Curb Cuts Still Legal?
On the subject of curb cuts, I was wondering if curb cuts in front of what used to be driveways/garages, but now have been converted (i.e. Carriage houses, where the garages are no longer used and they clearly have just a doorway), are still legal? There are all of these houses in my neighborhood who…
On the subject of curb cuts, I was wondering if curb cuts in front of what used to be driveways/garages, but now have been converted (i.e. Carriage houses, where the garages are no longer used and they clearly have just a doorway), are still legal? There are all of these houses in my neighborhood who post “NO PARKING” signs in front of their inactive curb cuts (basically reserving a private parking space for themselves, or a clear view or whatever). It’s a major pet peeve, as it’s hard for everyone to find parking and they just take away more spaces. Is there anything to do about this? During the recent snowstorms, this was even more of an issue….
There is a similar situation on 7th Street, it used to be a truck garage, now its converted into apartments. There are street signs that read no parking 8-6 M-F, this is because it was a commercial garage. Now the new owner put “No Parking” signs on the garage, but as far as im concerned I will park there after 6pm and on weekends until the street sign comes down. If they have a new CO for the building conversion and the garage can be used for residential purposes then the city street signs should come down. Till then, im going to keep parking there…
Just because a garage/driveway sits idle, is used for storage, or any other non-occupancy purpose, and the owner chooses to park at the curb instead does not mean it is not a legal driveway or is a driveway to nowhere. All legal curb cuts/driveways that are registered are legit. Buy your own and stop whining or just stop whining. If you had one, you would be arguing the counter point.
On the livable occupancy space, you are assuming that the space was legally converted for occupancy in the first place. It would make sense that you cannot have both. That you can check on and rat out your neighbors for. It’s what Park Slopers do now!
This is interesting. If there is no room for a car because the space is now used for living, then how can it still be a legal driveway? You would think that once the driveway/car space is converted to living that it could no longer be considered a driveway. right?
Jock is right, as a matter of the law, it all has to do whether there’s still a driveway or not. The curb cut itself is irrelevant. If there’s a driveway, it’s against the law to block it unless you’re the owner, or momentarily to pick up/let off passengers.
I suppose you could take your chances and park there, and if the owner convinced the police to ticket, you could fight it and argue that a driveway to nowhere is not really a driveway at all. In the scheme of things, most people would probably find something better to do with their time. 🙂
If it’s legal there is unfortunately nothing you can really do.
I find this annoying too, a private parking spot on a public street.
It was more of an issue as there were very few parking spaces, given the mounds of snow and ice-bound cars. These spaces have “No Parking” signs for absolutely no reason, given that they are NOT used as driveways, so it basically further removed available parking (or reserved it for the building occupant). There are many of these buildings–carriage house doors that are just that, doorways, and garages that have been converted into other uses, so they don’t need the space clear of cars in front. I don’t think a private parking space on the street is ethical, even if the cut initially is legal, and I find it pretty crazy that the occupants can get tickets issued, as someone wrote above.
How was it more of an issue during the snow storm?
I have a friend who used to always get tickets for parking in front of an illegal curb cut that had flowers in yard. The lady would call cops to write tickets for anyone who parked in front of it. It’s basically a curb cut with absolutely no driveway or space to park a car. He has received hundreds of dollars worth of tickets since he’s lived there, and I keep telling him to sue her.