Mechanic complaint to council

lcharm

Hi guys,

One of my neighbours approached me yesterday to tell me that someone had made a complaint about noise from his mechanic set up in his garage.

He does use stuff like compressors but only ever between about 10am to no later than 8/9pm and most of the time it's just hand tools he uses.

Reason he's done this is because he can't get a job so it was the only viable option for him.

He's really upset as it's his only source of income right now and doesn't know what to do.

His immediate neigbours are okay with it and they even go to him to get work done but there are a couple of others on our road who have moaned at him in the past for 'this and that' and he suspects it's them

Any advice to pass on to him?

s_b

yes tell him to go rent a workshop or go mobile
pay some of these bills on the table like the rest of us do that do it legitimately

lcharm

How is it not legitimate? Thousand of people run businesses from home legitimately, what makes his case different?

It's expensive to do that especially at the rates he charges. I take it you'd rather he'd just go broke so he stops paying taxxes and start claiming benefits instead then?

podperson

Is he actually making noise from 10am to around 9pm - as tbh I think I would be complaining about that as well! Perhaps the people complaining are the ones that are in all day so have hours and hours of it? I don't think there's much he would be able to do to argue against it - as apart from the noise I'm guessing he's also not going to have notified the council that he's using his property for business use. Can he try asking local garages and workshops if he might be able to rent a bench cheaply?

lcharm

It's not constant noise he uses a compressor for no more than 5 mins at a time and tries to minimise the amoubt of time he runs engines.

I live fairly close and don't experience any noise whatsoever and in fact about 4-5 neighbours use his services so I;m sure it's not a problem for them. I've had worse problems from people carrying out extensions over a period of several months and their constant drilling.

Wywth

lcharm wrote: »

Hi guys,

One of my neighbours approached me yesterday to tell me that someone had made a complaint about noise from his mechanic set up in his garage.

He does use stuff like compressors but only ever between about 10am to no later than 8/9pm and most of the time it's just hand tools he uses.

Reason he's done this is because he can't get a job so it was the only viable option for him.

He's really upset as it's his only source of income right now and doesn't know what to do.

His immediate neigbours are okay with it and they even go to him to get work done but there are a couple of others on our road who have moaned at him in the past for 'this and that' and he suspects it's them

Any advice to pass on to him?

It sounds like he is trying to find out who squealed on him.

My advice to you is not to get involved.

lcharm

Wywth wrote: »

It sounds like he is trying to find out who squealed on him.

My advice to you is not to get involved.

He's pretty confident who's squealed on him and he knows he can't do much about that and in fact he's been quite diplomatic with them when they've asked him not to make noise he turns equipment off and works with hand tools instead.

He's actually a good mate too and I've known him a while so he only wants to know how to deal with the council and what his options are as he's not clued up with rules and regs when it comes to these matters.

prowla

What's the terms of his garage lease?
It may not allow business use.

Wywth

lcharm wrote: »

He's pretty confident who's squealed on him and he knows he can't do much about that and in fact he's been quite diplomatic with them when they've asked him not to make noise he turns equipment off and works with hand tools instead.

He's actually a good mate too and I've known him a while so he only wants to know how to deal with the council and what his options are as he's not clued up with rules and regs when it comes to these matters.

The best way for him to deal with the council is for him to contact them and discuss the matter.

They will advise what he is and isn't allowed to do as far as they are concerned.

lcharm

prowla wrote: »

What's the terms of his garage lease?
It may not allow business use.

He's inherited the property of his Dad a few years ago so he joint owns it with his siblings and it's been with the family for 20+ years so they don't want to sell it.

s_b

lcharm wrote: »

How is it not legitimate? Thousand of people run businesses from home legitimately, what makes his case different?

It's expensive to do that especially at the rates he charges. I take it you'd rather he'd just go broke so he stops paying taxxes and start claiming benefits instead then?

are the council aware
does he have planning
does he pay business rates for the part hes trading from
whats his house insurers say
what do the local fire brigade say
what do all his neighbours say (remember cars coming and going as well as compressor noises)
how is he bunding his oils
what is he doing with his waste
is he declaring (remember hes charging cheap labour rates so cutting the blood supply of existing repair businesses who comply with all relevant laws

should i go on?