Parking Space Shared Double Garage

[sefnfot]

What is the name of your state? CA

I'm the landlord:

I have a new tenant. A very kind and friendly young lady, works 9-5 in a Professional position. Which is still within first (30) days. This tenant lives on the first floor. (Tenant A) she has a Honda Accord.

A second tenant has been there for around 3+ years. She has an absent minded professor disposition/ personality. she is kind, and also in a Professional job. This tenant lives on the second floor right above tenant A (Tenant B) She has a ford Taurus.

It is a 6+ unit apartment building. These 2 tenants share a double space garage. Tenant B parks her car too close to the other space, so the other tenant can_t get her car into the space.

It is a very tight space, with 189 inches total width in the garage. I made a line separating the spaces which left 95 inches for one space and 94 inches for the other. Tenant B still parks on the line. But even when her tires are on her side, Tenant A still has a hard time and I have determined that this is because Tenant B_s car mirrors intrude into Tenant A_s space. So basically tenant B is hogging up the space!

I have offered tenant B the option of parking her car backwards into the space. This would leave extra room between the 2 drivers to get out; but she said it would be too difficult for her. It is becoming a serious ASAP problem I need to resolve. Tenant A has been very patient and even seemed to come to some sort of understanding with Tenant B. But the situation got worse with an incident_ ( Tenant B accidentally closed the garage door onto Tenant A_s car.)

The one thing I can do is establish a Rules and Regulations Requiring Tenant B parking spot to only park Tail first; just like those places that require Head In First Parking only. Because the Lease only requires a parking space.

Or should i evict Tenant B from her parking space? I have spoken to Tenant B repeatedly.

 

[justalayman]

You cannot alter the current lease to reflect your idea of the reverse parking. You would have to wait untill next lease renewal.

The one thing I have not looked into but your surely should is; is there a size requirement for a parking space in your state, city, locality that may cause you to reconsider this space to be considered two spaces as just a single space?

The thing is, just because you call it a parking space doesn;t mean it fulfills the requirement of such.

What if both of the gals went and bought H1 Hummers?

 

[OHlandlord]

She may just need some guidance as she doesn't realize where she is in the garage. Can you hang a tennis ball from the ceiling in the garage? Have tenant B pull her car into the garage in the correct position. (You may have to help guide her in.) Hang the tennis ball so it hits her windshield in a particular spot (like directly at the rear view mirror, an inspections window sticker, etc. - something that won't move). Or maybe so that the side mirror just clears it. If she pulls in so that the tennis ball hits in another place, she'll know she's in the wrong spot. It might take a few weeks to train herself to this, but perhaps this will work without resorting to drastic measures. I've seen people that couldn't judge distances before, some that even hit the end of their garage. This seems to help.

 

[sefnfot]

You cannot alter the current lease to reflect your idea of the reverse parking. You would have to wait untill next lease renewal.

The one thing I have not looked into but your surely should is; is there a size requirement for a parking space in your state, city, locality that may cause you to reconsider this space to be considered two spaces as just a single space?

The thing is, just because you call it a parking space doesn;t mean it fulfills the requirement of such.

What if both of the gals went and bought H1 Hummers?

This is a rent controlled unit, and her lease was grandfathered by the previous Landlord; but i currently make sure the tenant agrees and understands the limitations to the parking spot. ( just like some public parking spaces limiting themselves to Compact cars )

but i investigated and found that even a Lincoln Town Car width is 78.2 inches

 

[CA LL]

Question what is meant by 6+ units? Is there additional non permitted/illegal units added on later?

Are/were the garages permitted to be double per YOUR city's code?

Many require about 17' - 20' wide - some have lower widths grandfathered in but you calculations (and this must be completely clear space) only comes out to 15.75 feet wide.

How many garages are with the building? Six? Or three? In other words what is the ratio of garages to units?

I guess I'm trying to find out if ALL tenants share a double garage and if they are all used fully or not? AND if they are legally being used as double garages? And if there is any way to switch some around.

I'm most interested to learn who was in the space before this Tenant A was and how it was handled then and what type of car THEY had?

 

[JustAPal00]

The problem is that's not a two car garage. You could get two cars in it if their weren't walls but the walls cause a problem. 9ft by 8 ft is the standard size for a parking spot. A two car garage should be 20 ft wide. Since widening the garage seems out of the question, try putting two lines approx 9-12 inches apart with some diagonal stripes in the middle. the middle would be "No-Mans Land"! Then enforce the parking restriction!

 

[sefnfot]

1. Question what is meant by 6+ units? Is there additional non permitted/illegal units added on later?

2. Are/were the garages permitted to be double per YOUR city's code?

3. Many require about 17' - 20' wide - some have lower widths grandfathered in but you calculations (and this must be completely clear space) only comes out to 15.75 feet wide.

4. How many garages are with the building? Six? Or three? In other words what is the ratio of garages to units?

5. I guess I'm trying to find out if ALL tenants share a double garage and if they are all used fully or not? AND if they are legally being used as double garages? And if there is any way to switch some around.

