The Lagos Government has started taxing residents of the state for car parks on property setbacks, SaharaReporters has learnt on Wednesday.

It was gathered the charge per slot differs depending on the location. It could be as high 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 a minimum distance from the property line that a structure can be built, according to LegalMatch.

A memo obtained by SaharaReporters on Wednesday titled “Parking Permit And Demand Notice”, shows that 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.

LASPA was established in 2021; the government claimed it created the agency to enforce parking violations and offences in the state.

A letter to the Manager, Nellies, 95, plot 6, Omorinre Johnson Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lekki, with Ref: No: LASPA/OPS/PP/01/22, dated August 15, 2022, stated: “The Lagos State Parking Authority, established under the law to consolidate all that relating to parking and its connected purposes with powers and functions, clearly state that the Authority shall, among others, be responsible for all forms of managed parking in the State.

“In view of the above, and in line with the administration’s policy in moving Lagos State towards a 21st-century economy to align with the first pillar of THEME’S Agenda of which transportation is key, your organization is hereby served this demand notice for the setback parking (Off-Street) in front of your premises before the commencement of enforcement action.

“Based on the inspection, we identified Three (3) parking slots on your setback at the rate of N80,000 per slot per annum totalling 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 totalling 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.”

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.”

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.

In a document published by SaharaReporters in July, park operators (commercial) were asked to pay between N2million and N23million annually, depending on the location as a “license” fee.

SaharaReporters learnt that the government had started serving notices of trespass on landmarks that were not on government roads.

“The Lagos State government has commenced exploration of off-street parking lots operators again under the state’s illegal LASPA agency,” a resident had told SaharaReporters.