HOA Reserved Parking

Reserved parking in business community association's and homeowner association's is a topic that comes up all the time. When I hear the word "reserved parking," I can already hear the mass of complaints that is about to come my way as a property manager. Unless you absolutely need reserved parking ... Do not do it! I will provide some examples of healthy ways to set up a reserved parking system, and the problems that exist when you move forward with reserved parking.

How to Set-Up a Healthy Reserved Parking System:

1. Poll the membership. See if the majority of the membership wants to initiate this system. I've seen countless boards make decisions based on problems with one owner. Always act in the interest of the majority.
2. Do not mark every space in the association's parking lot as reserved. I promise you this will never work, and it will just create problems. Why? People, clients, and visitors don't pay attention to mass amounts of reserved parking. Rhetorical question: If you went to a business park for a doctors appointment, and the only open space available was for a reserved space marked for another building would you park there? What if you were late?
3. Another factor to consider is stenciling every spot in a parking lot is expensive. Each word generally costs $4.25 for new stencils, and $3.25 for re-painting old stencils.
4. Keep the amount of reserved spaces to an equal number per unit, or create an equation for how many spaces each unit is allowed. For example, people that own 5,000SF are allotted three reserved spaces, and people that own 5,001SF-10,000SF are allotted 4 reserved spaces.
5. If possible, mark the space on the asphalt and have a sign in landscape. The sign is important because people are better trained to pay attention to things right in front of them than on the ground. If you decide to place reserved parking signs, the board needs to come up with design regulations for those signs.
6. Decide up front if you will tow from reserved spaces. I have towed many cars and it never goes smoothly. If the board is up front and says, "hey, not association policy to tow." It cuts down on what people can ask for from the association.

Options to Consider for Reserved Parking:

The reserved parking system is flawed because there is nobody on-site monitoring the parking ... Well, except the person getting their reserved spot taken. When that person arrives nobody knows who the wrongfully parked car belongs to ... So some options to consider:

1. Are you going to install a guard gate and issue parking passes?
2. Will the association pay to have security on-site monitoring the parking passes?
3. Will you charge for parking to cover the expense of the guard?
4. Do you issue parking passes to each unit, and require the pass in the vehicle if parked in the reserved parking spot? Who pays for the passes? The association or owner? Who monitors the passes?
5. Should there be a meter on-site visitor's have to register in when parking? For example, think of a city owned parking lot where they charge by the hour for the space.

Conclusion:

Undoubtedly reserved parking will always create issues when implemented in a community association. Best practices: To have a well thought system, and get everyone involved on the decision. Send out questionnaires/ballots and have everyone involved in the decision. If members aren't involved in the decision then they feel like the system is being forced fed and you may have mutiny on the horizon.