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Old 06-14-2018, 12:34 PM   #1
bensonchuong
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Default By-Law Regarding Auto Repairs

So I was visited by a by-law officer today and given a Business Licence Warning Notice. I live in NW Calgary, Hamptons.

TL-DR: Well supposedly, it's illegal to work on cars if they aren't registered at your address; even for family and for free.

We had a chat about the issue and my answer to her question about me doing auto repairs and how often was, I work on my vehicles and I do pretty major repairs like engine rebuilds and clutches, etc. and a 3-4 times a year my uncle comes and I help him do an oil change. I was told this is violating by-law. I even mentioned that I don't charge my uncle for my time, it's just and oil change or putting on winter tires. I was then told it doesn't matter if I charge money or not. I was told I need a business licence to do any work on vehicles that I don't own. She went on to say licences were about $260 a year plus what ever else is needed (AMVIC $250, fire, etc.).

I asked why it's illegal to help family with simple auto repairs and was told that it caused unnecessary traffic on my residential street. Which I went on to ask, if my uncle is coming over to visit, how is that unnecessary traffic. Answer I was given was that's the way it is and I should go to my uncles house to do his auto repairs.

I looked up the by law (32M98) and the law checks out, but this is absurd. I guess this is more a rant but maybe the law needs some looking at. Pretty much i'm told that helping family is illegal, so much for caring communities in Calgary.

Opinions anyone?

Last edited by bensonchuong; 06-14-2018 at 02:51 PM.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:39 PM   #2
Hockeyguy15
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Get the business licence, laugh when said councilor can't complain anymore?
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Looks like you'll need one long before I will. May I suggest deflection king?
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:40 PM   #3
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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
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:43 PM   #4
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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
It's true. I used to live across from a guy who would work on cars constantly, he would crack the garage door about a foot (I assume to allow some ventilation) and the constant sound of the compressor and associated tools was super annoying.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:44 PM   #5
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I used to have a tenant at my rental house, who did what you do. Rent was paid on-time, so I did not know that he was doing it. He pretty much ruined the property. In summer, he did it in the backyard. In winter, he took engines into the basement and fixed them over there. Driveway was all covered in oil stains, grass was ruined, carpet was ruined, walls were all smudged. And at the end, all I could do was take the $1,800 deposit. Yes, I could have sued him, but what would I get even if I had won?


So, yeah, it is a good By-Law and, yeah, you should not use your house for any auto-repairs other than for your own vehicle.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:46 PM   #6
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you could 'buy' the car from your uncle each time you work on it; so if bylaw ever says anything you can produce a bill of sale, filled out that day, for the vehicle. You would technically own it, even if sold for $1.
Then shred the bill of sale when you're done.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:47 PM   #7
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you could 'buy' the car from your uncle each time you work on it; so if bylaw ever says anything you can produce a bill of sale, filled out that day, for the vehicle. You would technically own it, even if sold for $1.
Then shred the bill of sale when you're done.
Yeah that likely wouldn't fly with bylaw, he would need to get the registration changed over. It would be easier to just do the oil change at his uncles.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:48 PM   #8
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I used to have a tenant at my rental house, who did what you do. Rent was paid on-time, so I did not know that he was doing it. He pretty much ruined the property. In summer, he did it in the backyard. In winter, he took engines into the basement and fixed them over there. Driveway was all covered in oil stains, grass was ruined, carpet was ruined, walls were all smudged. And at the end, all I could do was take the $1,800 deposit. Yes, I could have sued him, but what would I get even if I had won?


So, yeah, it is a good By-Law and, yeah, you should not use your house for any auto-repairs other than for your own vehicle.
I don't think that the bylaw has anything to do with that.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:48 PM   #9
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By-law makes sense although the traffic congestion excuse is weak. Repair shops aren't something anyone wants as a home based business in their neighborhood.

