Does your town 'selectively enforce'?

[Steve]

Does your town selectively enforce rules on some businesses running out of residential properties and not others?

It seems this selective enforcement goes on quite a bit.

Township discovered to have illegal businesses (http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/091206/loc_businesses001.shtml) - The revelation came after witnesses testified Monday at a hearing in Macomb County Circuit Court to support the claim that Jason Soulliere is operating a prohibited commercial business, Soulliere Yard Care & Landscaping, on residential property on Ebling Road.

The hearing will continue later this month or in October in front of Judge John Foster to determine whether the business should shut down while the legal dispute is resolved.

Township Clerk Karol Lee Regius will testify at the next hearing that several businesses have ceased or will soon cease operating on residential properties, said Christine Anderson, a township attorney. The crackdown is a result of Soulliere complaining in court documents that 23 property owners in Bruce were illegally operating. Soulliere identified the properties to show that the township is selectively enforcing the zoning ordinance.

[tiedeman]

Yes, if you know certain people, then they do look the other way. I have confronted city officials on many businesses regarding zoning, ordiances and bidding processes.

[tiedeman]

After reading the artcile though, when the guy has large trucks coming and going, dumping off supplies, load noises, then yes they need to crack down. But the fact that he has been there since 1970, I think that they should let him be, but restrict the large trucks.

[Steve]

This just made me think, didn't you run into a problem in the past with the town? You had caught something they were doing in error with the contracts? How did that work out?

[tiedeman]

Yup, I caught them not following the bid procedure correctly. They were playing favoritism towards other companys. They admitted that they made a mistake for the one bid, but claim they did not mess up with other bids. But I still find that hard to believe.