My friend lives in a California coastal town of 37,000 people. He has owned a property with two houses on it there since 1985. My friend lives in one house, the other one he rents out. The noise definitely drags down the value of the property. The property is located in a residential area and adjacent from what used to be a tire shop. the tire shop has over the yars expanded its business to also do brakes and other repairs. The noise of impact wrenches and hammering etc has been pervasive and increasing with an increase of business over the years. My friend, who is now retired, sort of missed the increased noise levels in the beginning, because he went to work early and came home late for many years. My friend has been retired for a few years, and he is very unhappy witn the noise issue.
Many times he has complained to the owner of the shop and also at city hall. the owner of the shop happens to be the president of the local chamber of commerce. Nobody can show my friend the business permits that a business requires to operate. When my friend inquired at the Chamber of Commerce what would happen if one of their members did noit have all the required permits to conduct his business. My friend was told the issue would be taken to the board of supervisors. A few months later, my friend went back to find out to what conclusion the board of supervisors had come, but he was not given any information and sent home.
Some time ago, the son of the tire shop's owner began harassing my friend in public. He made rude gestures, made finger guns, yelled obscenities, called my friend names and even revved his car's engine and sped towards my friend who was walking on the sidewalk, all in an effort to intimidate and threaten. My friend wrote a letter to city hall in which he explained what had happened and he said that someone would eventually get hurt. They flipped that around on him and my friend was shortly after stopped by the police was walking in the street. He was told he had made threats against the owner of the tire shop, who apparently had told the police he had been harassing my friend until he feared for his life. At the same time, my friend was give an restraining order against the tire shop owner. My friend was also accused of terrorist threats. He had to surrender his three guns. The former mayor of the town, who knows my friend and has visited his house in the past, had told the police that he kept guns in his garage. He actually kept his guns in a gun locker in the attic.
My friend went to the district attorney who, based on all the information, including the police report, decided not to prosecute my friend for supposedly having made terrorist threats. He said he would investigate what was going on, but it has been half a year and so far he seems to have done nothing.
My friend has spent lots of money on attorney's in the past. he actually got repeatedly screwed over by his attorneys who basically ended up telling him to give up. According to his last attorney, my friend is no longer allowed to use his video camera on his own premises to record sound and images, and he is neither allowed into the chamber of commerce, nor is he allowed to attend chamber of commerce functions.
After a confidential open investigation in 1999 and now another investigation of the tire shop in 2014 by the city manager, she refuses to meet with my friend on these issues as of May 29, 2014.
My friend has even asked a senator for help, but he is always sent away after being promised they would look into the matter.
Documents of public record by the city clerk and the staff report show: Revocation of use permit, site development permit and coastal development permit in 1987, Memo filed by planning intern in 2004, newspaper letter to the editor: tire shop must apply for a use permit from the planning commission at a public hearing. A letter from law offices in 1999 to code enforcement. Request for compliance letter in this matter of conditional use permit along with a confidential open investigation in 1999. All this indicates that the tire shop does not have the required business permits to operate the business.
The business was expanded, but the parcel number was not included in the conditional use permit obtained in1985, nor has a use permit been obtained since.
At a meeting in 2014, a lot of businesses did not have certificate of occupancy.
However, a letter from the city manager declares that the tire shop has all required permits. Nu they cannot produce them. At one point my friend, on his insistence of being shown a permit, was given a blank piece of paper and charged a fee.
In addition, the tire shop is using the front parking lot to store vehicles, which was intended for customer parking for all the businesses and not permitted per Municipal Code.
My friend's neighbors all support him in as far that they tell him to keep up the good work and to keep fighting, but none of them will even sign a petition about the noise issue. My friend has talked to newspaper editors and to investigative tv sources. They always say they will investigate but never get back.
