By-Law Regarding Auto Repairs

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

If you lived next to a house that looked like a parking lot and had constant work being done to vehicles (not to mention visitors arriving for OP to work on their cars), would you be fine with it? Especially in what many would consider to be a nicer neighborhood.

Do you believe that OP would reduce the amount of cars they own or stop working on them if someone said their home was creating an eyesore?



So you feel that so long as the activity is legal, then the impact on other people is meaningless?

I would likely be more interested in what they are doing than annoyed. Your comments about a “nicer neighbourhood” sound like the comments of a grade A pretentious snob who thinks he’s worth more than people like that. Now THAT is something I would be annoyed living beside.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

If you lived next to a house that looked like a parking lot and had constant work being done to vehicles (not to mention visitors arriving for OP to work on their cars), would you be fine with it? Especially in what many would consider to be a nicer neighborhood.

Do you believe that OP would reduce the amount of cars they own or stop working on them if someone said their home was creating an eyesore?



So you feel that so long as the activity is legal, then the impact on other people is meaningless?

Someone working on cars doesn't bug me in the slightest. Unless there's broken vehicles leaking and in pieces outside I can't possibly see why anyone would care.

In OP's case specifically though I would guess the bigger issue is that the the property is loaded with several POS cars and looks like a junkyard

[Red]

Originally Posted by Knalus

I would likely be more interested in what they are doing than annoyed. Your comments about a “nicer neighbourhood” sound like the comments of a grade A pretentious snob who thinks he’s worth more than people like that. Now THAT is something I would be annoyed living beside.

Snobs are people too. And they paid a premium to be in a nice neighbourhood. It's very easy to bash the snobs when you didn't pay 200-300K for quiet or a view.

It's life. You pay for "better". When you buy a 80K car you have expectations. When you buy a 800K house you should be able to be discriminating.
If you buy a 140K duplex in a sketchy neighbourhood you are quite limited in complaints. Fair or not, it is what it is.

[EldrickOnIce]

Been living in a community with HOA for about a year now. We should have reviewed HOA documents prior to purchase, but did not. What you must do and what you can't do is truly mind bottling.

[metallicat]

I think we need to see a Google Street View shot of the house. Black-out any addresses and let's see a picture of the used car lot, er, residential house.

[bensonchuong]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Someone working on cars doesn't bug me in the slightest. Unless there's broken vehicles leaking and in pieces outside I can't possibly see why anyone would care.

In OP's case specifically though I would guess the bigger issue is that the the property is loaded with several POS cars and looks like a junkyard

Having a few older vehicles doesn't automatically mean they are POS cars. As I've posted before all our vehicles are in great shape, with no rust, leaks or other issues. I take pride in taking care of my vehicles, and even though some are older they have been well taken care of. We are a 5 person household with work lives that need to drive, it's not that these vehicles are parked there all day long. I hardly do any of the work on the weekend, as I have time during the day on weekdays to do my maintenance.

[bensonchuong]

Originally Posted by metallicat

I think we need to see a Google Street View shot of the house. Black-out any addresses and let's see a picture of the used car lot, er, residential house.

For curiosity sake I just went on to google to street view my house and guess what. No cars on my driveway, no oil stains. Obviously Google drove by in the middle of the day, when everyone was away at work.

[bensonchuong]

To bring this post back on topic, the issue here brought up by by-law isn't the fact that I have a bunch of vehicles or that I work on my vehicle. By-law already told me this was fine and the complaint wasn't about noise, untidyness or any other nuisance.

It's the fact that having my uncle visit 3-4 times a year for an oil change or tire swap (doesn't matter if it's free) requires a business licence and is the reason why I got a notice. On top of that the justification for needing a licence was because what I was doing caused an increase in traffic in my neighborhood. Which in my mind is absurd because what's the issue with a family member coming over to visit. They would still be bringing that traffic to the area (unless next thing you know city hall requires you to have a permit to visit friends and family).

