Can I park in front of a ‘vado’ sign by my own house?
- Posted by Joanna
- Posted in BlogSpanish Property Law
You’ll have seen the signs on the outside of walls – a circle with a line through it that seems to appear at every spot where you want to park. The ‘vado’ sign is usually found outside garages, entrances to driveways and other places where, if you parked, you would block access.
The ‘vado permanente’ includes a municipal licence number and means that parking is prohibited. Vehicles parked in front of one might be towed away. Vados are generally respected: the threat of having to pay to get your car back from the local pound is a powerful disincentive.
But the question is : If I have a “vado permanente” sign in front of my own house, can I park there?
Many people think that if their garage has a vado sign but is used only by them that they are entitled to park in front of it. It may seem reasonable: after all, if the garage is theirs, they are not blocking the way for anyone but themselves.
However, if you have a vado sign at your garage door, property or home does not mean you can park there. Bear in mind that a tow truck is entitled to remove your vehicle.
This is because, when we pay annually for access to the public pavement or ramp to reach our property, we are paying for the right to step on the pavement and drive our car across it.
In other words, we pay to be able to get in and out of our house or premises. However, this does not give us the right to park in front of the property, as the pavement is not ours, but part of the public road.
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