For the past years or so, the noise level has become very low, and sometimes there is no noise for two weeks at a time. The question is how this business stays in business if they can['t conduct their business. And it seems the owner is finally getting pressured by someone. Most of all it is strange how city hall and local police have seemingly been conspiring against a citizen whose rights are being trampled.
I guess you can't fight city hall, or can you? And where do you go? If you go higher than city hall, they send you right back there!
hotwheels
Many times he has complained to the owner of the shop and also at city hall. the owner of the shop happens to be the president of the local chamber of commerce. Nobody can show my friend the business permits that a business requires to operate. When my friend inquired at the Chamber of Commerce what would happen if one of their members did noit have all the required permits to conduct his business. My friend was told the issue would be taken to the board of supervisors. A few months later, my friend went back to find out to what conclusion the board of supervisors had come, but he was not given any information and sent home.
Some time ago, the son of the tire shop's owner began harassing my friend in public. He made rude gestures, made finger guns, yelled obscenities, called my friend names and even revved his car's engine and sped towards my friend who was walking on the sidewalk, all in an effort to intimidate and threaten. My friend wrote a letter to city hall in which he explained what had happened and he said that someone would eventually get hurt. They flipped that around on him and my friend was shortly after stopped by the police was walking in the street. He was told he had made threats against the owner of the tire shop, who apparently had told the police he had been harassing my friend until he feared for his life. At the same time, my friend was give an restraining order against the tire shop owner. My friend was also accused of terrorist threats. He had to surrender his three guns. The former mayor of the town, who knows my friend and has visited his house in the past, had told the police that he kept guns in his garage. He actually kept his guns in a gun locker in the attic.
My friend went to the district attorney who, based on all the information, including the police report, decided not to prosecute my friend for supposedly having made terrorist threats. He said he would investigate what was going on, but it has been half a year and so far he seems to have done nothing.
My friend has spent lots of money on attorney's in the past. he actually got repeatedly screwed over by his attorneys who basically ended up telling him to give up. According to his last attorney, my friend is no longer allowed to use his video camera on his own premises to record sound and images, and he is neither allowed into the chamber of commerce, nor is he allowed to attend chamber of commerce functions.
After a confidential open investigation in 1999 and now another investigation of the tire shop in 2014 by the city manager, she refuses to meet with my friend on these issues as of May 29, 2014.
My friend has even asked a senator for help, but he is always sent away after being promised they would look into the matter.
Documents of public record by the city clerk and the staff report show: Revocation of use permit, site development permit and coastal development permit in 1987, Memo filed by planning intern in 2004, newspaper letter to the editor: tire shop must apply for a use permit from the planning commission at a public hearing. A letter from law offices in 1999 to code enforcement. Request for compliance letter in this matter of conditional use permit along with a confidential open investigation in 1999. All this indicates that the tire shop does not have the required business permits to operate the business.
The business was expanded, but the parcel number was not included in the conditional use permit obtained in1985, nor has a use permit been obtained since.
At a meeting in 2014, a lot of businesses did not have certificate of occupancy.
However, a letter from the city manager declares that the tire shop has all required permits. Nu they cannot produce them. At one point my friend, on his insistence of being shown a permit, was given a blank piece of paper and charged a fee.
In addition, the tire shop is using the front parking lot to store vehicles, which was intended for customer parking for all the businesses and not permitted per Municipal Code.
My friend's neighbors all support him in as far that they tell him to keep up the good work and to keep fighting, but none of them will even sign a petition about the noise issue. My friend has talked to newspaper editors and to investigative tv sources. They always say they will investigate but never get back.
For the past years or so, the noise level has become very low, and sometimes there is no noise for two weeks at a time. The question is how this business stays in business if they can['t conduct their business. And it seems the owner is finally getting pressured by someone. Most of all it is strange how city hall and local police have seemingly been conspiring against a citizen whose rights are being trampled.
I guess you can't fight city hall, or can you? And where do you go? If you go higher than city hall, they send you right back there!
hotwheels
