Portable On Demand Storage/Shipping Containers

Started by MikeS1 • 5 replies • 3892 views

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MikeS1
Posts: 668

Posted:

Has anyone had any experience with dealing with Portable Storage Containers? Our HOA consist of over 300 Townhomes (Garage and Non-Garage) and we also have about 50 single family homes as well. Shipping or storage containers such as PODS are showing up in thee Reserved/Assigned Parking spaces and also in the resident's driveways. There are some concerns about potential damage to the common area parking lots, liability, limited space or access to other neighboring vehicles, as well as the visual impact to the community. In addition, there are some concerns about the length of time that the Storage Containers remain in front of home.
As per the Bylaws and CCRs, the residents may not store anything other than their vehicles in their assigned Reserved space. It seems that the Board and our Committee members feel that these devices are a new technology as well as a necessary device, but we feel that they should be controlled to some degree. Does anyone have any insights on how communities have addressed these storay devices in their governing documents? Thanks!

JulieS (Georgia)
Posts: 412

Posted:

We've had a few in driveways of people moving out. The PODS were not there long, less than a week, and we didn't make in issue.

MikeS1
Posts: 668

Posted:

Yes, and we've had some of these show up for 6 months while the owner remodels the home. If it's in the driveway, the only issue is the visual impact, but when it's a non-garage home and it's parked in a reserved space, it makes it difficult for the other homeowners to get into their car since these things are 8 feet wide. I can see this being a necessary evil for a construction company, per se if the home was significantly damaged by fire, water, hurricanes, tornados, etc; but we're not sure that we want to look at one these containers that have been parked there as a convenience to the homeowner, while they remodel their kitchen or finish off their basement over a 6 month period. What's fair? Who knows? Thanks for your response.

RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067

Posted:

Mike, if your Declaration of CC&Rs does not address this then you can define a restriction in two ways. The more legally sound method is to amend the Declaration. The other method is for the Board to create a Rule and Regulation addressing this. When a Board creates Rules & Regs it is advisable to secure owners input.

MikeS1
Posts: 668

Posted:

Thanks a million!

Susan (Colorado)
Posts: 2

Posted:

The intent of PODS is to have them delivered and then the homewner can load them within a week at the most and then the POD should be removed and "stored" at the facility it came from. This approach is convenient in that you don't have to load your items into a pick-up or truck, move it and then unload it into a typical storage facility. People seem to think that these containers are meant to stay on site for an extended period of time. That is not the case. They should be loading them and then have them picked-up and stored off site until they are ready to unload them. At that time the POD can be returned. What they are doing by keeping it on their property is preventing the cost of off site storage of the container. The distributor of these containers are not helping matters by allowing homeowners to keep them for an indefinate period of time. This is a growing problem and should be addressed ASAP. My suggestion is to require a permit(free) from the ACC stating when it will arrrive, where it will be placed and when it will be removed. They should sign the permit with the understanding that it will have to be removed within 7 days. Even if they are remodeling or repairing a home, your not asking them to unload it just store it where it belongs, in the POD facility.

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