[Locke]

I've been kind of loosely following this thread but what is the actual reported grievance?

It doesnt sound like its 'too many cars' but rather that they're concerned that you're running an unlicensed business out of your garage?

But you say that you're not, they're all your family's vehicles, albeit you appear to have a big family and lots of vehicles, but is it a parking complaint, a noise complaint (air tools at all hours) or is it 'we think hes running a business out of his garage' complaint?

In which case, the average person usually doesnt care if you're running a business out of your garage as long as you arent terribly inconveniencing them, (see: air tools at all hours) or parking.

I mean, I can kind of see the complaint. You've got a big family and lots of cars and you're taking up a lot of space. Thats fair on both sides, I myself have a family with 5 cars, parking for us is an issue to be respectful of our neighbours, but I also have an advantage because if I need a car to sit for a bit I can take it to my office where I have designated parking spaces that I pay for.

A bylaw complaint seems a bit steep, I do agree that I'd prefer to talk to my neighbour before resorting to basically just childish 'tattle-taling' because we're adults.

I even live next door to a rental property with 6 people living there and they are very respectful about parking and we attempt to reciprocate that respect. But obviously when you have 10 cars between 2 houses people have to be respectful and make concessions.

I guess it really depends on what your neighbours' issue is.

I do have a fair bit of experience with people running businesses out of their homes and thats a very touchy issue with neighbours.

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by Red

It's life. You pay for "better". When you buy a 80K car you have expectations. When you buy a 800K house you should be able to be discriminating.
If you buy a 140K duplex in a sketchy neighbourhood you are quite limited in complaints. Fair or not, it is what it is.

This is all relative. What is a lot for one person is nothing to someone else.

Each person has their own perspective and complaints. If I can only afford a 140K duplex, it means my complaints are limited??? Hopefully your perspective is uncommon.

[bensonchuong]

Originally Posted by Locke

I've been kind of loosely following this thread but what is the actual reported grievance?

It doesnt sound like its 'too many cars' but rather that they're concerned that you're running an unlicensed business out of your garage?

But you say that you're not, they're all your family's vehicles, albeit you appear to have a big family and lots of vehicles, but is it a parking complaint, a noise complaint (air tools at all hours) or is it 'we think hes running a business out of his garage' complaint?

In which case, the average person usually doesnt care if you're running a business out of your garage as long as you arent terribly inconveniencing them, (see: air tools at all hours) or parking.

I mean, I can kind of see the complaint. You've got a big family and lots of cars and you're taking up a lot of space. Thats fair on both sides, I myself have a family with 5 cars, parking for us is an issue to be respectful of our neighbours, but I also have an advantage because if I need a car to sit for a bit I can take it to my office where I have designated parking spaces that I pay for.

A bylaw complaint seems a bit steep, I do agree that I'd prefer to talk to my neighbour before resorting to basically just childish 'tattle-taling' because we're adults.

I even live next door to a rental property with 6 people living there and they are very respectful about parking and we attempt to reciprocate that respect. But obviously when you have 10 cars between 2 houses people have to be respectful and make concessions.

I guess it really depends on what your neighbours' issue is.

I do have a fair bit of experience with people running businesses out of their homes and thats a very touchy issue with neighbours.

By-law, business licence division, came to speak to me because of a complaint. I was told all complaints are investigated. I explained what I did for my own vehicles and I was told that not a problem. I was asked if anyone else comes to get cars worked on and I mentioned that my uncle comes a few times a year. I was told that "activity" needed a business licence (for profit or not). A Notice for doing a "business activity" without a business licence was given to me because my uncle comes to get a no-charge oil change at my house a few times a year.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by bensonchuong

By-law, business licence division, came to speak to me because of a complaint. I was told all complaints are investigated. I explained what I did for my own vehicles and I was told that not a problem. I was asked if anyone else comes to get cars worked on and I mentioned that my uncle comes a few times a year. I was told that "activity" needed a business licence (for profit or not). A Notice for doing a "business activity" without a business licence was given to me because my uncle comes to get a no-charge oil change at my house a few times a year.

