By-Law Regarding Auto Repairs

[GGG]

As long as you have a clean front yard and don't have scrap vehicles lying around I don't see the issue.

The one question might be are you buying cars, fixing them, and reselling them because that is a business and if you do that regularly you should have a license. But helping family with automotive repair requiring a license is a ridiculous standard.

[CliffFletcher]

My parents had family down the street who ran an informal 'family' repair shop out of their garage. At any given time there were 2-4 cars that weren't theirs parked in front of their house or the playground across the street. My parents called bylaw on them. Apparently, they weren't the only ones, because the cops made several return visits over the space of a couple years. Hopefully they got a big fine in the end.

Sounds like this bylaw is a case of a few ######'s ruining things for everybody. But I understand why the bylaw is there. Want to run a business, get a business license. Use a proper garage. Residential neighbourhoods are for homes.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Swarly

sure for a repair shop charging money with constant cars coming and going, get a licence, but helping a few friends/family out should be allowed. What's the difference between helping a couple people or someone who loves to restore old cars and works in his garage all the time? should we outlaw repairing your own car next?

Oh the hyperbole...

The difference is, the OP did something to have by-law come out. A couple of oil changes and 2 tire swaps every year would go unnoticed to everyone except the person who wrote the by-law.

I am not saying the OP is sandblasting engine blocks on the ol' poplar tree in the front yard but there's probably more to this then helping a couple of people.

[Weitz]

Sounds like there is way more to the story the OP is leaving out.

Sounds like a car flipper to me.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by Barnes

Oh the hyperbole...

The difference is, the OP did something to have by-law come out. A couple of oil changes and 2 tire swaps every year would go unnoticed to everyone except the person who wrote the by-law.

I am not saying the OP is sandblasting engine blocks on the ol' poplar tree in the front yard but there's probably more to this then helping a couple of people.

Yeah I'm going to agree with this. We def are getting only a fraction of the story here.

[Ducay]

You'll never get a ticket given the response time from Bylaw is not going to be in the 1-2 hours it takes to do a full oil change and tire rotation. If they come again just deny it. Let them prove it otherwise

[Hack&Lube]

There are no provisions for personal repairs or family repairs because that would introduce too much grey area or someone was lazy and didn't think it through.

My friend was dinged on this same bylaw from running music lessons out of their home. There would be constant traffic of parents dropping off their kids or parking in the streets, etc. to take part.

I could see a home mechanic business sprawling out of control with an inventory of vehicles parked on the streets.

[GGG]

People's annoyance with traffic and parking is ridiculous. Music lessons being run out of a home is perfectly reasonable. Same with hair salons. 1 client at a time sole proprietor business entirely internal to a house should be allowed without requiring input from neighbours.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by Ducay

You'll never get a ticket given the response time from Bylaw is not going to be in the 1-2 hours it takes to do a full oil change and tire rotation. If they come again just deny it. Let them prove it otherwise

If he has pissed someone off to the point they have managed to get bylaw to come out, I'd bet that they'd be taking pictures of him working now that bylaw has been out.

I'm of the same opinion that there is a lot more going on here than OP claims. Doing a few oil changes and tire swaps in your garage isn't going to get bylaw called. Doing all manner of things for more than one other person and yourself, leaving vehicles overnight or doing the work on the road probably would get you noticed.

[meritmat]

Lol glad I live in the country

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by meritmat

Lol glad I live in the country

Speaking on behalf of the entire city, the feeling is mutual.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

my guess is that it is one of the many by-laws that have a ticket issued once every 8 yrs.

You are likely a victim of living across from a city concillor.

i will say however, that if you are doing that much work and running air tools, i can see where it might start to grind on your neighgbors a bit

A barking dog outside is louder than most automotive work people can do out of their garages. The fact this councilor didn't just approach and mention they have issues with what is going on before playing that card is not surprising and quite slimy.

[mrkajz44]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

A barking dog outside is louder than most automotive work people can do out of their garages. The fact this councilor didn't just approach and mention they have issues with what is going on before playing that card is not surprising and quite slimy.

