What's new

Specific laws I'd like to know

PaulLovesJamie

rural 5 bay SS
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
1,314
Reaction score
214
Points
63
Location
Kutztown PA
I want to find the specific laws/codes that effect my business on a regular basis. Ideally I will find all the federal and PA codes, but I'll settle for anything you guys know to start with.

My list so far -- Yes I realize there is some overlap and my list is incomplete:

Theft of services
Trash Dumping / Dropping off trash
Dumping oil/gas/tar/etc into the pits (public sewer)
Cleaning oil/gas/tar out of a pickup (runs into drain/sewer)
Parking in front of the no parking sign
Detailing in the bay, meter not running.
"Trespassing" - not leaving the premises when requested
Graffiti
Vandalism
Use of slugs
Use of foreign coins?
Use of tokens other than mine?
Stringing?
Attempted/Successful theft from vending machines
Using my parking lot or bays as a toilet
Littering

Im looking for the specific laws, links would be ideal.
 
Last edited:

DiamondWash

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
2,356
Reaction score
455
Points
83
Location
Des Moines, Iowa
I just damn near had to fight a customer tonight because he didn't want to read and follow our rules/policies, he couldn't understand why I wouldn't allow him to wash out his pick up bed with river rock and mud "This is a Car Wash!" he tells me then after a 5 minute rant of how I should run MY business I even asked him "if a previous customer made a huge mess in that bay would you drive into it" and the comical answer he replied with was "hell no I wouldn't that's why you should clean it up!" OMG next wash I build NO SELF SERVES.
 

MEP001

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
16,667
Reaction score
3,937
Points
113
Location
Texas
Theft of services is going to be hard to nail down because in a way it's based on common sense. If you build a car wash bay and charge by the minute for someone to occupy it, someone parking there to smoke is stealing, right? I've had more than my share of arguing that one, to the point that I just call the cops and file a criminal trespass warrant. Detailing in a bay without the meter running is theft of services.

Dumping oil and stuff in the drains is a felony under the Federal Clean Water Act.

I can tell you the laws in Texas about parking in front of a no parking sign: if it's private property, you have to enforce it. The property owner/manager must post signs stating that towing is enforced for areas of no parking, and the sign has to list the towing company that's used. That's pretty much it, you can tow any car from anywhere you designate as no parking.

Trespassing is best enforced with signs. If they aren't a paying customer, they're trespassing.

Trash dumping and using your property as a toilet is most likely going to be a city ordinance. Find out if someone exposing themselves in public can get them on a registered sex offender list. That'll scare most people straight, as it were.

I'm pretty sure stringing and using slugs is a felony. My best guess on tokens is that it's your responsibility to make sure your equipment won't take ones that aren't yours.
 

sparkey

Active member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
901
Reaction score
182
Points
43
Location
Ohio
Theft of services is going to be hard to nail down because in a way it's based on common sense. If you build a car wash bay and charge by the minute for someone to occupy it, someone parking there to smoke is stealing, right? I've had more than my share of arguing that one, to the point that I just call the cops and file a criminal trespass warrant. Detailing in a bay without the meter running is theft of services.

Dumping oil and stuff in the drains is a felony under the Federal Clean Water Act.

I can tell you the laws in Texas about parking in front of a no parking sign: if it's private property, you have to enforce it. The property owner/manager must post signs stating that towing is enforced for areas of no parking, and the sign has to list the towing company that's used. That's pretty much it, you can tow any car from anywhere you designate as no parking.

Trespassing is best enforced with signs. If they aren't a paying customer, they're trespassing.

Trash dumping and using your property as a toilet is most likely going to be a city ordinance. Find out if someone exposing themselves in public can get them on a registered sex offender list. That'll scare most people straight, as it were.

I'm pretty sure stringing and using slugs is a felony. My best guess on tokens is that it's your responsibility to make sure your equipment won't take ones that aren't yours.
Now if you could only find a police officer that is willing to do anything about it. In my city they wouldn't enforce a single one of these. Its my problem not theirs.
 

Earl Weiss

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
6,211
Reaction score
792
Points
113
I.........e then after a 5 minute rant of how I should run MY business ...........
When someone tells me how to run my business I hold out the keys in one hand and hold the other palm up and say. "Well, since you are so smart and know how to do this better than I just pay me $3 Million and you can run the business. "
 

mac

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
3,558
Reaction score
790
Points
113
One law that I have noticed over the years is that if a leak develops in the equipment room, it will somehow squirt on the most expensive thing in range.
 

Greg Pack

Wash Weenie
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
4,151
Reaction score
1,808
Points
113
Location
Hoover, Alabama
I believe most of them (the non-environmental ones anyway)will be covered under your state codes.

If you can articulate a law was broken, the LEO will likely have to file an incident/offense report. Many don't want to because it is a lot of paperwork and a lot of the time (after he cools down) the victim of petty crimes takes no further action. You may have to be prepared to tell the LEO where he can find the State code that was broken. There are a lot of them out there and they may be only familiar with the ones frequently filed. In my area most departments do not actively pursue misdemeanors, but the victim can take the incident report to the local magistrate and swear out a warrant on the offender. I would only bother filing a report if I knew I had identifying information, could ID the offender, had enough evidence to prosecute and was willing to do so. Often it is just easier to trespass them.
 
Etowah
Top