Before buying a condo unit plus parking, check the deed
Limited Common Elements vs Assigned Parking vs Deeded Parking
No parking space. Those were the three words that made me immediately ignore any condo unit option that my Realtor told me about. For prospective homeowners in high-traffic areas, spending anywhere from five minutes to 45 minutes looking for parking each day is an absolute drag. Even after the initial move-in, bringing in groceries, laundry or other heavy items are mind-numbingly annoying. I tried owning a car on Chicago’s North Side without a designated parking space. It was awful. I vowed to never do it again.
I ran into an unexpected obstacle that became 17 days of chaos—both a condo board member and a new property manager are purposely blocking me from renting my own Limited Common Element parking spot.
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For four years straight, after buying a condominium unit, I easily drove into my parking space and went about my day. However, this month, my beloved car of 15 years fell apart all at once. First it was the air conditioner. Then the exhaust system. Then the brakes started to wear. Then the “Check Engine” light came on, followed shortly after by something I’d already experienced as a teenager — the transmission was about to fail. (A car trying to go in reverse while you’re accelerating forward leaves a lasting impression.)
Recommended Read: “Managing your contractors, property managers included ~ Why being an authorized user has such a major responsibility”
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I tapped out, finally giving in to one of a few offers I received via Craigslist, Car Brain and neighborhood dealerships. I fought back the saddest sigh to see my fully paid off car go off onto a tow truck, thinking of how gleeful I was when I got a letter in the mail with a title transfer. Good times.
Instead of heading to a dealership to buy a new car, I decided to rent my parking spot to save funds on a down payment. I found a client, negotiated an annual contract and was all set to get a permanent sticker for him. However, I ran into an unexpected obstacle that has become 17 days of chaos (and counting) — both a condo board member and a new “property manager” are purposely blocking me from renting my own Limited Common Element parking spot.