6. I'm most interested to learn who was in the space before this Tenant A was and how it was handled then and what type of car THEY had?

1. 8 units, 6 parking spaces, 3 double garages. All legal and grandfathered building…
2. not sure
3. (a) Dimensional Requirements. Minimum parking dimensions shall comply with the standards approved by the City Parking and Traffic Engineer. An unobstructed inside dimension of eighteen feet in length by twenty feet in width shall be provided for a private two-car garage or carport, except a private two-car garage lawfully in existence on May 5, 1999 may be maintained.

( How can those compact car spaces that cities and private parking structures be made if they are less than code dimensions ?) I made sure the prospective tenant sees and agrees that the garage is acceptable.

4. 3 garages
5. I am considering that, I have one elderly lady who uses her space for storage and no car.
6. previous tenant also had an issue, so that is when I drew the 1 line. I don’t know if the tenant before that had a problem.
7. so the question is what can I do to get tenant B to park better?

 

[justalayman]

This is a rent controlled unit, and her lease was grandfathered by the previous Landlord; but i currently make sure the tenant agrees and understands the limitations to the parking spot. ( just like some public parking spaces limiting themselves to Compact cars )

but i investigated and found that even a Lincoln Town Car width is 78.2 inches

ans that would leave how much in each persons space? Like 8 1/2 inches on each side. Heck, the doors are nearly that thick, so you couldn;t even open the door far enough to get out.

I think you are the problems here. That is not an adequate space for 2 cars.

Especially since it is rent controlled, have you checked with the rental authority in your area about requirements for a parking space??

 

[sefnfot]

ans that would leave how much in each persons space? Like 8 1/2 inches on each side. Heck, the doors are nearly that thick, so you couldn;t even open the door far enough to get out.

I think you are the problems here. That is not an adequate space for 2 cars.

Especially since it is rent controlled, have you checked with the rental authority in your area about requirements for a parking space??

That is the nature of these old Multi-family buildings/ we're limited by grandfathered zoning rules. true it is not a luxury brand new condo built to today's overabundant regulated standards. that is why they pay 1500 instead of 10,000 per month for rent.

http://www.westsiderentals.com/listingdetail.cfm?id=534040&l=srch

I see it as a problem with Tenant B because if she parked he car in the alloted space then tenant A would not have a problem. So i am looking for suggestions on how to get Tenant B to cooperate.

 

[CA LL]

Seems to me the building was originally six units and two units were later added because even going back to the 40's..there had to be a parking space for each unit more than likely.

Where are you quoting the May 1999 thing from? YOUR city building ordinance? Otherwise it is meaningless.

It is not tenant B that is the problem.

It is the structure..you even admit the prior tenant had issues too.

As pointed out..8" is not enough to even open a door let alone get out.

You had best move people around and hope no one calls your local building code folks..as they might find fault with the place from long ago.

Often times these older buildings..owners ASS U ME the add ons and/or conditions are legal when they buy them. Only to learn that work, adds, or even original construction in some wild cases was NOT done to code.

The garage space is too narrow for two modern vehicles. You'd best try to move one of them in with the lady who doesn't have a car's garage.

How the building could have eight units and only six parking spaces is beyond me. Even the very old code requied 1/1 for RESIDENTIAL.

 

[Cvillecpm]

Why are you even INVOLVED in this? The residents should be talking to each other to solve the problem.

If they are both "professional" women, they should have the intelligence and where-with-all to solve the problem themselves.

 

[sefnfot]

Why are you even INVOLVED in this? The residents should be talking to each other to solve the problem.

If they are both "professional" women, they should have the intelligence and where-with-all to solve the problem themselves.

Because it is a new tenant.

 

[Cvillecpm]

Suggest new tenant to talk to old tenant and they work out their differences between themselves which may or may not involve hanging a tennis ball from ceiling of old tenant's space so that the middle of the hood of her car lines up with the ball so she knows that new tenant has enough room to park and exit her vehicle....

 

[CA LL]

Tenant's talking is not going to fix the REAL problem.

The previous tenants also had issues with this supposed double garage.

I'm all for having tenants work it out among themselves when it is POSSIBLE but it is not.

Switch one tenant to share with lady that does not have a *EDIT* car.

End of problem though only FOR NOW because if/when THAT lady moves you'll have the issue again.

What is someone rents from you with a Hummer or large SUV?

Eight units and only six spaces..and those six spaces are not large enough for even modest modern day cars.

 

[sefnfot]

What is someone rents from you with a Hummer or large SUV?

Eight units and only six spaces..and those six spaces are not large enough for even modest modern day cars.

There is a Right AID with narrow parking nearby; I'll measure one of their spaces. But anyway I will make sure that new tenants agree not to get Large cars. LL's have a right to limit the size permitted to park in their garages.

Street parking used to be calculated as residency parking allotments. So having 6 in-garage parking and 2 street parking for each address = 8 parking places, as far as city planning goes.