Accessible Condominium Parking
What are the issues?
How would you feel if the parking space you rely on to live in your building was being sold to the highest bidder for tens of thousands of dollars?
While handicap parking spots in condominiums may exist, they are not always available for unit owners with disabilities.
Chris’ Story
Chris Connolly, a quadraplegic and former Chicago resident, encountered this barrier in his condominium building. As a person with a disability, Chris requires access to a handicap parking space. Unfortunately, there was not one available to him. After filing a complaint, he was told to purchase the space from the able-bodied owner occupying it.
Chris offered to purchase the handicap space for $50,000, but the owner stated that he could sell it for a higher price. Meanwhile, other unit owners began to spray paint over the handicap symbol on their parking spaces to “dehandicap” them.
Our CEO, former Illinois State Senator Dan McConchie, was dedicated to helping Chris and making sure that such acts of discrimination could not happen again. He passed Senate Bill 2740, requiring condo associations to accommodate disabled unit owners who request an accessible parking space.
API’s Impact
Our model bill mirrors Senate Bill 2740 passed by the Illinois General Assembly. It encourages states to pass a bill requiring handicap parking spaces in new condo developments to remain a part of the “common elements” that are jointly owned by everyone in the building, and requires condominium associations to have a written policy on how they will accommodate disabled residents who need such a space.
Accessible Condominium Parking Act