Lagos to tax residents for car parks on property setbacks

The Lagos Government has started taxing residents of the state for car parks on property setbacks, imposing as much as N100,000 and as low as N80,000 per parking slot annually with a nonrefundable N50,000 payment for processing charge.

Setback ordinances are property laws that govern property boundary lines. A setback is the minimum distance from the property line that a structure can be built, according to Legal Match.

In a memo titled “Parking Permit And Demand Notice”, residents are mandated by law to pay a certain fee for parking on property setbacks or in front of their property.

A notice signed by Mrs. Adebisi Adelabu, General Manager, Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA), says residents have only seven days to pay once served the notice.

“Based on inspection, we identified Three (3) parking slots on your setback at the rate of N80,000 per slot per annum totaling N240,000.00 (Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) only.

“Also, a non-refundable Administrative/Processing fee of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira) only applies based on your location totaling N290,000.00 (Two Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira) only payable for the year 2022 to be paid into Lagos State Parking Authority account within a period of seven (7) days of receiving this letter.”

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The demand notice also provided two bank accounts; one in Globus Bank and another in Polaris Bank.

It also directed that payees should attach proof of payment to process their permit.

“It’s not like they built a park and charge people but you have to pay for your own space in your own compound after driving on bad roads,” a resident lamented.

When contacted on the telephone, the State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said, “It is for the use of government setback as parking space for their customers/clients.

“The right to use that space is what is being paid for.”

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In cases where companies are not found to be using their setbacks for parking purposes, we do not ask them to pay. The newly-created LASPA has taken over open parking spaces in the state.