I have recently become eligible for disability parking. There are disabled parking spaces that have been allocated to units whose owners or occupiers are not disabled and when I requested to allow a car space suitable for disable people, I was told by the strata manager that I will have to personally negotiate with the unitholder who has the disabled car space. What are my options here? – Ramesh, NSW

Q: I have recently become eligible for disability parking after my knee operation which entails me to open my car door fully to get in and out of my car. the space allocated to my unit is a standard car space.

There are disabled parking spaces that have been allocated to units whose owners or occupiers are not disabled and when I requested to allow a car space suitable for disable people, I was told by the strata manager that I will have to personally negotiate with the unitholder who has the disabled car space.

As I understand a certain number of car spaces has to be available for disabled people when the building is approved by the council, so they have the required number of car spaces marked as disable parking spaces but not allocated to disabled people, which makes the mockery of the rules.

What are my options here? Grateful for your advice.

 

A: It may be best to raise this issue as a motion in the next meeting. Contact your owners corporation secretary and let them know you wish to raise a motion on this topic at the next meeting (preferably two weeks before a meeting is held).

This way, the owners corporation can discuss the matter, you’ll be able to voice your concerns, and any decisions that are made will be documented in the meeting minutes and tasks will be delegated to your strata manager.

You may also wish to have a conversation with one of your neighbours who owns a parking space for people with disabilities to work something out. They may own what’s knowns and as adaptable unit meaning they get priority when it comes to using of the parking space, despite it being compatible with disability use.

Finally, if your strata manager doesn’t prove helpful and carry out their duties in helping you with this situation, you may choose to lodge a complaint to the strata management company or take the matter with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).