That being said, this by-law doesn't seem like something officers seek out violators for so you've probably made an enemy somewhere along the way assuming you don't have a front yard that looks like a chop shop with engine blocks hanging from trees.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:49 PM   #10
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So do everything allowable by law right up to the line of legality. Run your air tools every allowable hour for 2 weeks straight, then ask the councillor if they want to continue following the exact letter of the law or relax and let you go back to helping out family once in awhile.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:51 PM   #11
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So do everything allowable by law right up to the line of legality. Run your air tools every allowable hour for 2 weeks straight, then ask the councillor if they want to continue following the exact letter of the law or relax and let you go back to helping out family once in awhile.
Well it could be any neighbour annoyed with the sound. It isn't hard to complain to bylaw.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:53 PM   #12
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By-law makes sense although the traffic congestion excuse is weak. Repair shops aren't something anyone wants as a home based business in their neighborhood.

That being said, this by-law doesn't seem like something officers seek out violators for so you've probably made an enemy somewhere along the way assuming you don't have a front yard that looks like a chop shop with engine blocks hanging from trees.
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?
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:53 PM   #13
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I don't think that the bylaw has anything to do with that.
Obtaining a business license for home use requires a certain review process and may involve notification of the neighbours, who a) are made aware and b) can voice objections/concerns. In my case, he could not have obtained that license, because I wouldn't have consented.
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Old 06-14-2018, 12:55 PM   #14
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issue coudl also be with middle aged guy across the lane trying to enjoy his deck on a nice summer night what you are boring out cylinders and what not. or the retired woman trying to enjoy her garden while you are doing your 3rd engine rebuild on the summer.

to me there is a reasonable amount of stuff you can do, and then there is too much - sounds to me like you may have crossed the line
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Old 06-14-2018, 01:01 PM   #15
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issue coudl also be with middle aged guy across the lane trying to enjoy his deck on a nice summer night what you are boring out cylinders and what not. or the retired woman trying to enjoy her garden while you are doing your 3rd engine rebuild on the summer.

to me there is a reasonable amount of stuff you can do, and then there is too much - sounds to me like you may have crossed the line
Except he's allowed to bore out cylinders on his own vehicles, which the way I read the OP is what's happening. The bylaw doesn't stipulate what work is reasonable for a residence, it stipulates who the work is for.

Bylaw is complaining about oil changes and an annual tire swap. If that impedes someone's gardening or deck lounging perhaps they should move to a cabin in the woods.
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Old 06-14-2018, 01:03 PM   #16
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It's a moot point anyways; you don't bore out cylinders in your garage. Rebuilding an engine makes less cumulative noise than your neighbour mowing his lawn.
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Old 06-14-2018, 01:04 PM   #17
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Except he's allowed to bore out cylinders on his own vehicles...
It's not only the business license By-Law. There are other By-Laws that deal with unreasonable amount of nuisance you cause to prevent others from enjoying their properties. Noise could be one of them.
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Old 06-14-2018, 01:05 PM   #18
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yes but OP said they do the major repairs which would irritate the crap out of me if a compressor and impact gun were being used alot. I preform repairs myself on our vehicles but stick to all hand tools.

Doing the repairs themselves isn't an issue just the related noise. OP didn't state they were using air tools so I'm not judging.

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Old 06-14-2018, 01:05 PM   #19
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The neighbour is a dink.
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Old 06-14-2018, 01:11 PM   #20
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Except he's allowed to bore out cylinders on his own vehicles, which the way I read the OP is what's happening. The bylaw doesn't stipulate what work is reasonable for a residence, it stipulates who the work is for.

Bylaw is complaining about oil changes and an annual tire swap. If that impedes someone's gardening or deck lounging perhaps they should move to a cabin in the woods.
TBQH, if he has bylaw coming around to enforce this, he's regularly doing more than just an oil change and tire swap. The "pretty major repairs" he mentions isn't something a person only working on their own car would have to do more than once in a number of years. So if he's routinely doing engine rebuilds and the like, it's not unreasonable for someone in the area to assume he's operating an unlicensed business.
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