ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Residents and outside workers say strict parking rules at some HOA properties are catching people off guard, leading to the possibility of steep fines or towing fees.
The owner of a local cleaning company told News4JAX that one of her employees recently had her vehicle towed without warning while she was inside a client’s home at the Brandon Lakes Townhomes in St. Augustine.
‘No warnings’
When we visited the property, News4JAX found that Brandon Lakes Townhomes does have a tow-away sign near the front entrance.
But Melissa Kress, owner of Pure Coastal Cleaners, said the problem was what happened deeper inside the community.
Kress said one of her cleaners, Alisa Scott, parked in what appeared to be an available spot while cleaning a home.
“There’s no warnings; there’s no signs,” Kress said.
Scott told News4JAX that she regularly cleans a home in the community, and she had parked as she normally would.
“I found an available spot… and I just backed in,” Scott said.
But when she finished around 12:30 p.m., she came out to find her car gone.
“I assumed your car had to be here 24 to 48 hours before they even tow it,” Kress said. “(But) 3½ hours?”
Scott said she contacted the homeowner immediately and was told there was a new policy related to parking, and backing into spaces is not allowed.
Getting the car back
Scott said she called the towing company, Cheshire Towing, and was asked to confirm the vehicle, which she was told would be released to her for a $500 fee.
But Scott said that after her husband called to dispute the hefty price tag, over what Scott said was a misunderstanding, the fee was reduced to $250.
Scott said once Kress, her boss, became involved, the towing company agreed to release the vehicle for $125.
Kress said she footed that bill.
But the incident sparked a fierce debate within the community about the rules and how they’re enforced.
So News4JAX went to the management company to get answers.
Parking rules
A representative from Alsop Property Management Group, which manages the Brandon Lakes Townhomes, said homeowners have been notified of the new parking rules by email and paper notice.
They can also access the documents through an online portal.
As far as public signage to ensure outside vendors know about the rules, the Alsop representative said the parking rules are now posted on the community mailboxes.
Although the rep indicated that, at the time of the incident with the cleaner, the rules had not yet been publicly posted in the area where vendors could easily see them.
But ultimately, the rep said, it falls on the homeowner to communicate any rule changes to guests or outside workers coming onto the property.
“As far as letting a vendor know… that’s really up to the owner who has those people come in,” the representative said, since the HOA and management company might not know when outside workers are arriving.
The Alsop rep said they are not aware of any plans to install official signs throughout the community, but again said the parking rules will be posted on mailboxes “for all to see.”
By the time of this publication, the Brandon Lakes HOA had not returned a voicemail from News4JAX asking for comment on the incident.
For now, the incident serves as a notice for anyone visiting a neighborhood with an HOA to ask the homeowner about parking rules, including restrictions on where to park, how long you can park and whether backing into a space is allowed.