The city of Houston is growing and running out of space in some areas. Now, property owners are using homemade "No Parking" signs as a deterrent.
Joanne Witt has lived in her Inner Loop townhome for eight years but just noticed a strange "No Parking" sign posted across the street last week.
"If you notice, it doesn't have police phone number and it doesn't say where it's going to be towed. I'm assuming it's just put up to scare people," Witt said.
In fact, throughout the rapidly-densifying inner-city core, rogue "No Parking" signs are sprouting up like weeds. They're being put up by homeowners or business that don't want others to park in front of them.
"You know this is public land?" we asked business owner Kerrie Bace.
"Yes, I know," Bace replied.
"But you put up the no parking signs anyway?" we asked.
"Yes, because the 18-wheelers can't get in and out of the driveway because the cars park so far back," she said.
You can have resident-only parking on your street, but you would have to work with your neighbors and petition the city before the city would legally put up a sign.
"We always try to advocate for folks to take the legal way," said Christopher Newport with the City of Houston Regulator Affairs Department.
Legal parking signs by the city are uniform with a red slash across a letter "P." Signs on fences and utility poles or even physical deterrents like boulders along the street are all illegal because, like it or not, city streets are open to everyone.
"As a private citizen, individual or a private business, you're not authorized to dictate who can or cannot park on a public street," said Alvin Wright with the City of Houston Public Works Department.
Citizens concerned with illegal parking signs can call 311, and a city inspector will come out to look at the sign. The inspector will remove illegal signs and boulders.
However, if you're frustrated with people who park in your neighborhood, you can apply for a residential permit with the city. The process involves getting your neighbors to agree, but it will actually be legal. You can find the application process on the city's website.
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