Deeded Parking spaces unequally spaced (real estate, HOA fees, condos)

[arlofburger]

Last year I bought a condo (50+ unit building) that came with a deeded parking spot in a garage (30+ such deeded spots). At the time I did not own a car, until recently I started looking to buy a car.

The master deed doesn't state anything about the parking spot sizes, however unit owners with a deeded parking spot pay an equal amount increase to their HOA fees. My spot is barely 6 feet wide, which won't fit many modern vehicles. However some other spots are much larger, seemingly between 8 and 10 feet wide and I can see large vehicles parked in them.

Is there any way to go about pressuring the hoa/management company to repaint the parking spaces to be equally sized?

[BostonMike7]

Have you talked to them about it first?

[id77]

Originally Posted by arlofburger

Last year I bought a condo (50+ unit building) that came with a deeded parking spot in a garage (30+ such deeded spots). At the time I did not own a car, until recently I started looking to buy a car.

The master deed doesn't state anything about the parking spot sizes, however unit owners with a deeded parking spot pay an equal amount increase to their HOA fees. My spot is barely 6 feet wide, which won't fit many modern vehicles. However some other spots are much larger, seemingly between 8 and 10 feet wide and I can see large vehicles parked in them.

Is there any way to go about pressuring the hoa/management company to repaint the parking spaces to be equally sized?

Does your deed entitle to you a specific spot or an amount of real estate within the garage? If it's the former, I imagine it's largely going to be at the discretion of the HOA/property manager to change, if they will. If it's the latter, and the lines were just incorrectly drawn, you may have some recourse that way in the same manner as when neighbors plant a tree or run a fence along your section of property.

As with all matters, please consider consulting an attorney if you're serious about getting it fixed and don't rely on counsel from a forum. They're going to be better equipped to lay out your options.

As an aside, large vehicles in the city is silly. Why people who live in the city buy SUVs, trucks, or larger sedans is an act I'll never appreciate.

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by id77

As an aside, large vehicles in the city is silly. Why people who live in the city buy SUVs, trucks, or larger sedans is an act I'll never appreciate.

They have kids. They do yard work and household building projects. They use their trucks for their jobs. They haul pets to the vet and the dog park. I could go on but I think you get the picture.

[Arya Stark]

Originally Posted by id77

Does your deed entitle to you a specific spot or an amount of real estate within the garage?

Yes what does the HOA master deed say. If it says it in there you may not need to ask nicely.

[BostonMike7]

The wording on my condo deed only lists a single parking space. Doesn’t say anything about the dimensions.

Step #1 is actually talk to the HOA and say the space is smaller than standard which is 8’ x 16’

What are the actual dimensions?

[id77]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

They have kids. They do yard work and household building projects. They use their trucks for their jobs. They haul pets to the vet and the dog park. I could go on but I think you get the picture.

If you live in the city, you're walking to 90% of your destinations, including walking your dogs to the vet or dog park. You're parking in tight spaces unless you have deeded off-street that's not tandem. I can't say I've seen too many families hauling their own Home Depot lumber in their pickup back to their Back Bay condo.

With neighborhoods dominated mid- and high-rise condos where parking is at a premium, the larger the vehicle, the fewer spots available on a particular day. There's many a day where a Mini Cooper has its pick of 4-5 spots whereas a large SUV is going to be searching a while for something.

Parking a Chevy Tahoe on-street in the North End or Brighton would get really old, really fast.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by id77

Parking a Chevy Tahoe on-street in the North End or Brighton would get really old, really fast.

It would. I've done it, and it's the worst thing you can possibly imagine. It's even worse in the winter

However, some people do it. My previous boss used to park his 2500 Avalance right in the middle of the North End for the several years that I was worked for him when I was in my early 20's. No parking garage either. I can fondly remember heading back to his place with him in the middle of the day so I could take the truck and circle the block for 30 mins while he did a quick errand. No matter what, he loved living there. I thought he was nuts. One of the other guys we worked with also lived in the north end and drove a Silverado 1500. In the summer, he parked it on the street, but when the winter came around, he secured a parking spot in a nearby garage. I imagine these sorts of folks are in the vast minority as most people had small cars.

One other thing to note about living in such an area. If you do have a car, try not to love it too much. Your front and rear bumper will be used as a measuring device for when people should stop backing up or pulling forward. Used to see all sorts of high end cars in the north end with various damage on the front and rear bumpers from parking.