Snow and Ice Traps Cars in Rented Backyard Spaces

A Sheepshead Bay renter, Donnie, who pays $100 for half of a small, backyard parking space — where he can park, but he can’t leave — is up in arms about not getting his money’s worth.

This situation is occurring on an “East Street” between Ave Y and Ave X, but the angry renter didn’t want us to share the exact address. He says that the address is not important, since he suspects that this type of thing is happening all around Sheepshead Bay where there is a shared driveway.

He explains that whenever it snows or when the moisture on the ground freezes up, he is unable to remove his car from the backyard parking spot. Attempts to move the car by going up the inclined driveway were too treacherous and caused his vehicle, which doesn’t have 4-wheel drive, to slide backward. Now, he simply leaves his car in the spot until the ice and snow have melted.

Read more about the snowed-in parking after the jump.

The parking space renter told us that he would gladly shovel the snow himself, but due to back and shoulder injuries is unable to do so — adding that even if he was strong enough to shovel, why should he have to shovel a shared driveway “for people who own half-a-million dollar homes”.

Donnie says that he is getting tired of having his car locked in during adverse weather conditions. He goes on to say that having to pay $100 to park his car in a tiny, shared and uncovered space near the house’s back door is bad enough, but when his car is trapped, he is forced to use public transportation and car service.

He asked, “Why can’t they clean up the driveway when they clean up their own space?” Pointing to the spaces that had been cleaned off, he added “You see? While the snow is still soft, they take their car out and find street parking.”

When I pointed to the impacted snow on the sloped driveway which looked as though a few cars were able to get out, he said that it “is a mystery” to him how they those cars got traction — adding, “maybe they have chains on their tires or someone helped push the car”.

Donnie says that he tried many times to resolve the situation with the homeowner — who willingly collects the $100 cash every month for the teensy space — but has gotten nowhere. The homeowner says that she is not responsible for cleaning up the shared driveway, since none of the other residents are interested in working together to fix the problem for all these years.

Donnie has come to Sheepshead Bites to ask us for any help or advice about what can be done, with hopes that one of our readers has faced a similar problem and found a solution.

Readers, if you have any advice for Donnie, please write immediately.