Homebased business A$$pain

One of my neighbors in our new neighborhood complained that I was operating a business out of my house and now I am firmly entrenched in the bureaucracy of Lexington, SC. There are so many restrictions I was not aware of like no signage of any kind permitted on the vehicles, no obvious commercial machinery or equipment (pressure washing truck…hello), employees are not allowed to EVER come to our house, and a few more.
So now I have to submit photos, documents, drawings and file for a variance with the county which is a two month process. What a pain in the butt!
Let this be a warning to others just starting out. Check your city/county regulations on running a home-based business so you know what you might be up against if someone squeals on ya’

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Which of those apllies to you and why would you think they apply to you?

Unless you are in a community with an HOA, I don’t think having a lettered vehicle should necessarily be a problem. Plenty of people drive their work vehicles home at the end of the day. It’s not like all of those employees are actively advertising that they’re operating that business from their homes.

As far as the other restrictions, I think you might be reading them in the harshest manner possible, when they might not be meant quite that way.

Do you have a shed to store all of your other equipment?

Having employees come to your home to start their day is not the same thing as employing them there. And it’s also not the same as having a retail business in your home with customers coming and going all the time.

And you also have to consider: is it even really a home based occupation if you don’t perform your work at home? You simply store your mobile-based work equipment there.

(Edit: I looked up the zoning rules, and they still consider it a home based occupation :confused:)

A few years ago, we had a neighbor complain to our HOA about our “home based business”. We put in a tent-shed to hide some of the stuff that had accumulated, and filled out a slip of paper explaining the nature and extent of our business activity. We haven’t had an issue since. But they’re pretty laid back here.

Pg 26: http://www.lex-co.com/departments/communitydevelopment/Ordinance1813ZoningAmend.pdf

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People aren’t bringing their business to your house, you are living there (with a percentage as an office) and leaving for work.

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Just go rent a warehouse space for your trailer or equipment and put that as your address. Or go to a close by ups store and rent a mailbox for your business address. Your neighbors probably don’t like seeing your equipment sitting out. Heck in mine, you can’t have a boat or anything in the front or side, has to be hidden.

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I’m sorry to hear your having to deal with that. On the Columbia side, a few years ago I clarified and they said one work vehicle would be allowed in the drive. At the time I was window cleaning, so I wasn’t too worried about chemicals, but as long as I don’t have all my stuff in the yard I don’t think anyone will care. Our neighbors are laid back. I hope you won’t have to be too strict in following the rules. I feel like we can skirt around most of them without too many issues, so hopefully it works out that way for you. Please keep us posted.

That’s crazy, I’m surprised they haven’t told you witch leg is permitted to leave the front door first every morning, left or right.

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I agree with these guys above but at the end of the day if a city inspector is having a day well they pretty much have the pen. It’s pretty lame your neighbor can’t tend to their own. Hate to hear of your troubles. If you got land near by that’s within reason by an acre and boom. Rick had a good suggestion too.

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@TDCServices I went and got the Town biz license earlier this year but then went over to the county building and they basically told me that I only needed to be registered with them in regards to the business being operated at my home in Lex county. The guy made it seem as if there was no need to have it to actually clean homes in county limits, but just for the sake that my home / base of operation is in the county. He gave me a form and I left and haven’t returned. My HOA and neighborhood are less than intimidating as this is definitely a working class neighborhood that I’m in and nearly every other driveway has a work truck or van in it. And if someone doesn’t like my truck in my drive then they can start by getting their boat out of their driveway and maybe mow the lawn more than once a season. Or move their fence from the front corner of the house to the back corner of the house. Or whatever other ridiculous rules HOA’s come up with. :man_facepalming:

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@PWP5gpm summed it up…I am in their cross-hairs now and it doesn’t really matter what makes sense or what I think. I have to submit photos of my truck and a detailed drawing of the parking pad and carport we are adding (my house doesn’t have a garage or carport).
I obtained the permit for occupancy ($75) and will file for a variance ($125) that allows me to park my truck here and have our house cleaning employees come by for supplies and admin stuff.
If the variance is rejected, I will rent space at a storage facility for the truck but we’re not sure how we’re going to get around the cleaning ladies coming here.

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If anyone complains about the cleaning ladies coming to your home just tell them that they are there to provide you with a service. They can’t prove they aren’t and there aren’t any laws about having your front door knob cleaned everyday by however many different people. :man_shrugging:

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Sounds like they just want money and for you to be registered. Its not like you own a salon in your home. It makes me wonder though how they deal with all the business vehicles that companies let their employees drive home…

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That’s completely legal as the business isn’t run from their house. We have several company vehicles in the neighborhood (Spectrum, Clarks pest control, HVAC companies)
Ironically, if we open a shop I can drive my truck home everyday and fully wrap the sucker!

I agree. My last neighborhood had more HOA restrictions but nobody complained. Just be warned, if someone ever does complain, you’ll have to follow all the ridiculous restrictions.

@TDCServices I’ll gladly comply if everyone else in the neighborhood complies. I’ve debated on going to a small trailer rather than out of the back of my truck, but one of the HOA’s rules is that there are no trailers allowed to be left in the front yard. I’m not interested in destroying my lawn to drive a trailer into my backyard, and my garage is too full of other stuff for me to cram a trailer in there. But to my left there is a 16ft flatbed trailer, two jet skis and a pontoon boat…all in the front yard. Numerous “offenses” throughout the neighborhood at almost every other house, so hopefully I don’t have to start that battle any time soon.

Heavy sarcasm here, but it looks so different in the yard when an owner parks one vehicle in the yard as opposed to an employee. Hopefully the city will be reasonable and just be cool with you once you go through the process.

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I feel ya’ but it wont matter what everyone else is doing if they come to look at you. It’s kind of like speeding…you get pulled over while hundreds of other drivers fly by as he’s writing the ticket :roll_eyes:

Thats why I want to rent a storage building nearby.

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