Apt newly parking notices

[treesprite]

The management at the place where I live usually doesn't enforce parking , and is very slack about even issuing the required parking permits, so most tenants don't have them. They ignored me when I emailed about the van (offce is closed due to covid, except by appt), so I put an old temporary one in it, since no one checks the dates anyway. 

Well, the other day they posted purple notices all over the building, and the notices say no vans or trucks that "look like" work vehicles (there are a lot of white cargo vans with equipment on them), and no recreational vehicles.  So, although they gave me a.temporary permit yesterday (left in an envelope on the apt door), I'm worried they will either not give me a permanent one, or will tow away even with a permit on it.

It's blue, and has no logos or equipment, just a standard size e150, so maybe they won't think of it as looking like a work van. But I need to put in a roof vent, and panels, and stuff that might make it look enough like a recreational vehicle for them to refuse to give me a permanent sticker permit.

Surely there must be ways of installing these things that make them not quite so noticeable. Any ideas?

I really don't like how apartments have these rules against people who pay rent. They are getting the same amount of money whether someone parks a Prius or a van that fits in a single space.

 

[bullfrog]

If you have a regular passenger vehicle license plate as opposed to a commercial or recreational vehicle license plate I think they would have a hard time enforcing the rule as it doesn’t apply to your van. Depending on what state you are in it takes a lot more than a roof vent or solar panels to make your vehicle legally a recreational vehicle. Also unless you have a business advertised or commercial plate on it a commercial vehicle.

 

[maki2]

You are pretty much stuck with following their rules as long as you are there. Roof vent can wait to be installed later. You could even cut the hole now and secure a temporary plate over the opening that is sized for the roof vent you plan to use. Dont know what kind of panels you are talking about but if it is a cargo van without windows how would they know what you have inside of it.

So basically your landlord is forcing you to be stealthy. In the long run that is likely to work to your great advantage if you are going to sleep in urban areas. Sometimes getting through the initial frustration and shock means looking for the silver lining, in this case you will end up with a terrific, urban, ateath setup. Just go with the flow and get to it..

 

[treesprite]

So ironically, when I got home from work and went to put the temporary permits on the van and old 98 Camry my family member uses, I discovered the Camry gone. That's some scam there - don't give people current permits, then tow the cars for not having current permits. The tow place won't release the car because I lost the title, and it will take weeks to get a replacement, by which time the tow place charges will surpass the value of the car. They can keep it.

I actually have a need for the van to note to management, I just didn't realize it. I should have, so I feel stupid. My family member recently has been having to use grocery store power scooters when shopping, because of a condition she has that has been severe lately. It is a fact that if she ends up eventually having to get a personal scooter, we will need a van to transport it. I didn't tell management why I got the van, I told them that if (family member name) needs a wheelchair, we have the van to transport it.

I sometimes have to transport clients in wheelchair vans, and have been doing it for a decade, so I feel kind of lame for not having considered that purpose when getting the van. Now I'll have to make sure that whatever I do with the conversion, it can easily be changed to accommodate a mobility device. Would just have to take out what is currently planned as a convertible dinette bed, which still leaves the narrow bed that is already in the design.

It makes sense that a van that may need to transport a sick person with a powered mobility device, would have extra ventilation and an extra power source (solar panels). I hope my family member never gets to that point, at least not any time soon (condition is incurable, but can be better controlled), but it's good to know we will have the vehicle already.

 

[Uncle Todo]

A lot of HOA's are like that as well I believe.
Although typically around here in my area I've only seen trucks/vans with commercial bodies being considered commercial, regular standard were fine.
By commercial body I mean one of these backs that has all the doors/compartments and very much looks like a work vehicle.

Along with explaining your need, you may want to get details on what exactly they consider a commercial vehicle, and maybe RV too if that's what they try to get you on next.

That sucks on the towing, I worked at a tow company a few years ago and dealt with many impounds. We're near a major university and many impounds were out of state students that had their parents car. W/o their name being on the title, their parents had to come get the vehicle out.
But I've seen parking lot tows too that are BS and then vehicle sits until the cost to get out is more than vehicles worth.
They towed it for not having a permit?
Had you requested one?

 

[bullfrog]

Just put on a folding hitch mount cargo carrier and a handicap sticker. They are pretty cheap when on sale at Harbor Freight.

 

[DLTooley]

If you’ve been a good tenant they should accommodate you. If not consider moving into the van, short or long term.

