Headed to court again...for restoring classic trucks!

[PICKMUP]

You may have heard, I was charged by a state patrol officer for operating a wrecking yard without a license. I sold an extra used part/bumper from one of my restoration parts vehicles.
I have been restoring 67-72 GM trucks, as an at home hobby, for over 20 years. I have been in the 67-72 new truck parts licensed business for 13 years, but there was no way the officer would recognize the the difference between restoration activities and wrecking yard operations.
The first case was in a criminal court and dismissed for lack of evidence. The second set of charges with fines of $25,000, was issued administratively based on the same set of charges that were thrown out of District Court.
WSP with the Dept of Lic and Atty Gen told me to get a lawyer. They will accept $12,000 and an admission of guilt or they will press for the full $25K fines in Admin Court before a state paid judge.
It looks like we will be in court Monday! $12K is crazy and $25K is the real crime here. It is like legalized extortion! We have been trying to settle this for nine months. I have two lawyers: one for each court.
Oh, WSP officer says buying or selling at swap meets, CL, Ebay or any other means is also illegal. We need some laws changed to protect our hobby, but that will be a big battle and too late for me. I would sure prefer to be building trucks, rather than fighting governments.

[brothers69c-10]

The only thing i can say is that sucks!
I've been selling stuff on craigslist for several years and never had no problems.

What i don't understand is that you are a licensed dealer to sell aftermarket parts and there is no crime in selling used parts laying a round in your garage. If that is the case garage and yard sales should be illegal too. Sounds like somebody just got a wild hair up their ass and decided to pick on you which is in no way shape or form right.

[tnblazerk5]

Originally Posted by brothers69c-10

The only thing i can say is that sucks!
I've been selling stuff on craigslist for several years and never had no problems.

What i don't understand is that you are a licensed dealer to sell aftermarket parts and there is no crime in selling used parts laying a round in your garage. If that is the case garage and yard sales should be illegal too. Sounds like somebody just got a wild hair up their ass and decided to pick on you which is in no way shape or form right.

i agree

[Jacfourteen]

That's crazy! I thought we had some crappy laws here in CA, but this wins hands down. Reminds me of when I got a bad $50 bill and went to buy lunch at taco bell, I willingly gave my name, phone #, and licence plate # (drive thru), because the local police were to busy to come talk to me then. I never heard back, thought they just wrote a report and forgot about it. 6 months later I was checking out my tweeker sister in law on the court records, looked up my name for the hell of it and found out there was a warrant for me! The ADA was pushing for me to plead guilty and take a fine and 12 months in jail, and I have no record of anything. My mom was pissed and called the DA and made a hell of a stink with him and he threw it out. Hope yours get thrown out too. Good luck.

[tommys69/454]

that is crappy, hope you make out well. i agree some one or neighbor has a bone to pick or a crooked hair up <3$$ let us know how it goes and I am rooting for you!!!!!!!!!

[Sinister]

Sorry to hear that. That sucks. Good luck with it.

[harshard]

Too Political

[dhaymaker]

WSP Officer must be a F # $ % lover!!!

[N2TRUX]

Have you thought about contacting SEMA are similar organizations? It might be worth looking in to.

[nickp51chevy]

We need to start a petition to have at the Monroe swap meet. Isn't it like 10,000 signatures to get something in to legislation or started? I don't know, just guessing here.

Out of curiosity, what is the RCW they are charging you with? I want to look it up.

[b1kem1ke]

That is a ridiculous law.

Good to know the WSP is still only for revenue.


CP

[ETsC10]

Frank that sucks big time!

I mean---you're off in the boondocks, keep a low profile, have your
second hand dealer's license, have documentation for the rigs...
...what the H??!!! do they want??

If there's anything I can do...(and I'm sure many of our other local
board members feel the same way)...I will write letters, show my
support in court, whatever......just say the word!

For Gods sake---we're talking 40 year old parts here!

I rarely get too riled but this fries me..

