Mom is independent, but her landlord asks too much after snow storms. What can we do?

There must be someone in the complex that would be willing to move her car and move it back for a few dollars. My daughters complex, the cars are on each side of the road and plow goes down the middle. The residents then have to dig themselves out.

I am with lealonnie here, though. Maybe time for Mom to find a different place.

I think it's totally realistic for the landlord to expect resident's cars to be moved after a big snow storm. Whether a resident is 'capable' of such a thing is not the landlord's worry or problem, in reality, b/c he's not running a senior complex; just a regular rental building where the rules are likely established in the lease agreement all residents sign when they move in.

The reality is, if your mother is frail, skinny, arthritic & it's impossible for her to move her car for fear of falling and broken bones, it's time to move her to a senior living complex that meets her needs. She's not 'independent' enough to be living where she's at; she needs a true senior Independent Living building where she has no such expectations of her. Preferably, with a continuum of care where she can move into Assisted Living if and when the necessity arises.

In the meantime, figure out what other family member or friend can have a key to mom's car and go move it for her after a big snowfall. That seems to be your only other alternative.

Good luck!

Hire someone to shovel the snow and then move the car? I do this for my neighbor all the time free of charge, but I am sure you can find someone easily to do it a fee.

I experienced something similar when I lived in an apartment. But I honestly don't remember doing anything except waiting until one area was cleared, then moving my car there.

Actually, I think the landlord would be better off creating a specific area for winter storm parking. Cars could be moved there, then back to the cleared area afterward, especially since from what I've seen, parking lots are cleared more than once after a heavy storm.

Another alternative if there's someone in the complex she trusts is to ask that person to move the car, and provide some type of nice thank you gift and a thank you card.

Moving a car through a 20" snowfall is not only difficult, and challenging, but it's not sensible. Someone could easily get stuck and create a blockage for the plow and other residents.

Perhaps someone in the complex can suggest this to the landlord? And unless someone has a vehicle or truck equipped with a snow plow, I can't even envision how someone could drive through 20" of snow.

Landlords in my area expect this. Have your car moved out of the way so the plow people can come. When I lived in a rental I moved my car before the storm. I didn't get moved I hired someone to shovel my car out and get it moved.