[AT] tractor repair in residential garages

[James Peck]

The question I have is what trade group lobbied the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to pass legislation regulating what you can do in your own garage?

http://www.bos.saccounty.net/Pages/default.aspx

[ Grant Brians] <snip>       Rules about who can work on vehicles, doing what and where are classic HOA problems. Governments that attempt to regulate people working on their vehicles or their friends' vehicles off-street in non-HOA situations are almost always unconstitutional under the California Constitution unless pollution concerns can be documented and proven. Other places often do not offer the protection our constitution does in this circumstance. I would wager the first time that Sacramento County is taken to court on this rule's application and administrative guideline their county attorneys will either lose in court or choose to make the county change the guidance and drop many if not most fines and enforcement actions as they will recognize the liability.
      On to tractor repair and painting. That is a not a gray area in terms of repair, but is on painting. Painting can be controlled by the Air Pollution Control districts. They DO have jurisdiction under the EPA and Cal-EPA rules. Businesses that paint without "proper" controls on emissions, etc. can be fined and are. Individual people are not unless they dump paint in sewers or storm drains. Nearly all enforcement is based on complaints from neighbors or inspections of businesses. <snip>