About Getting Towed

Recently I had a conversation with a resident who had his car towed from the side lot.
He was understandably upset about it, especially since the car was stuck there because of a dead battery. He asked what the policy was. The policy is clearly stated on the bulletin board and in the condo documents, however, here it is. The side lot is intended for temporary parking. Many people seem to have varying ideas about what temporary means. That means drop off and pick up, most commonly for things like groceries, packing for a trip, things of that nature. Think of it like the drop off area at an airport. You don't park so much as hover. You should really try to limit your time there to no more than 20 -30 minutes. Obviously, many people do not appreciate this or stick to that timeframe.
The time limit is not arbitrary. We have 39 units in the building. Some residents have more than one car. It is small space. If you hog it as your personal parking area, it is generally going to be an inconvenience to somebody else. In short it pisses people off, and you are begging to be towed.

There are some exceptions. Vendors doing work in the building (cleaners, carpenters) sometimes park there for several hours. People moving into the building obviously will be there longer. People with health issues that limit their mobility, or people with disabled cars. However these things are not a free pass to abuse the parking area. It is that person's responsibility to call Markwood Management and inform them of these issues before the tow truck arrives.

Generally as trustees, we look for people who are either habitually abusing the privilege, (you know who you are) i.e., parking in the area for several hours repeatedly over several days), or have left their vehicle parked there for more than a day. We also are especially stringent on Tuesdays, when we need the side lot open for the trash pick up to access the dumpster.
If you are parked out there late on a Monday night, or early Tuesday morning, you will probably be towed. We also look for people who use the area their personal driveway, without regard for the people living in the building, people who say, park there and play their vehicle radios at high volume.

As with most of the building issues, a little thought and a little courtesy go a long way.