Do realize that property management does have reasonable concerns. It sounds like they let things get out of hand. The prohibition on work vehicles is not a wise decision. Help them to figure out how to do it, if they can’t consider moving into the van.

If you get the sense that they are being malicious move any way.

 

[Freelander]

Another is a lot of Apartments are owned by Corporations that are located in another city or state, so what they do with one Apartment Complex they do with all of them.

They have had a problems with parking at other places and now have a Corporate wide policy.

 

[treesprite]

They towed it for not having a permit?
Had you requested one?

The van and the Camry both had temporary permits in them with expired dates, and the one in the van was actually from another car. Based on the manager's email today, I believe I was towed because they believe my registration was expired when it is not. There are plenty of other cars that have not been towed for no, or expired, permits, and she said in her email that she issued the temporary permits to give time to resolve the registration issue (but the car was towed the same night or maybe before I got the permit). The complication is that there is a governor order that no registrations and licenses are considered expired until 30 days after the state of emergency has ended, and that order is accompanied by a ban on towing cars for registration issues. The plan was/is to sign the car over to a family member, so I'm taking advantage of the governor's order while I try to find the title. I'm waiting to get a written/email answer from the manager clarifying whether the car actually was towed due to the registration, before I contact the tow place. The manager tried to call me today, but I'm not having a verbal discussion that can't be proven.

I don't have a hitch on the van. I wanted originally to have one so I could take along my car without a driver, but I think it will be too much weight for an e150 full of stuff. Then I've been considering  using a hitched cargo shelf, which maybe I'll end up doing, but won't that keep me from using the rear doors?

 

[Uncle Todo]

If the manager isn't willing to work with you, you may look for and contact either your county or state tenant affairs office.
If it's under order for registration leniency then it shouldn't have been towed.

Be sure to explain that as well to the management.
Impound fee's get expensive quick, and if it was improperly impounded the management company should pay to get it out.

 

[treesprite]

The instructions from the state attorney general is to contact the county consumer protection agency if the tow was from private property (public property tow complaints go to the county towing board). So, I went ahead and sent an email to consumer protection agency. Hopefully I'll hear from them tomorrow. If the landlord is held responsible, it won't matter to me  how high the charges go. If not, I'm just going to forfeit the car.

What would be the usual reasons for camper vans and RVs to get towed against the owner's will? That must be a nightmare for people who live in them full time and have no other vehicles.

 

[jacqueg]

The instructions from the state attorney general is to contact the county consumer protection agency if the tow was from private property (public property tow complaints go to the county towing board). So, I went ahead and sent an email to consumer protection agency. Hopefully I'll hear from them tomorrow. If the landlord is held responsible, it won't matter to me  how high the charges go. If not, I'm just going to forfeit the car.

What would be the usual reasons for camper vans and RVs to get towed against the owner's will? That must be a nightmare for people who live in them full time and have no other vehicles.

Parking illegally.

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[treesprite]

I was surprised when I found out that highway rest stops in the states all around me don't let people actually rest for any appreciable amount of time to recover from sleep deprivation on the road. I'm perpetually sleep deprived and driving makes me sleepy, so I stop a lot.

 

[treesprite]

I can't believe it. They are going to have the Camry towed back here ("as a one time courtesy").

 

[Uncle Todo]

Yay, congrats!

 

[treesprite]

I'm wondering if they ever rescind permits due to people changing their vehicles to serve alternative purposes.

Are there roof racks that could hide things like solar panels and roof vents, that won't make a van look commercial or look like an rv?

 

[DLTooley]

Congrats for standing up for yourself!

 

[SLB_SA]

I got a ticket for running a stop sign in a small suburb. I didn't run it, my daughter was with me and will testify and the police video (night, cop was 500 meters away, light sources between us, etc.) and it is just a money trap. I am going to fight it; trial several months away. If you live on the road, how do you deal with these kind of issues? Pay $200 or fight?

 

[bullfrog]

As I was told by a small town mayor/patrol policeman “we give these tickets out with a long off court date because we know it will cost you more to come back to protest it than to pay it.” He was right but I would have probably have gone back after I saw what it cost me in increased insurance fees. Still I did destroy a small town in New Jersey and cost them thousands of dollars and I only got an $86 dollar ticket and a few dollars more on my yearly insurance bill and by paying the ticket it allowed the town to use their insurance to rebuild.

 

[treesprite]

As I was told by a small town mayor/patrol policeman “we give these tickets out with a long off court date because we know it will cost you more to come back to protest it than to pay it.” 

Dang.