When Realsupergirl and I bought our home, a key selling feature was the deeded parking space. After years of parking on the street just outside Harvard Square, having a spot all our own (and a condo management company to shovel the snow out of it) was a beautiful thing.
As you can imagine, when you buy a home, there’s lots to do, and changing the address on the car registration so you can stand in line at City Hall to get a neighborhood parking sticker isn’t on the top of that list. And it doesn’t have to be if your new home comes with deeded off-street parking.
So, one day, before we’ve officially moved in, I drive to the new condo to hang out for painters, floor refinishers or tub re-glazers, and my spot’s been taken. I decide to be nice: I park on the street and leave a note on the car letting them know that we’ve just purchased the property that holds the deed to that spot, and that in the future, they’ll need to park elsewhere. I could of had them towed, but that seemed harsh. Unfortunately, during the course of my stay in the condo, I received a ticket for not having a neighborhood parking sticker. So, I replace the note on the car that is STILL in my spot with one that informs them that because I didn’t have them towed, I received a parking ticket. The cost of the parking ticket is far smaller than the cost they would have incurred if I had excercized my right to tow them, and I expect them to pay the parking ticket (which I leave with the note). I know there’s a pretty good chance that they won’t pay my parking ticket, but I dearly want to beleive that people dont’ suck, and that they can be polite and responsible. And, of course, they never paid the ticket.
As a result, I am thuroughly un-hesitent to tow a car parked in our spot. Which happened today.
And it’s all because one neighbor (or their guest) had to go and ruin it for everyone.