[big_al_71]

I have never heard such a thing. Good luck to you..Let us know how you make out...

[RED67]

maybe they need to find something else better to do..........I'd be ashamed if I was such a prick.....I mad for ya brutha.....Good luck

[Castiron9]

Frank that's B.S......State is 2 Billion plus in the hole,they have to find revenue any where they can even if it means basically extorting money from law abiding citizens.I think we do need to start some sort of petition.Let me know too if you need any letters written or maybe we can flood some senators office with e-mails or letters,etc.Keep us posted.

[Infanti]

Frank,sorry to hear you have to go thru something like this.What is the stipulations between a wrecking yard and what you are doing.How is it defined in the regulations?

[72Levi]

Have you tried to contact the local TV stations? Public support and/or media assistance may help you. Selling on ebay, CL illegal? Thats crazy, Unreal! You should do some research, don't let the lawyers milk you, I hope it works out for you. Obviously its about money, yours!

[nickp51chevy]

Originally Posted by 72Levi

Have you tried to contact the local TV stations?

Ya! Get Jesse!

http://www.king5.com/news/get-jesse

[Longhorn Man]

keep politics out of this guys.

Frank, you need to call Wes (classic heartbeat), he was told a few years ago that he was not able to sell used parts anymore, and he stopped.

[72Levi]

I'm from Texas, Jesse? He looks like a reporter to help out the common guy. My dad was an engineer at a local TV station and he always said public officials hate TV news spots about ridiculous persecutions, contact the TV they may help you.

[BarryB]

Wow thats crazy, Hope it all works out for you.

[allthrottle,nobottle]

Originally Posted by tnblazerk5

i agree

me too... thats total BS

[pmpski_1]

Originally Posted by nickp51chevy

Ya! Get Jesse!

http://www.king5.com/news/get-jesse

Totally. I've always wanted something to happen so I could Get Jesse. Wait. I should be careful what I wish for.

Based on my experience in the 10 years I've been in this state, if enough people get behind an effort to overturn this law it could happen. How many Monorail votes were there?

[Mondo]

Are your spare trucks out in the open? A lot of people (neighbors) would consider that an eyesore... and it could kind of look like a wrecking yard.

Sorry to sound harsh but we went thru this locally and a law was passed that disabled vehicles had to have a fitted car cover over them or be behind solid fences.

[mr48chev]

The state has sent a team around trying to nail what they think are illegal wrecking yards for at least the past 20 years. They sent them to two guys I know on a regular basis and neither had stuff for sale although both had a ton of cars on their property. One is my neighbor 3/4 of a mile away with a few hundred pieces of rust on his place. The other is a cranky cuss that ran them and everyone else off his property on a regular basis and it was well known locally that nothing was for sale and don't think about asking. He did have a sale last fall and got rid of all but a select handful of keepers.

The state would rather go after guys who are visible and easy pickings and put trumped up charges on them then hunt out the guys who are actually junking one rig after another in their back yards and selling off the parts on a daily basis. In many cases I think it is busybody's who make it their business to contact the city, county or state when they see things that they personally don't like or that they think will cause problems with their property values.

A good friend over here who runs a legit wrecking yard just moved his yard about a mile from the river bottom and a flood plane to the other side of the freeway. The state helped make the move possible with a land trade and before it was all said and done and even now he is having battles with hoity toity winery owners or would be winery owners who are in abject fear that their snooty customers will get upset by having to drive by a wrecking yard of all things. That particular wrecking yard ships more dollar value of crushed cars every month then any of those wineries sells wine in a year. He is also the guy with the hulk license who pulls abandoned vehicles out of their vineyards and property.

I'd rather see them go after the cut and paste rebuild shops that seem to spring up in every back ally here in the valley. They patch back together a constant stream of totals with work that may or may not be up to par and then most of the cars end up being sold by curbsiders. One has had a different car for sale in his front yard at least once a week for the past seven years that I have been working at the airport.