Apartment Parking Entrance Blocked by Vehicle
Netizens Outraged at 'Mugaenyeom Vehicle'
Police Launch Investigation on Obstruction of Business Charges
As apartment parking issues continue to arise, a recent incident in a Busan apartment complex involving residents deliberately blocking the parking lot entrance with their vehicles has prompted a police investigation. On the 14th, the Busan Southern Police Station announced that it is investigating the 'Busan Apartment Parking Lot Incident,' which recently gained attention on an online community. The police received a complaint alleging obstruction of business from the apartment residents' representative council and are currently investigating the matter.
Recently, on an online community, posts have been repeatedly uploaded stating that a resident of this apartment and their acquaintances blocked the parking lot entrance with a car about four times since last month. Photos shared by several residents, including those in these posts, show vehicles parked right in front of the barrier installed at the parking lot entrance, with the car owners either entering their homes or leaving the spot unattended. [Photo by Online Community]
Recently, posts have been repeatedly uploaded on an online community claiming that a resident of this apartment and their acquaintances blocked the parking lot entrance with their cars about four times since last month. Photos shared by several residents, including these posts, show vehicles parked right in front of the barrier gate installed at the parking lot entrance, with the drivers either entering their homes or leaving the spot unattended.
On some days, two vehicles blocked both lanes of the entrance. The resident and their acquaintances, known to be robust men, reportedly had multiple conflicts with other residents. One resident who posted online stated, "The driver occupied two compact car spaces, and the security guard warned them several times not to park like that. When they continued parking the same way, a parking sticker was attached, and then they blocked the barrier gate." They added, "When the police were called, they said it was private property and there was nothing they could do, and when the driver said they would move the car, they were told to wait."
Even when called to move the vehicle, the driver reportedly responded, "I will move the car the next morning, so don't call," and threatened, "If you touch my car, I will set it on fire." Another resident said, "I understand that this behavior is a form of protest after the apartment management office banned the driver from entering for about a month due to habitual parking violations," and added, "Many residents feel threatened and inconvenienced because of the driver and their acquaintances." The apartment management office stated, "There is no information we can confirm regarding this matter."
Apartments Left in a Blind Spot for Improper Parking Management
A resident's vehicle blocking the entrance to the underground parking lot in an apartment complex in Songdo, Incheon, in 2018. [Photo source=Online community]
According to a report titled 'Research on Conflict Resolution Due to Improper Parking in Apartment Complexes' published by the Korea Transport Institute in March 2022, "The management office enforces regulations set by the residents' representative council, which is the management entity of the apartment complex, but there is no enforcement power, so effectiveness is lacking. In particular, apartment complexes are private property and thus fall into a blind spot for illegal parking management by the police or local governments."
The Korea Transport Institute defines 'improper parking' in apartments as "parking that does not conform to designated parking lines within the apartment complex, thereby obstructing parking and passage of other residents," categorizing it as 'improper parking within mandatory management multi-family housing.' They reviewed seven major types of cases to establish this concept.
The problem is that there are few legal grounds to punish such improper parking. In apartment parking lots, which are not subject to the current Parking Lot Act or Road Traffic Act, police and local government officials cannot issue removal orders or tow vehicles. Measures under the Motor Vehicle Management Act for long-term abandoned vehicles apply only to unauthorized parking on others' land and do not cover disputes among residents.
Ultimately, criminal liability can only be pursued under the Criminal Act for offenses such as general traffic obstruction, obstruction of business, or property damage. In fact, in 2018, a resident in an apartment complex in Songdo, Incheon, who blocked the underground parking entrance with a vehicle was prosecuted for general traffic obstruction and obstructing the work of management office staff and sentenced to imprisonment. At the time, residents had to endure inconvenience for six hours until the vehicle was moved to the sidewalk.
Additionally, in December 2020, the Uijeongbu District Court fined a resident 1.5 million won for blocking the parking lot entrance for about 12 hours in retaliation after a security guard attached a parking violation sticker in an apartment in Yangju City.
However, the aforementioned report also pointed out that "due to considerable time and cost required, there are limitations to immediate action against others' parking obstruction." Meanwhile, the number of complaints filed through the National Petition System regarding 'illegal parking on private property' reached 24,817 in 2020, about 153 times higher than in 2010. In response, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced 'Measures to Resolve Parking Conflicts in Private Properties such as Apartment Complexes' in March last year and recommended the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Justice, National Police Agency, and 243 local governments nationwide to prepare institutional improvement plans.
Following this recommendation, administrative measures against parking violations in apartments have become possible. However, since specific laws related to apartment parking have not yet been established, problems such as improper parking that blocks apartment entrances remain fundamentally unresolved.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
