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I have been enjoying reading this thread (although some folks are a little nasty about tactics) - but OP hasn't commented again so I really think we should wait until we hear an update.
If this guy wants to use your spot so when his family is in town they can park close... I bet if he had asked for the favor, you might oblige.
Are these particular spots marked as your spots? Are they numbered as such? If it is just simply "common sense" that the two spots in front of your door or something are your spots, but they aren't explicitly marked, I suppose that's why he is getting away with it? Maybe he thinks you have common sense and won't park in the spots in front of his door. Is it just that every resident gets two spots... somewhere? Or is it explicitly the spots in front of YOUR door?
I'd go with one of three solutions:
The cones with a sign. Every time he parks, he'd have to get his 80-year-old self out of the car and move the sign. Might be a problem for him and mere nuisance for you.
If he keeps moving your sign and parking anyway - park in the far lot for a while... and spread tacks down on your parking spots. I'm not entirely sure how liable you'd be for damage to his tires, but ignorance is bliss, right? After he acquires a flat or two, you can probably just sweep them up after making your point. Maybe go back to using the sign at this point. This method might be the most vicious but would get the point across.
Do the possibly more civil thing and let the HOA handle it... but I'll be honest... if he knows the right people, the board won't do anything.
Tacks? Really?
Anyone who puts tacks down—for any reason—ought to be sued if they do damage to tires or shoes, or worse, to someone's feet.
My parents always said "Two wrongs do not make a right."
I pick my battles, being mean and hateful to an elderly man is not one of them.
I don't think the OP has any intention to be mean and hateful to anyone, despite the suggestions here. I got the impression she is just looking for opinions to see if she wasn't seeing the situation clearly, IMO. I hope she updates us.
That said, she does have the right to use the (apparently assigned?) parking spaces she is paying or has paid for. Seems like it's the old guy being mean and hateful. Elderly people aren't above being respectful to others just cuz they're old.
Has anyone read the book (or seen the movie) A Man Called Ove? This reminds me of that in some ways.
I would file the formal complaint as your HOA instructed since it seems you have met the requirements to do so.
It's a big deal because you are paying for not just where you live, but also those parking spots. You aren't paying for him to park there and he has his own. Here at our apartment complex (non-HOA), when we signed our lease they gave us a parking card with our assigned spot and they said, "If anyone parks in it, call the tow company." We've done so, 3 times because we only get 1 assigned space. Thankfully 2 of those times we were able to cancel because the people realized it and we moved our car. If we aren't home, we don't care if anyone uses our spot, but if we are coming home - we expect the spot we paid for to be open. Yes, we've had people come knocking on our door yelling that we had them towed. It causes problems either way, no matter how you do it. You either don't get your spot and you are angry, or you make someone else angry to get the spot you paid for. It's a no win situation.
Carefully document each occurrance and become such a thorn in the side of each and every member of the HOA board that they shudder at the sound of yor name. Phone calls at their dinner time, start showing up at their homes in the evening to "talk about this matter" ... whatever it takes.
I once dragged a car out of my driveway and left in in the street. This was a few days after blocking it in for the tow truck I called to tow it away. It was the third time that car had parked in my private driveway. The first time I left a note.
I will never understand people like that. I didn't even know the dude and to this day can't understand why he thought it was ok to park in my private driveway.
Like he's going to actually read and do what the sign says if he doesn't listen to you in person? He's 80 years old and thinks that will help him get by with doing anything he wants. Putting those signs up would be nothing but a waste of time. File the complaint. But that probably still won't do any good.
I have not read all of these, but when we had someone that parked in a neighbors assigned parking slot in Hawaii (and parking there is a BEAR) he simply blocked the car in. Parked behind it and waited for the "offender" to come and ask him to move it, PROVING he knew it was not his slot and who's reserved parking place it was. He then refused to move it when asked and told the offender to "call the police". Evidently that was all it took, never happened again.
Not suggesting anything, but just sharing a tactic that proved effective.
No tacks, no cones, no signs. Take photos and document each time. Tell the HOA about each incident in writing. They should have a policy for how to deal with it, whether it is towing or fining, or whatever.
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