Rules for street parking??

[Bonnie]

Hi, I have a question. Does anybody know the city rules for street parking? I was picking my daughter up from school today (AH) and parked my car in front of a home. This home has street parking. No sidewalks of course but just paved up to their gate. Most people park facing in to make 3 parking spots opposed to one or two parallel parking. Anyways, it is not a driveway. Just parking on the street.

Anyways, I was parked there for 10-12 minutes today and when I came out the owner of the property blocked me in so I couldn’t leave. He then came out and was very angry and told me I was very lucky I got back now because he was calling to have me (and the other person next to me) towed.

Now, obviously I will not park there again per his wishes because it is his home but I’m curious as to street parking policy. This school has no parking lot for parents to park so everybody has to park in the neighborhood.

Thanks! (btw-this is not a rant and like I said I won’t park in front of his house again but I’m sure everybody else will!)

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[JEM]

It is considered street parking and open to anyone! Although lots of folks have paved or gravelled from the street to their fence, it is technically considered a parking/planting strip, which is public right of way (but homeowner responisibility to maintain eg. mow the grass). I live in the area and generally park parallel in front of my house, but most do pull in to allow more room for multiple cars. But even in neighborhoods with sidewalks, I’ve heard of homeowners getting mad when you park in “their” spot, even though it is open street parking. I’ll see if I can find the appropriate citation on the law!

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[anonyme]

It may be the right of way, but my understanding is that angle parking is illegal. I live a few blocks away from there. Periodically, parking enforcement passes through and warns (or tickets) vehicles that are not parallel parked. This area has no sidewalks, and “public right of way” means that the area accommodates pedestrians as well as vehicles. It is not dedicated to parking (thus the term “planting strip” NOT “parking strip” as many like to call it) nor is the idea to cram as many vehicles onto the street as possible. Not only is this allowance fair and necessary, it keeps the neighborhood from looking like a junk car lot. We have a lot of that in this area as well…

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[Bonnie]

Thank you both! I don’t live in the area and we have a sidewalk in front of our house and have our neighbor park in front all the time. No complaints here as I know it is not MY area. This man was very angry and actually blocked my car in while I was picking up my children. Still, I won’t park there again but I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing something wrong by parking in front of his house.

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[mark47n]

I’d park there and dare him to have my car towed…but that’s just who I am.

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[Sonoma]

Right or wrong, it sounds like the guy has some anger-management problems! Maybe it was the infamous Mr. Grumpass! Perhaps he can put up a sign letting people know they shouldn’t park there, rather than getting nasty.

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[luckymom30]

I agree with what Anonyme said, we have a sidewalk in front of our house and also a planting strip, and we have to remind new neighbors or visitors to not park on the planting strip as they will get a ticket for illegal parking. Also, no blocking the sidewalk so pedestrians have full access. But they are free to park anywhere on the eastside of 35th.

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[linda]

I don’t believe he can have you towed. Street parking is public parking. He has no legal right to the parking in front of his house so no tow company is going to come at his beck and call.

I think they only time they tow you is if you’ve been parked longer than 72 hours in a single spot (less time if the parking has a posted time limit). Even then someone has to report the violator to the city and the car gets tagged with a big orange sticker which gives the owner time to remove the vehicle before the city contacts a company to have it towed. Most of the time if you’re parked illegally, i.e., angle in parking which blocks all pedestrian access, you can expect to get ticketed but not towed unless they find your a repeat violator.

He probably just gets tired of losing “his” parking space and has found threatening people with being towed an effective means of creating a private parking area out of what is really public space.

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[anonyme]

What Linda (and others) says is true. He can’t have you towed, and it is legal to park on the right of way, with a few restrictions. It’s also illegal to park within 5 feet of a driveway, even if you’re not “in” it. In that case, he could have you towed.

In defense of home owners, I would point out (to those who haven’t experienced it) that traffic and parking issues in the vicinity of the school are frustrating for residents – to say the least. Imagine having the front of your house transformed into a shopping center parking lot, with idling vehicles parked helter-skelter and blocking access to your property. I know that many of the teachers park in the neighborhood, as well as parents. Bonnie, I’m not saying you’re one of these, but a lot of the parents driving to the school are wildly inconsiderate and/or reckless both in their driving and parking practices. I, for one, won’t even consider walking my dog during drop off/pickup hours as I don’t want to be killed. It’s that scary.

Maybe some of the parking issues will be addressed when the new school is built. I’m sure both neighbors and parents could get behind that, and it may not be too late to make the suggestion.

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[Bonnie]

I believe (but not 100% sure) that the school tried to set up a drop off line for kids with a route of how they are to drive to drop off but someone from the city said it couldn’t be done because the street was too small. There was some issue. I don’t remember though because I wasn’t involved and heard it second hand.

I understand their concerns! I see people parking all kinds of crazy ways, in front of mailboxes, in front of fire hydrants, on the corners of streets blocking the cross walk, etc. It’s crazy. I usually park halfway down the street. I’ve tried parking on 105th but the road is too narrow and it causes problems getting out.

I believe this man will need to put up a sign asking people not to park in front of his property because if it’s not me parking there someone else will be.

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[linda]

And he cannot post no parking signs for public street parking. Only the city can post no parking signs. So he’s out of luck on that score.

I also can understand the frustration. I live in a house with no parking other than the street in front. I get frustrated when I can’t park in front of my house and wind up down the block because neighbors guests have parked in front of my house. Seems like it invariably happens when I have gone grocery shopping and have lots of heavy stuff to haul in. But I still don’t go around to all the houses threatening to tow if their guests don’t move.

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[linda]

Correction: he can post the signs, he just has no enforcement authority.

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[Cait]

Suburban Pet Peeve: people who think that the parking in front of their house is THEIR parking only. How entitled can people get…

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