Eh, I used to agree with this, but not so much anymore. As soon you approach and ask them to stop / cut-back / etc. then its out in the open that you have an issue with their behaviour. If they don't change and you call by-law, they certainly know who called and people who are violating by-laws enough to get called on it are likely pretty vengeful. I don't want to invite that sort of issue on myself when I'm not at fault.

[Hockeyguy15]

No proof it was the councilor anyway, could have been any annoyed neighbour.

[Weitz]

Very few people approach others anymore. Going straight to complaining to someone with power is what most people do now.

[bensonchuong]

Originally Posted by GGG

As long as you have a clean front yard and don't have scrap vehicles lying around I don't see the issue.

The one question might be are you buying cars, fixing them, and reselling them because that is a business and if you do that regularly you should have a license. But helping family with automotive repair requiring a license is a ridiculous standard.

Absolutely not doing that. I've done two engine head rebuilds, both for Hondas' that broke their timing chain/belt. I bought the cars and fixed them for my parents.

And for the record, there's not even one oil stain on my driveway. Ever drop of oil is cleaned as soon as I see it.

[bensonchuong]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

Yeah I'm going to agree with this. We def are getting only a fraction of the story here.

What I wrote is exactly what I told the by-law officer. We own 6 vehicles that I maintain and they all have a parking spot off the street (2 in garage, 4 on driveway). Plus my uncles who stops by 3-4 times a year. I do the oil changes and tire swaps. So thats around 15 oil changes and 14 tire swaps a year. and yes lately with the nice weather I'm leaving my garage door open while I work and since Winter just ended I have been out the last 2 weeks changing off the tires. I use an impact to take off the tires and everything else is all hand tools.

[Hockeyguy15]

See it's kind of hard to sympathize with you because it feels like a little bit is being left out. I see you edited your post to remove the part about living by the councilor, and that kind of adds to my skepticism.

So you do repairs on your car, you have purchased a couple cars and rebuilt them and given them to your parents, you change your uncles oil 3 or 4 times a year (which seems excessive), you swap out tires for how many people? I mean maybe you aren't getting paid for your efforts, but that does seem like more than a normal person would do.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by bensonchuong

What I wrote is exactly what I told the by-law officer. We own 6 vehicles that I maintain and they all have a parking spot off the street (2 in garage, 4 on driveway). Plus my uncles who stops by 3-4 times a year. I do the oil changes and tire swaps. So thats around 15 oil changes and 14 tire swaps a year. and yes lately with the nice weather I'm leaving my garage door open while I work and since Winter just ended I have been out the last 2 weeks changing off the tires. I use an impact to take off the tires and everything else is all hand tools.

You park 4 cars on your driveway, in the Hamptons? Yeah no wonder your neighbours complained!

You can't tell me you do all this work on these cars without disrupting people. You likely clear out the garage and park cars on the street in order to do it?

[bensonchuong]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

See it's kind of hard to sympathize with you because it feels like a little bit is being left out. I see you edited your post to remove the part about living by the councilor, and that kind of adds to my skepticism.

So you do repairs on your car, you have purchased a couple cars and rebuilt them and given them to your parents, you change your uncles oil 3 or 4 times a year (which seems excessive), you swap out tires for how many people? I mean maybe you aren't getting paid for your efforts, but that does seem like more than a normal person would do.

I edited out councilor because people are assuming he's the one that complained. I was merely just giving a context of where I lived.

My parents live here, those rebuilt engines are vehicles on our driveway. We sold their previous vehicles. Some one is usually not home or I'll park the vehicle I'm working on in the garage when I'm working on it. We have ample street parking there's room for 3 cars in front of my house on the street.

With 6 vehicles that's 12 tire swaps a year (spring and winter), plus 2-3 oil changes per year per vehicle. My uncles comes 3-4 times a year (2 oil changes and 2 tire swaps).

The key is here is by-law is fine I do work on my 6 vehicles, but since my uncles doesn't live here it's not allowed with out a licence.