What to do when a non-permitted vehicle is parked near your apartment/property?

[Winny]

Have you ever dealt with something like this? A person in Cambridge, MA posted on Reddit recently that they are dealing with an issue where a large truck keeps parking in front of their apartment building, taking up to two parking spaces, and even utilizing a driveaway a few streets over without having a valid parking permit. It's also stated that the truck has an out-of-state license plate.

The person wants to know if there is anything they can do, like reporting the situation to the city. It's been an ongoing thing for the past few months now. What would you do in this sort of situation? Have you dealt with anything like this before? If so, how did you go about it?

The post can be viewed here - Reddit.

 

[Jake]

That sounds annoying. If you're dealing with a vehicle that's blocking you, and they don't have a permit to park there, there are some steps you can take to take care of this. Cambridge, MA has the Commonwealth Connector app. I would suggest utilizing that, as it allows you report such issues to the city. You can even report them anonymously if you're worried about that. You can also report other town-wide issues such as; missed trash pickups, potholes, and other issues.

Another step they could take, is to call the city's non-emergency line here - 617-349-3300 if they need to report any such issues. One other option they have is to use the SeeClickFix platform, which has their own app for fast and easy reporting.

I hope this answers yours and this persons question.

 

[mantis]

I'd probably take it up with the landlord, or the building manager, if there is one on site. They'd probably be able to respond to the situation more quickly than the city ever could.

 

[StrictlyUrban]

I doubt I'd give it much thought, unless I needed to park there and the unpermitted car was taking up the space. If that was the case, I'd likely have it towed. Otherwise, I'd just assume the driver was there to visit a resident.

 

[Nomad]

I never have had to deal with such situation but I believe if a non-permitted vehicle is parked near your apartment or property, you should first check with your property management or local authorities for guidance. Or, you can report the vehicle to the appropriate authorities for enforcement action. Avoid direct confrontation with the vehicle owner.

 

[High Voltage]

In my younger days, I would have taken their license plate. Or called the cops and tell them there's suspicious activity stemming from that vehicle.

I would say call the police and tell them the situation.

 

[Overtime]

I'm with Nomad on this one. I'd start by contacting the landlord, especially if it's a professionally run outfit. The landlord won't be happy with that going on. The truck adds pollution to the area and makes the common space look junky, which won't look good to potential renters. Let the landlord handle it.