PARKING IN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS?
NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS!

An Opinion By Jan Bergemann

Published November 3, 2026

Lawsuits over lawsuits – and lots of them are about parking. It’s amazing how much money attorneys are making by representing parties in parking issues.

Not a week goes by without the media reporting about another lawsuit being filed because an owner parked in his driveway, parked a pick-up truck outside or parked a car or SUV with a company logo in plain sight. And even police cars are targets of prosecution by board members or managers.

The Florida Legislature made lots of attempts to create parking rules in the community association statutes, but it often seems to me that board members, community association managers and even attorneys have a serious problem interpreting the statutes.

And even after the Legislature passed in 2024 the so-called First Responders Vehicle Bill (FS 720.318) we have seen boards and managers “fighting” with law enforcement officers about their right to park their marked vehicle on their driveway.

Parking Pick-Ups and SUVs with company logos seems to be always a hot topic. Despite lots of Appeals Court rulings (see COURT OPINIONS) we still see lawsuits filed disputing owners’ rights. I often get e-mails asking about parking of vehicles in community associations. I always refer these folks to the EDUCATION PAGES on our website – see PICK-UP – PARKING. I think that the statutes are pretty clear and explain in detail how parking should be handled. But that doesn’t seem to stop some overeager board members from starting costly legal fights.

The fight over parking of cars in condominiums is totally different. Since “ELECTRICAL VEHICLES” came into fashion, fights started over loading stations. Since some electrical vehicles have a tendency to burst into flames and these fires are pretty difficult to extinguish, condo associations require owners of e-cars with parking places in the underground garages to have not only their loading stations connected to their private electro circuit, but as well to have a liability insurance policy to cover any damages caused by their car or loading station starting a fire. And that could get quite expensive for these owners.

Let’s be honest: Parking your vehicle in community associations is pretty tricky!

What do you think about these parking problems?