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Business Premises - Rejected because i'm a garage #

Posted by John Ritchie on February 5, 2010, 8:45 pm
Message modified by board administrator February 6, 2010, 11:55 am

HI all , looking around just now for a better unit than the one i have but was surprised by how many doors were closed as soon as i mentioned i was a small garage (including local council).
The annoying part for me is they don't even want to come out and see my set up and tar us all with the same brush .
The local council a while back told me they don't want the motor trade as they have so much waste and oil everywhere and leave old engine lying outside!! .It appears council and private companies have the opinion we are all the same .
If i were to reject anyone looking for a job on colour or religeon etc ,then i would be breaking the law so how can they do this as in my opinion it is discrimination against garages

Anyone had the same problem ?
John

Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage

Posted by Andrew Clarkson on February 5, 2010, 10:43 pm, in reply to "Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage "

Hi John,

You're not on your own. I spent 6 or 7 years looking for somewhere. Many times when I enquired about a property I would be told by someone sat behind a desk that the property was not suitable for the motor trade, even when there were already other garages on the same site.
Talk about being patronising towards customers.

Andrew,

Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage

Posted by john white on February 6, 2010, 12:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage "
Tony White

hi john.
had same problem a few years back, some landlords not interested in motor trade, apart from us being dirty,smelly & noisey ,car parking was a issue, alot of units you only get 3/4 parking bays & their excuse was cars would be parked all over the place.
good luck,
john

Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage

Posted by Graham Bullock on February 7, 2010, 11:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage "
Graham Bullock

I had the same problem when I wanted a unit on the local industrial estate in the early 80's. I eventually found somewhere else and have been here since. After a few years the estate did finally get one garage and then another and another. The trouble is when you go there now it is what the owners feared in the first place, cars parked everywhere, quite often smashed up cars left in parking places, old tyres and engines etc.

I sympathize with you and hope you do find somewhere shortly.

Graham

Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage

Posted by John Ritchie on February 9, 2010, 10:17 am, in reply to "Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage "
John Ritchie

Thanks for the replies , atleast I'm not alone then

If they just wrote it into your contract that the premises has to be clean & nothing left outside then what would be the problem ?

Regards
John

Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage

Posted by Graham Bullock on February 9, 2010, 11:51 am, in reply to "Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage "
Graham Bullock

Quote John "If they just wrote it into your contract that the premises has to be clean & nothing left outside then what would be the problem ?"

I agree but I suppose it is the usual problem with contracts and law, If you rent out your property and have a contract to be paid for the rent monthly and the tenant does not pay - nine months or a year later you would still be trying to get your money or have them evicted and it would have cost you thousands.

I assume the estate owners are just being very wary.

Graham

Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage

Posted by Pete Mutlow on February 9, 2010, 5:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Business premises- rejected because i'm a garage "
Peter Mutlow

Hi John,

I have never been involved in this sort of thing so perhaps I am being naive. Would it be possible to allay their fears by having a penalty clause written into the contract stating that you would not have old engines and clutter etc causing an eye-sore outside your premises?

Best of luck

Pete M

Re: Business Premises - Rejected because i'm a garage #

Posted by Peter Warman on February 9, 2010, 7:38 pm, in reply to "Business Premises - Rejected because i'm a garage #"
Peter Warman - Administrator

Hi John

I had the same problem over 30 years ago

Back then there was problems with small garages popping up in all sorts of places (most of us started like this) and with space often tight you did get cars pushed outside with missing engines, old oil drums, scrap body panels, gunking off engines etc

Things have now changed but many councils and landlords still have this image in their heads, they cannot imagine a modern workshop being clean tidy, they need re-educating

I did eventually get a workshop which I had for 15 years, they then wanted to redevelop the site into a high tech business park, but the landlords (receivers) did not want me on their shiny new park

...........(long story shortened) another 15 years on I am still here in a new unit. When new customers come in from the park they always comment on how clean and tidy the workshop is, not the image they were expecting

Good luck

Peter

Re: Business Premises - Rejected because i'm a garage #

Posted by John Ritchie on February 9, 2010, 8:55 pm, in reply to "Re: Business Premises - Rejected because i'm a garage #"
John Ritchie

Thanks guys ,

Pete , it should be the way you mentioned but as Peter mentioned they still have this image of old cars and oil drums tying outside and Graham is probably right with his points .
Will write to them on these points so thank you

Regards
John
P.S I want a workshop like your's Peter

Maybe we should have a work shop of the month pics

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