Open car parking spaces in Indian Residential complexes. Simple points to keep in mind while (not) buying one

For our earlier article on car parking spaces and what works best, please click here.
We have seen a lot of home buyers dissatisfied with their home ownership experience in India because of the glitches associated with their car parking space. There are essentially two kinds of car parking spaces sold by the builder along with the apartment. The open and the covered car parking types. If you read the link above, which takes you to another article, you should be convinced that a covered car parking space is the way to go even if you think your budget is stretched! Right now, let us take a closer look at open car parking spaces in Indian residential complexes.

Ideally an open car parking space points to a designated, non constructed area which is earmarked within the project compound to park vehicles. This area should have wide access to and from the main driveway that spans the entire residential complex and connects the various blocks. It should be secure, safe and marked clearly to maintain distance between parked vehicles (plus enough space for doors to open without putting a dent on the other dude's car). That is the 'ideal' situation. An Open car parking space should not;

1) Be a yellow lined box drawn and numbered along the driveway of the residential complex! The builder could argue that there is enough space for another car to drive past comfortably but in the event of a fire, an emergency evacuation or a medical emergency, fire tenders and ambulance movements could be jeopardized. This could seriously endanger human lives, including your family's. Before you buy that open car parking space, ensure that it is not an irresponsible decision.

2) Be a white lined box drawn right beside the building stilts (columns/ pillars) blocking off the entries and exits points of the covered car parks. Builders can point to a common entry and exit point into the covered car parking spaces and draw out a driveway for covered car parking owners to park their cars but most of the time, these driveways are not suitable for anything larger than an A segment hatchback. (Think Alto, i10, Beat etc.) Anything larger than that and the car is going to get one scratch a day trying to navigate the maze of pillars! So, you, as an open car park owner of that space is messing up life for the guy who has paid more and has probably booked his home way before you.

3) Be a green lined box drawn in open, hard surfaced areas that are used by children to play or serve as makeshift areas for annual functions, religious ceremonies or open air community gatherings. Remember, every inch of land in the apartment complex is co owned by all the residents. They have a right to such recreational spaces. Do not buy an open car parking space which is carved out of such a designated space. Your children may be using it to play, bond and grow up there too.

The legal stand on selling open car parks is unclear to us. Even if there are laws against it, most developers we have come across use a paint brush and a measuring tape to create and sell open car parks carved out of such areas. You, as a buyer of such an open car parking space encourages them. Take a stand. Make your point clear. If you are not buying, such spaces will not be marked and sold. Quite simple, isn't it? Rent a garage. Be a good dude among your peers in the community. We need people like you.