Unexpectedly charged parking lot infuriated residents – expert warns that this could happen to many

No more where to park your car for free

When buying an apartment, a big advantage becomes the apartment building next to the common parking lot. In this case, the buyer cannot buy the car space sold by the developer and leave his vehicle in the common parking lot. However, it may happen that the sharing site is recorded by its owner.

Akvilė, a Delfi Būstas reader, talks about such a headache. The woman says she found her car in a paid parking lot one morning.

“In Vilnius, Žalgirio str. In the courtyard of 92 commercial and residential houses, incomprehensible repair work began one day in April, at the entrances on both sides. At that time, it seemed to me that perhaps he was handling blocks or some kind After maybe a couple of weeks, it became clear that barriers were being built with a “cash register” for payment, “writes the reader, adding that residents asked UAB house manager Ozo miestas for the problem mentioned above, but received no help.

Reader David shares a similar story about the parking tax regime. The guy says he could park his car for free near the house in the central part of Vilnius for a short time.

“The Vilnius City Municipality simply charged for parking spaces. Now to park a car, we have to pay an annual fee, to buy a parking permit,” says David.

The site is owned by a private company.

These two reader stories, while similar, are different. In the first case, at the house where L’Aquila lives, residents had the opportunity to buy a parking space or park a car in a shared parking lot for some time. Delfi Būstas discovered that the site located on Žalgirio str. 92, do not belong to the population. The barriers are installed in a site owned by UAB Vadula, next to the BH92 business center managed by the real estate company Inreal. UAB Vadula is a business owner and also owns a business center. UAB Vadula has signed an agreement with Inreal Valdymas for the provision of management services. According to Agnius Tamošaitis, head of Inreal Valdymas’ real estate management department, the decision to block the site was made due to complaints from business center tenants that they do not have space to park their cars.

“Automatic parking barriers with number scanning are installed near the residential-commercial complex Žalgirio str. 92, on the site owned by UAB Vadula. The installation of barriers has been agreed with all the coordinating bodies that issue consents for the installation of such barriers. The administrator of the residential part of the building, UAB Ozo miestas, was also notified of the work in progress. It was decided to install automatic barriers, as there is a lot of construction in the surrounding areas, with employees parking cars in the surrounding parking lots. Due to the increased occupation of the parking lots, it has become difficult to park the car for the tenants of our business center “BH92”, for whose convenience automatic barriers with number scanning have been installed. I would like to emphasize that this barrier system allows up to 30 minutes to be released. use the parking lot for all arrivals, both postal mail, food vendors and residents who can approach and unload or put items in cars, “says the company’s response.

Promote sustainable mobility.

As already mentioned, the apartment building on Žalgirio street is managed by UAB Ozo miestas. The house manager, Algis Seniūnas, told Delfi Būstas that the information on who owns the parking lot is published in the Registration Center.

“I can’t answer who I thought, but the documents show who owns the lot is not entirely new information. Right before it was banned, residents used it. We started running this apartment not too long ago, so we didn’t we have the information that no one knows. Maybe the builder reported, maybe not, “says A. Seniūnas.

According to the interlocutor, the information on the site was provided to residents to the extent that it does not contradict the protection of personal data. A. Seniūnas emphasizes that the site is managed by its owner in accordance with the established procedure.

The apartment building itself, located on Žalgirio Street, is for commercial and residential purposes. As Delfi Būstas informed the Vilnius City Municipality, the main purpose of the building is residential (three and more apartments, apartment buildings). By purchasing an apartment there, residents can also purchase a parking space in the garage. The Vilnius City Municipality Administration reports that according to the Real Estate Registry, the parcel of land on Žalgirio str. 92 belongs to the Republic of Lithuania by property right, the parcel of land is managed by the National Land Service under the Ministry of Agriculture for the right of trust, and by a legal person under a lease.

“The municipal administration did not issue permits for the installation of technical traffic regulation measures (levers and stakes) on Žalgirio str. 92, since the permission of the Municipal Administration is not required in this case. The Highway Police Board of the Vilna County Chief Police Station indicated this in 2019. December 19 coordinated project to install technical means of traffic regulation (lift levers and posts) Žalgirio str. 92 “, – affirms the response of the municipality.

Delfi Būstas also asked municipalities what to do for residents who have houses in the old town and pay for parking lots near their homes. According to the Transportation Services Association’s response, residents who have declared their place of residence in a residential or recreational location for 2017 Dec. 31 can obtain preferential parking permits at a registered location within toll zones. For example, the fee for an annual permit in the green zone is only 7.20 euros.

