You might be able to park them in your yard, or you might not.
It usually depends on two things:
1. The local ordinances (code) for where vehicles can be parked
and
2. Whether or not your HOA (Home Owners Association) allows it.
In many areas, if you don’t have an HOA, then where you can park is usually determined by the city, or town. HOAs can further restrict parking from the rules set by the city or town, but they can’t make them more permissive.
Austin Parking Code
A handy dandy search for “Austin Parking Code” yielded this rule:
“The City of Austin’s Restricted Front Yard and Side Yard Parking Ordinance prohibits parking a motor vehicle in the front or side yard of a residence except in a driveway or a paved parking space. These areas are designated on the Restricted Parking Area Map.”
If you click on the link for the ordinance (above), you will find a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) with a lot more detailed information about what is, and isn’t permitted for parking areas (old, new, grandfathered-in).
Not suprisingly, the area where the photo is taken isn’t shown on the map as being subject to additional approved parking restrictions. Although several other homes in the neighborhood had multiple vehicles, included RVs, parked in front and on the side of homes, this one really caught my eye (hence the photo).
If you don’t want to see yards covered in vehicles like this in your neighborhood, make sure you know what the HOA restrictions are before you buy. And by the same token, if you have a bunch of cars and stuff you want to keep on your property, make sure you buy in an area where it is allowed.
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