What to do if someone is parked in your spot?

reserved-parking

Photo by Steve Snodgrass / CC BY 2.0

No signage, a shortage of parking spots, or just plain ignorance. Whatever the case may be, when it comes to parking, drivers are always trying to find the best spot. Which may cause you grief if the spot is yours. So what can you do if this happens to you?

This can get frustrating if this is on private property such as an apartment, townhouse or condo. When someone takes your spot you will most likely need to head towards the designated visitor parking. This creates an annoyance, because you may have to park further than you need to be. You could leave a note on the windshield or if you are able to locate the driver, let them know that they are parked in a designated reserved area for tenants and indicate where visitors typically park. Hopefully, the driver may not have realized that they were infringing on your property. Or if you feel it is necessary, seek guidance from the apartment manager or landlord.

If this happens in your office parking lot you can contact the towing company. This would be considered the extreme action but may be necessary if it is a recurring problem. The parking lot most likely has signs with the name of the towing company in charge of the lot along with their contact information. Give the towing company a call and explain the situation. Once the vehicle is towed, the owner of the vehicle will have to pay a fee and retrieve their vehicle from the impound lot.

For a vehicle to be towed, there must be signage in compliance with the requirements of the by law. Please refer to the City of Winnipeg Private Parking Bylaw #6549/95.

If someone takes your reserved parking space in a parkade, you should be able to speak to the parking lot attendant. They will be familiar with how to proceed with the situation.

If you require Dr. Hook’s assistance or need more information on reclaiming your spot, let us know. We also have approved business lot signage available for sale. Contact us today.