The answer goes on to say that since January 1. On many Vilnius streets, the boundaries of the toll booths have changed. When the maximum parking occupancy exceeds 85% during peak hours, such parking naturally no longer serves its primary function, and parking is chaotic. About a fifth of car traffic in the capital’s old town is made up of drivers looking for space for a car.

“The goal of introducing a local toll is to maintain an even distribution of parked cars and to encourage drivers to choose more than just cars to travel. Basically, with the changes in toll zones, our goal is not only to regulate flows traffic, messy parking at entrances to downtown and other places in the city, but also provide more space for pedestrians, cyclists, reduce noise levels in the city, air pollution, personal transport, promote travel modes alternatives, the objectives of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, “the letter reads.

It is advisable to find out how many parking spaces are allowed.

Residents, especially Vilnius residents, often face problems parking a car near their home. According to the head of the Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association, Mindaugas Statulevičius, before buying a home, the buyer should be interested in parking opportunities in each district. According to the interlocutor, Vilnius is divided into zones according to the coefficients established for the number of parking spaces, which are valid for new construction projects. They establish minimum requirements for parking spaces. Of course, the builder can also install more parking spaces.

“Developers, when they build apartment buildings or administrative buildings in different parts of the city, know that they have a different amount of parking spaces. That is, the closer the center is built, the fewer parking spaces need to be installed. For example, one apartment in the old town has half a parking space, in other words, two apartments have one parking space. When building in Naujamiestis, Šnipiškės, Žirmūnai, etc. – 0.75, the rest of the city: a place for an apartment. Before buying, you need to find out what parking rule applies, so there are no misunderstandings later, “says M. Statulevičius.

The interviewee goes on to say that while these are minimum parking requirements, developers generally try not to stray too far from them. Of course, there are projects, usually more luxurious, where the developer installs more parking spaces.

“In fact, people don’t buy those parking spaces that are being built. They are looking for cheaper alternatives, maybe to park somewhere on the street, to get a resident parking permit if the house is in the area city ​​center. And people don’t buy underground parking. But houses are being sold again, other needs arise and conflicts arise that residents have no place to build, “says the specialist.

Ask to change the car to other alternatives.

Residents of old apartment buildings also face the parking problem. According to M. Statulevičius, at the time the old neighborhoods were built, there was no need for a large number of parking spaces, but now, when the situation has drastically changed, people have to look for other alternatives for parking when they are no longer. fit in the common parking lot.

“People have more than one car, families are growing, and the need for cars has increased. It is somewhat customary to build on a busy parcel of land in a green area, etc., but those opportunities are decreasing, as the vacant space in the city is also declining. Plots are planned, buildings are being built there, there may be schools and kindergartens, there may be multi-storey parking projects, the same apartment buildings. These are just those areas that used to be abandoned and are now urbanized ”, explains the interlocutor.

Continues, a great example of such a process is Šnipiškės, where construction did not take place for a long time, there were plots where parking lots were excavated.

“Now parcels are forming there, paid parking lots are showing up, it’s becoming unusual for people.” And conflicts arise ”, adds M. Statulevičius.

The interlocutor assures that he realizes that initially the residents do not buy a parking space, they look for alternatives, and later, when the need arises, the developer can no longer offer free parking spaces.

“Initially, people don’t buy parking spaces, the developer doesn’t sell those parking spaces. So what does a developer do? You can rent or sell those parking spaces to those who need them, for example there are offices or other facilities nearby .Conclude contracts and lease those places. And when the person returns again, the developer no longer has anything to offer. And conflicts arise, “explains the specialist.

M. Statulevičius points out that conflicts and problems related to parking at home would be avoided not only by paying more attention to this aspect when buying a home, but also by changing the mindset of the population. The LNTPA chief emphasizes that Vilnius, like the world’s main cities, should abandon cars as much as possible and use other transport alternatives: public transport, bicycles, etc.

“When living in the city, it will not be the case that there are apartments with two parking spaces. It is a great luxury to have a parking space in New York, as well as in Singapore, Copenhagen. They charge a very high price for having a car. It is necessary change the mindset and offer alternatives to the municipality, such as non-motorized movement, public transport, hiking routes. The distance to the nearest public transport should be about 300 to 400 meters. This is the limit that is established internationally, because if it continues , it is difficult for a person to go and use individual transport with greater comfort ”, emphasizes M. Statulevičius.

According to the interlocutor, Vilnius must become an example of sustainable mobility. This will not only save the environment and reduce air pollution, but also, in some cases, prevent parking conflicts.