Policy / rules
What can I do if strangers use my reserved parking spot?
Your reserved parking spot is your private property and you have a right to order a tow truck to remove cars that violate that property. The association does not order tows out of reserved parking spots on any owners' behalf.
Although you may tow a car, that will cost the violator several hundred dollars and there may be less costly ways to get your point across that you want them to respect your property. It would be kind and polite to stick notes on their cars telling them that they are violating your reserved space and that you may tow them if they do it again.
Keep in mind that if your reserved spot is frequently violated but by different cars that each of these drivers probably deserves a warning of their own. We ask that owners be considerate by only towing cars that are repeat violators that need a stronger message than a note will give. Remember towing one car will not send any message at all to the next violator.
If you are looking for a message to get across to future violators, you may consider purchasing a plastic orange cone that you can put in your parking spot while you're away. It's an inconvenience, but it may be your best option if for some reason your space looks inviting to new strangers.
What do I do if my visitor gets a parking violation for using visitor parking?
Any car that has been observed in visitor parking for more than seven cumulative days may receive a parking violation, consistent with the House Rules parking policy.
If you feel your frequent visitor is an exception to the parking policy and should be allowed to use visitor parking beyond the seven day limit, you may submit a service request that includes the license plate of your visitor and your explanation for the exception you are asking for.
Common reasons the Board may approve an exception request include:
- The vehicle belongs to a frequent baby-sitter.
- A semi-frequent guest who uses visitor parking for only a few hours at a time, but happens to coincide with parking enforcement inspections.
Keep in mind that until any exception request is approved by the Board, your guest should follow the parking policy and any warnings given on a violation notice he/she may have already received to avoid having his/her vehicle towed or booted.
Why can't my visitor use visitor parking?
The board may reject an exception request in order to be fair and equitable to all members of the Esplanade community and to keep in compliance with House Rules. The most common reasons include:
- The vehicle belongs to a resident of the Esplanade and is not a visitor. This includes a tenant of a rental unit who has more cars than the owner has reserved parking available for that unit.
- The vehicle belongs to someone who could be said to be a part-time resident at the Esplanade by frequently staying overnight. To allow this kind of "visitor" to use visitor parking would grant them undue privileges that residents themselves are denied.
Visitor parking at the Esplanade makes up only 9% of our total parking and is therefore minimal. In order to provide adequate visitor parking for the guests of 168 units, no unit's visitors are permitted to occupy visitor parking for times untypical for the occasional visitor.
The Board has adopted this parking policy in order to maximize the benefit of visitor parking for as many visitors as possible.
Why is the pool only opened from Memorial Day to Labor Day?
We have to maintain a city permit in order to maintain an Association pool. The permits define the period during the year that the pool can be open. A year-round pool permit would require a much larger expense on the Association budget (read: higher dues).
Home maintenance
What do I need to know about my water heater?
Water heaters in most units are old and should be replaced. This is discussed in the home owner manual distributed at time of purchase. Home owners are responsible for any and all leaks and subsequent damages to their own and others' units caused by a leaking water heater.