moreover, leaving some unassigned spaces could provide flexibility for the OMC, for instance, if they needed to introduce additional bike storage or install EV charge points. Provisions will also have to be made for the guests of the residents, which might involve a unique system to control potential misuse, such as a messaging system restricting visitor parking to two nights per week for instance.
The OMC could consider swapping out the allocation of specific spaces to apartments with the launch of parking permits. If the OMC is in collaboration with a clamping/parking company, they could offer assistance in implementing this. A traditional approach is to have property owners renew annually by providing their vehicle registration. Their car is then authorised for parking on the premises. It could be arranged that the first permit for each apartment is issued for a nominal fee, but owners would be expected to pay more for a second permit.
It appears that a habitual tendency has developed where individuals utilise parking spots in your building as makeshift ‘park-and-ride’ amenities to connect to local public transport. This doesn’t seem to align with the interests of your OMC. A suitable solution to curb this gradually could be to establish a gate system or escalate signage, backed by a permit scheme. In the interim, proactive steps such as stationing a representative (it could be a property owner, a clamping company representative or any other relevant individual) at the entrance of the building during peak car arrival times to courteously yet assertively inform people about the parking restrictions. Following this, warnings could be left on the cars of those continuing to ignore the notice. At some point, persistent offenders not residing in the complex may face clamping enforced by the OMC.
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Once efficient systems are in place and executed by the OMC, they may find there’s a surplus of unused parking spaces. In such a scenario, these spaces could be monetised through selling permits to non-residents such as nearby workers or local businesses, thus adding a revenue stream for the OMC from these underutilised spots.
Parking regulation is a primary function of any OMC, and it seems there’s room for your OMC to enhance efficiency in this area. The aforementioned steps could significantly enhance the experience for property owners and residents alike.
Finbar McDonnell is a professional property manager certified by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland.