Is Shutting Business Down The Right Thing To Do?

**Meddle** · January-25-13, 10:43 AM

Seeing stories on the local news sites about the City shutting down a number of businesses. From what I've seen, they were zoning issues rather than safety or illegal products. Seems to be a matter of procedures and permits with the word 'revenue' used.

What is gained by putting more people out of work?

When there are so many other well documented problems, was this a wise use of Police?

**ismoakrack** · January-25-13, 10:52 AM

I saw that story also on Fox 2, making these ostensible desperately poor people just trying to make a buck, look like total sleazes [[surprise, right?) I also thought, besides being hyper-sensationalized, that it was a waste of city resources.

So more people have to sell drugs or whatever to make money, and more buildings go vacant and become targets for arson etc...? Great.

**swingline** · January-25-13, 11:02 AM

The "auto repair" businesses were almost certainly chop shops at least in part. They may do some legitimate repair but very little. And for any body work they do, their parts are sourced from other chop shops. These places are eyesores with dead cars littering their properties. They will often locate on lots zoned R-1 or R-2. They may provide an [[illegal) income for the operators, but they are toxic to already stressed neighborhoods. Glad to see they're being shut down.

**douglasm** · January-25-13, 01:36 PM

I don't think we know the whole story here, but a business operating without a license IS illegal. I think one can assume that if they're operating without a business license they're not paying taxes, including sales and use taxes, so yea, shut them down.

There's the problem of selective enforcement, also. Who is to say to the businesses that do get the proper licenses and permits that they're going to be placed at an operating disadvantage by having to compete with businesses who do not comply with the law.

**Chicago48** · January-26-13, 08:08 AM

Are these businesses paying business taxes, license fees? Probably not. So the city should counsel the people, inform them of the license fees and proper setup, which I'm sure the city officials do....and the "owners" probably decide not to comply.
I had a brother who setup the next door vacant lot as his "body shop" and fixed cars, made a little money, but it looked bad and the city shut him down.

**ismoakrack** · January-26-13, 11:24 AM

If they are chop shops, then I agree they should be shut down.

**Wesley Mouch** · January-26-13, 11:45 AM

Illegal activity being shut down isn't bad -- but like using war against Iraq, it may be misguided. Using selective enforcement will catch a lot of good guys, too.

Detroit's building inspection reality is tough. The field staff as whole isn't very smart nor wise. And so many of Detroit's buildings are sub-standard due to the economy and to inconsistent enforcement of codes. Be careful about using this tool to get bad guys. It'll catch a lot of businesses who are just trying to make a go of it.

Truly dangerous situations need to be addressed. Zoning violations needs to be enforced very carefully and gently until the staff is better and the business have some time to adjust.

[[Do I sound like a bleeding-heart liberal here?)

**Meddle** · January-26-13, 02:36 PM

My experience with the Buildings department is that they were never satisfied. You had an inspection where they flagged some things. You did the repairs and called them back to re-inspect and sign off. They would find some other things [[not mentioned the first time). You did the repairs and called them back to re-inspect and sign off. They would find some other things [[not mentioned the first or second times). This could go one for quite a while until you just stopped calling them back for re-inspection.

It was almost like they were penalizing you for bothering them, but if you didn't call them back out again, you never heard from them about whatever they found on the last trip.

I heard a lot of similar stories from other people too.

**JBMcB** · January-26-13, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

It was almost like they were penalizing you for bothering them, but if you didn't call them back out again, you never heard from them about whatever they found on the last trip.

I've heard rumors from skilled trades guys that, if you don't use unionized workers and do it yourself, the inspectors will keep coming up with violations, and they won't find them all at once so you'll have to keep paying them to come out and re-inspect.

**Wesley Mouch** · January-26-13, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

My experience with the Buildings department is that they were never satisfied. You had an inspection where they flagged some things. You did the repairs and called them back to re-inspect and sign off. They would find some other things [[not mentioned the first time). You did the repairs and called them back to re-inspect and sign off. They would find some other things [[not mentioned the first or second times). This could go one for quite a while until you just stopped calling them back for re-inspection.

It was almost like they were penalizing you for bothering them, but if you didn't call them back out again, you never heard from them about whatever they found on the last trip.

I heard a lot of similar stories from other people too.

This is 100% true, in my experience. They write notes on what items you have completed, but when you call for re-inspection, they don't have those notes. The only way to deal with them is to overwhelm them with your own tracking of the issues. Its really hard, but if you are more organized than they are, they will work with you. Most of the inspectors in the field will respect your efforts.