Can the resident reserve a handicapped spot?

My last post wasn’t fully expressed I guess.
If someone requests a handicapped spot I know I am required per fairhousing to install one, but can the resident reserve a handicapped spot?
Are we required to stop what we’re doing and give her special treatment because a light bulb is out, so go over there immediately?

This is why the office doesn’t tell me in what order I do tickets. First come first serve except for emergencies

We had this issue at a property that had several handicap spots and several people who "claimed" a spot, and then agued when other people with handicap tags "took their spot.:
If you "reserve" or "assign" a handicap spot for one resident, you would then need to assign all the other residents their own handicap spot to stay within fair housing. It's a can of worms you really want to avoid.

That’s actually kinda funny that they took it upon themselves to reserve spaces and then fight about it.

Handicap spots cannot be reserved. They are first come first serve.
No, you are not required to make her work orders priority. It is however your responsibility to address all work orders within 3 days days and prioritize by urgency.

Lauren Scruggs all work orders within three days? This has to be company based?

You are correct, that is our policy to respond to the work order within 3 days. That does not necessarily mean that the repair is completed at that time, but we must act in a “reasonable” amount of time.

How old is your property?
I had a resident ask for handicap parking in front of her building.
We are fairly new and are up to code on ADA and have a spot already in front of her building so we weren’t required to add another one.
They aren’t assigned but there is 2 for each building

Can't reserve them. Anyone with a placard can park in a handicap space, but you can add an additional ada spot by her building. You just can't guarantee no one else with a placard will park there.

And you need to be extremely careful with you signage. “Handicap parking spaces” have to meet ADA requirements, otherwise they can’t have a H/C sign on them.

I know all of this and thank you guy!! I am needing a website with the knowledge so I can direct ownership:)

Jesus Espinoza Its under state law... I believe youre in Texas still? If you are in City of Houston I have a contact with Parking Managenent if needed. State law says that anyone with permission can park in the spaces for an unlimited period of time.

Jesus Espinoza it is very tricky and may be state specific.

You are absolutely NOT required to assign a handicap spot. You can assign regular spots, but handicap are always first come first serve.

You are only required to have a certain number of handicap spots based on total parking spaces

Handicap spaces cannot be marked for a specific resident. Also, service requests depends on their requests for reasonable accommodations. Like AC because they have asthma. Or flashing alarms because they are deaf. Without a request for reasonable accommodations, you’re climbing a very slippery slope.
Talk to your attorney find out what the guidelines are for tour state/city/county IF there are specific as above and beyond the statute.

We had an issue here in Austin where a lady would move the HC sign from space to space when is suited her. She tried to move it under covered spaces and when we finally were able to say "hhhheeeyyy" she went waaaaaaay left on us. She eventually won a settlement against us to make us add a reserved for Apartment #____ and then demanded striped lines next to her vehicle - she did not use any adaptive or assistive devices.... THEN her unauthorized adult daughter would park in the striped areas... it was really, really bad.
Another one in Houston.... same thing. He demanded a reserved HC spot - then he would park under the covered spaces... forced us to employ an entire property wide parking pass system.
Bottom line- just do it. Not worth being sued.

Have them complete a reasonable accommodations request and submit it to risk management and be done with it.

I had an attorney in Washington State tell me the best way to handle is to assign a spot saying reserved for apt -- and if someone asks why that apt gets a reserved spot to say I can not comment has it would be violating their privacy. Dont mention its first a disability as they could turn around and sue you for violating HIPAA laws. He also not to mark it as a handicap placard because anyone with a handicap placard could Park there. I would definitely say to consult your attorney for guidance but we had to reserve the closest spot to her unit based on her having a disability with a drs note.

Are regular spots assigned? Are they an additional charge?

Under a 504 residents can request reserved spaces. We have had permit numbers added to the reserved sign. It is considered a no cost reasonable accommodation.

Check with your attorney. Here in Seattle you DO have to reserve one if a tenant requests one as a reasonable accommodation.

if a handicap request is made they can also request that it is reserved.

Lighting could be considered life safety, so yes. Yes on the reserved spot as well.

Put reserved space

First process reasonable accomadation

www.hud.gov/.../reasonable_accommodations_and ...

No they cannot reserve a “Handicap” spot because the city requires so many of those spots for everyone’s use as part of ADA regs. They can however submit a reasonable accommodation request to get a regular spot assigned to them that will work for them. We have to remember when we accommodate persons with disabilities we cannot discriminate against anyone else so we have to be reasonable in our accommodations and consider all parties.