Squeezed out

@butterflyness2006 said:
I want to know what I can do about this tenant I share an open double garage, he has one side I have the other. He has a very large ute type truck and when he parks it in the garage I have extreme difficulty getting my car in and out as there is a fence directly opposite the garages. He can’t possibly park it any further back than he already has as he keeps bikes and things at the back of his spot. Is there anything I can do about this. It is very difficult to determine if it is common property he is technically parking part of his ute on as the garages are under the units.

Have you tried talking to him about it?

Can you suggest anywhere else the bikes could live so there is a bit more room?  He may not have realised how difficult it is for you if you do not say anything.

If he does not care, and you are both tenants, why not ask your owner if you can measure up and paint a line down the middle?

If you are the Owner, what does your Title Deed say how much garage space belongs to your dwelling?

If he can not park in the garage, will he park on common property and maybe deliberately block you?

We have some parking issues of our own at the moment and consequently I happen to have read the Australian Standards on parking spaces. Generally spaces are 5.4m long so if he is sticking out further than that from the other end of the space it is probably not what was intended/designed. Depending on the width of spaces there is also an ‘aisle’ width required. Is the fence a later addition? Perhaps the aisle in which you have to turn and drive in and out is too narrow for the parking space width. Also, if you are the end of a row there should be an extra allowance on the end of the aisle (a shallow bay) or in the width of the space.

If this person has a longer vehicle he might not want to swap if yours is the harder space to get out of. On the other hand, perhaps you could let him have the bikes on your side so he can park further in but still have the bikes somewhere safe?

Is there enough width to have the bikes on the side?

The Unit Plan is the definitive document to show the parking space size and if he is not entirely in the parking space you have something then to go on for a complaint. Executive committee members or the managing agent should have a copy of the plan.