Hmmm......I have to say, that sounds ridiculous.

[Amethyst]

But the person making the complaint doesn't know all the details you've provided here. Someone sees a bunch of different cars that you're working on and assumes you are running a business, so that's the complaint they call in.

[bensonchuong]

Originally Posted by Amethyst

But the person making the complaint doesn't know all the details you've provided here. Someone sees a bunch of different cars that you're working on and assumes you are running a business, so that's the complaint they call in.

I'm not complaining about the person who complained. Sure, they could have approached me.

My issue is being given a notice to get a business licence for helping out a family member.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by bensonchuong

I'm not complaining about the person who complained. Sure, they could have approached me.

My issue is being given a notice to get a business licence for helping out a family member.

You’ve even said you’re in violation of the bylaw. You want the bylaw officer to not do their job?

Is the bylaw stupid because it’s so general? Probably, but you also can’t write in a clause about helping out an uncle is ok. So you can continue to work on his car and hope you don’t get caught, not work on it anymore, or pay for the business licence and not have to worry.

I’m not too sure what you’re looking for here.

[Northendzone]

but the ultimate issue is not that you are helping out a family member - it is the fact that you are doing multiple engine rebuilds and helping out more than just your uncle.

like many others, i swap my own tires out on my vehicle 2x per year, plus i do some minor stuff to my own vehicels and my bike in my garage and i would expect that the bylaw officer would drive by my place and keep going - you are doing so much more than that.

if you want to help out your unclde go to his place and do the job there.

[Red Potato Standing By]

He just said they have no issue with him working on multiple cars that belong to family that reside there, so really it is only the Uncles vehicle that they are complaining about not multiple vehicles.

[Red]

Originally Posted by Zethrynn

He just said they have no issue with him working on multiple cars that belong to family that reside there, so really it is only the Uncles vehicle that they are complaining about not multiple vehicles.

They are not complainig about the uncle, they dont know about him. They are complaining about a mechanics shop on their street. The bylaw guys opinion means nothing here. He was there because someone has had enough.

If you want to run a shop rent a place in an industrial area or move to the country. Or like i said earlier, neighborhood where people dont take pride in ownership and property values.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Red

They are not complainig about the uncle, they dont know about him. They are complaining about a mechanics shop on their street. The bylaw guys opinion means nothing here. He was there because someone has had enough.

If you want to run a shop rent a place in an industrial area or move to the country. Or like i said earlier, neighborhood where people dont take pride in ownership and property values.

That's the problem.

The neighbours are complaining about the legal activity going on at his house because they are jerks. It happens that 1/10 of the work he does was unknowingly outside of the grounds of bylaw. He can abide by the bylaws and the person who complained will still be annoyed.

Your insinuation that poorer neighbourhoods don't take pride is such crap as well. The wealthier neighbourhoods can afford to outsource the maintenance items. That's about the only difference.

In fact the maintenance of his vehicles shows him taking pride of ownership in his vehicles. Just because they aren't brand new. Your being classest. Buying a home in a "nice area" doesn't entitle you to any more protection from bylaw or people than in any other area.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by bensonchuong

Having a few older vehicles doesn't automatically mean they are POS cars. As I've posted before all our vehicles are in great shape, with no rust, leaks or other issues. I take pride in taking care of my vehicles, and even though some are older they have been well taken care of. We are a 5 person household with work lives that need to drive, it's not that these vehicles are parked there all day long. I hardly do any of the work on the weekend, as I have time during the day on weekdays to do my maintenance.

I just assumed they're pos cars because you said you're doing major rebuilds numerous times a year

The bylaw does seem to be way too open in its interpretation. Hell if there was a guy on my street actually running an unlicensed mechanics shop I still wouldn't care unless it was a complete mess outside