Is it legal to run a auto repair shop from your home in Garden Grove CA?

I had someone repair my car at his home in Garden Grove, CA, he said he has applied for licensing and this is his "shop". HE TOTALLY ripped me off with the repairs, they weren't done properly %26amp; argued constantly w/ his mechanic. They were supposed to finish the job (I took my car home after 6 days of this bs with the generator light on just to get it out of there) he told me to order the parts to finish it, I did, Sat. I get a call later in the day on my cell that he and his mechanic are fighting %26amp; that mechanic won't be doing it at all. Next day I get a call and he tells me that he doesn't owe me any thing and will only fix 1 item, he did not give me a written estimate before hand and wanted me to sign in 2 places an invoice that also stated he gave me an estimate, of course this is all after I paid him (just to get the car away from him). I refused %26amp; now I know he is endangering a disabled person by doing a conversion on his car, this man %26amp; mechanics are maniacs. HELP!

Is it legal to run a auto repair shop from your home in Garden Grove CA?
AT THE LEAST HE IS PROBABLY VIOLATING ZONING LAWS.
Reply:UH NO, anyone who is doing work out of their house is called a shade tree mechanic, they just want your money, you can take this guy to court but first I would get in touch with the gov't office that handles business licenses, he lied to you and is taking advantage of anyone who drives up. You can call the TV station with this call for action type of scenario, especially if he has graduated to ripping off the disabled, they will eat that up..


Good luck
Reply:I doubt that his home is zoned as commercial property. So running a business there is against the law. Call the zoning commission and report him. Let the city shut him down. good luck. Write it off as a lesson learned.
Reply:you,ll have to check the zoning laws in your area ,chances are it may be legal for him to do this,not all mechanics are bad though, there are a lot of good ones also,just a few that are like this,good luck.
Reply:To do auto repair in California you need a license from the BAR. All that is required is an application and a fee, period. They don't care about anything else such as training or equipment. The city or county may have a problem depending on zoning. File a complaint with the BAR. It's in the state gov. listings in the phone book under the dept of consumer affairs. They have a toll free number, Stop this guy before he rips someone else off. They have the power to get your money back ,in a case like this.
Reply:well for one he may not be reporting the funds recieved to the IRS and secondly there is a business zoning law he would be violationg