How To Complain If Someone Is Parked In Your Residential Disabled Parking Place

Dr Handicap - parking outside house

One of the main benefits of owning a disabled parking permit is your ability to get close and convenient access to the locations you frequent. This advantage should extend to your own residence too, but there are some circumstances that make parking close to your front door difficult. Perhaps you only have street parking in front of your home, so it’s challenging to find a place close to your residence. If this is the case, there are steps you can take to get a residential disabled parking permit and a designated handicap parking place to give you better access to your residence. Here are some ideas on how to get this type of parking place and what to do if someone else is parked in your designated parking spot.

It’s a fairly straightforward process to get a disabled parking permit. You can get an application from your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and fill it out with the help of your physician (who will need to verify that you have a disability that makes a handicap placard necessary). As long as you have a qualifying condition (which can be a number of different medical issues ranging from arthritis and asthma to heart conditions and limited mobility), you’ll be able to get a disabled parking permit. If you need assistance with your application, you can always head to Dr. Handicap to get help obtaining a handicap permit in your state.

Dr. Handicap - parking place faded

Once you have your placard in hand, you might be thinking, “How do I get my residential disabled parking permit?” As long as you have your disabled parking permit, you can apply for a residential parking space outside your home. In most places, this is run through the specific city you live in. You can request a disabled parking space designated outside your home and the city might be able to comply depending on your specific circumstances. Not every city will be able to accommodate, but many do try to help provide these types of spaces for their disabled citizens. Every city’s regulations are different, but most do require you to be a resident at the address in question (and you’ll likely have to provide a rental agreement, property tax bill, etc. to prove residency). Some cities might also have restrictions regarding your garage (basically that you don’t have one, or that your vehicle won’t fit inside because of specific measurements) or your driveway. For example, you could qualify for a handicap space if you don’t have a driveway, if you have a narrow driveway, or if the slope of the driveway makes it difficult for you to get in and out of your vehicle. Many cities will have a city staff member (such as the city manager) come to evaluate your situation and award you with a disabled parking place if possible.

Because the city has to go through some extra steps to honor your residential disabled parking permit and parking place (including actually painting a space or putting up a pole marker), they are often very strict about consequences for any kind of abuse of this privilege. Any violation of the use of a residential disabled parking badge or space means they can revoke the space at any time. It’s important to note that there are sometimes fees attached to getting your own disabled parking place as well; these are often set by the city and can’t be negotiated. Some cities also might require special permits for residents with these types of disabled parking places. To make sure you’re using your handicap space correctly, you need to have the spaced marked clearly for other drivers so that they are made aware the space is designated for you. This means you’re still required to hang up your disabled parking placard when you park your car. The bottom line when going about getting a residential disabled parking space? Talk to your city management to enquire about the exact process your city has for acquiring these, and how to use these types of spaces correctly.

So, how does a residential disabled parking permit work in terms of your neighbors? In some circumstances, another handicap placard holder could park in your designated place (because all disabled drivers have equal access to the space, even if it’s in front of your house). However, there might be some instances when a person parks in your place without a disabled parking permit. There are a few ways you can handle this situation when dealing with someone who has parked illegally.

  • Stay calm and try to avoid getting angry. Having a temper will only make the situation tenser instead of working to solve the problem.
  • Don’t do anything to provoke the person parked in your space. Arguing, shouting, or getting violent in any way will only mean you might end up facing consequences (including possible charges being brought against you if the police are called).
  • If the conflict is starting to escalate, walk away. There’s no point trying to reason with someone who doesn’t want to listen.
  • If possible, explain to the driver why you have the disabled parking place and tell them they’re unable to park there because of your residential disabled parking permit. There’s a good chance they just parked there unknowingly and will be happy to move their car. Giving them a chance to move is the best way to make your point but still be reasonable.
  • As a last resort, you always have the option of calling local authorities. You should definitely do this if there’s any type of confrontation, but this can also be a good option if you’d like to simply make a report that there’s an unauthorized person parking illegally in your residential space.

Having a residential disabled parking space can be a super helpful way to bring more accessibility to your life. To make sure you can take full advantage of your designated parking place, it’s definitely reasonable to complain if you see someone using your space when they shouldn’t be. Make any necessary calls to law enforcement or to your city management for help resolving these types of issues so that you can effectively and safely use your disabled parking permit and parking place.