Parking becomes an expensive surprise when a buyer assumes "one covered car park included" but the agreement gives only a temporary right to an unnumbered space. In Kolkata apartments, **the right to use a parking slot, the right to transfer it and ownership of a separate legally saleable unit are not necessarily the same thing**.
Learn the words before paying
- **Open parking:** marked or unmarked parking at ground level without an enclosing built garage.
- **Stilt parking:** spaces beneath a raised building floor or structural stilt section.
- **Covered or basement parking:** a broad marketing description that may include different legal configurations.
- **Garage:** a term whose legal treatment depends on applicable law and approved plans.
- **Allotted parking:** a designated slot or right to use it, which does not automatically establish separate ownership.
- **Common parking:** space subject to shared rights or association management under the project's legal structure.
Do not treat these marketing terms as interchangeable. The approved plan and registered documentation matter more than a salesperson's label.
Can builders sell stilt or open parking separately?
A notable Supreme Court judgment, *Nahalchand Laloochand Pvt. Ltd. v. Panchali Cooperative Housing Society* (2010), dealt with the treatment of stilt and open parking as common areas under Maharashtra's legal framework. **It should not be presented as a universal ruling that resolves every parking arrangement in West Bengal.** The applicable statute, RERA framework, approved project plans and transaction documents require local legal assessment.
Ask for a written explanation of the specific charge being collected and the legal right it buys. A separately stated amount on a cost sheet does not by itself prove the developer can transfer independent ownership of the slot.
Check the exact parking allocation
Request the slot number and level, a plan showing the location, dimensions, access route and clearances, and the statement in the agreement or allotment document describing your rights. Look for pillars, tight turning radii, ramp slopes, water seepage or ventilation concerns in underground levels.
If the household owns a large vehicle or expects to buy one, physically check whether it can be parked and the doors opened comfortably. For tandem or mechanical-stack parking, investigate operational rules, service contracts, backup power and outage procedures.
