Head's Up For Anyone Doing Business in Calgary!

TreeGuy · #1 02-14-2011, 06:32 PM

I had a run in with a By-law officer today that left me flabbergasted to say the least!

Did you know that if any city property is used to conduct business, you are required to have a $17.50 street use permit or face a $500.00 fine?

Basically, if you park in front of someone's house (or even the back lane) to do work, you are using city property and must have this permit. They can be issued either on a daily basis or annual (no other option), for a low, low fee of $6387.50 + GST.

Even if I parked on private property and hauled my branches the 50' up the sidewalk, I would still be using city property to conduct business and as such be subject to a $500.00 fine for not having this stupid permit.

Plumbers, painters, framers, etc are all subject to this crap. Even the kid up the street that shovels your walks or cuts your grass!

The officer told me it is a quote, "Public safety issue." I mumbled something about it being yet another damn tax grab but didn't push the issue as he was only going to give me a warning. Now I'm in the system and will be fined if the truck is caught working again without a permit. So now we're shut down until we get this figured out! What a joke! Just what a small business needs these days is another $6387.50 +GST rammed down our necks.

Anyone else ever hear of this?

eastcoast · #2 02-14-2011, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

I had a run in with a By-law officer today that left me flabbergasted to say the least!

Did you know that if any city property is used to conduct business, you are required to have a $17.50 street use permit or face a $500.00 fine?

Basically, if you park in front of someone's house (or even the back lane) to do work, you are using city property and must have this permit. They can be issued either on a daily basis or annual (no other option), for a low, low fee of $6387.50 + GST.

Even if I parked on private property and hauled my branches the 50' up the sidewalk, I would still be using city property to conduct business and as such be subject to a $500.00 fine for not having this stupid permit.

Plumbers, painters, framers, etc are all subject to this crap. Even the kid up the street that shovels your walks or cuts your grass!

The officer told me it is a quote, "Public safety issue." I mumbled something about it being yet another damn tax grab but didn't push the issue as he was only going to give me a warning. Now I'm in the system and will be fined if the truck is caught working again without a permit. So now we're shut down until we get this figured out! What a joke! Just what a small business needs these days is another $6387.50 +GST rammed down our necks.

Anyone else ever hear of this?

is this new or has it been around for a while?

I guess you can write some of this off somehow still sucks though.

FishingMOM · #3 02-14-2011, 06:45 PM

Thinking someone was upset you disturbed their sleep with those aweful chainsaws and shovels you so love to use.

TreeGuy · #4 02-14-2011, 06:46 PM

Apparently it's been around for a long time.

I forgot to mention that it doesn't matter if the company is running 1 unit or 100. Same fee. The officer said straight out that it hurts the little guys the most.

And then the best quote of all, "You'll just have to pass the cost along to the consumer."

eastcoast · #5 02-14-2011, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

Apparently it's been around for a long time.

I forgot to mention that it doesn't matter if the company is running 1 unit or 100. Same fee. The officer said straight out that it hurts the little guys the most.

And then the best quote of all, "You'll just have to pass the cost along to the consumer."

well every business does that anyways,seems like a good tax raiser how many plumbing,gas fitting,electrical,landscaping companies are in calgary must be thousands?

James M · #6 02-14-2011, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

Did you know that if any city property is used to conduct business, you are required to have a $17.50 street use permit or face a $500.00 fine?

Basically, if you park in front of someone's house (or even the back lane) to do work, you are using city property and must have this permit. They can be issued either on a daily basis or annual (no other option), for a low, low fee of $6387.50 + GST.

So what is it for the permit? $17.50 or $6,387.50?

FishingMOM · #7 02-14-2011, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastcoast

well every business does that anyways,seems like a good tax raiser how many plumbing,gas fitting,electrical,landscaping companies are in calgary must be thousands?

576 results: plumbers serving Calgary
398 results: electricians serving Calgary
380 results: arborist serving Calgary
454 results: landscapers serving Calgary

What about the banks, or timmies, or mcpuke?
Or are only mobile companies affected?
What about the uniform companys, or the water cooler guys, or fedex or or or.... well you get my point.

vcmm · #8 02-14-2011, 06:56 PM

It's cheaper to risk the fine{if you do the math} What are the odds of getting fined 13 times.. That's just another reason that I left the city I grew up in and avoid it at all cost's
TAX GRABBING FRIGGIN MAGGOTS

Walleyes · #9 02-14-2011, 06:58 PM

Unbelievable,, no doubt you are a little upset Tree.. A tax grab indeed..

ksteed17 · #10 02-14-2011, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreeGuy

And then the best quote of all, "You'll just have to pass the cost along to the consumer."

We were told the same thing by the by law officer in our town, i told him i hope hes our first customer

. Although our business liscence is quite a bit cheaper than that.

stinkynuts · #11 02-14-2011, 07:05 PM

Wow that sucks what if you get a small bissness permit in Edmonton i belive that is all a small bissness needs. Can you get around your proablem by doing this.

deepfried · #12 02-14-2011, 07:33 PM

I have B*itch*D and complained about this citys bylaws on here before and they just seem to be getting worse and worse. I really think the city needs be saved from itself. How are we suppose to be a proud "patriotic ( for lack of a better word ) " city if they just keep ****ing us off with these little nit picking rules and laws !!!
Just my little rant again

75ft Arborist · #13 02-14-2011, 07:50 PM

Oh that sucks! At least it's just a warning, and that's a pretty big expense for a small company. Our company has bought a yearly street use permit for as long as i can remember. But then they just photo copy the original and put them in all the trucks. Never had a problem with ayone checking for valid permits though.

rugatika · #14 02-14-2011, 07:50 PM

this gov is reminding me more and more of that tax collector dude in the old Popeye movie with Robin Williams. It doesn't seem to matter what you are doing, there is a tax for it. I'm sure there's a "helping a little old lady cross the street" tax as well.

The easy solution is to limit the total amount of tax that is collectible by ALL levels of government to 10% of the total GDP.

That really sux tree. Nothing like thinking you've got all the bases covered and the gov kicks you in the nutz with some stupid tax scheme/scam.

Ken07AOVette · #15 02-14-2011, 07:51 PM

Yikes wow holy hell.

Horrible expense all of a sudden buddy.

Albertadiver · #16 02-14-2011, 07:59 PM

Hey, if they don't catchya they can't fine ya.

Next thing you'll get asked to do is a full road closure permit. There's BIG bucks for that one....

stupid bylaws....

greylynx · #17 02-14-2011, 08:01 PM

Does this mean more by-law officers have to be hired in Calgary at $50.00 per hour including benefits?

Charge the fee to your customers.

On your invoice print "City Hall" tax.

This is City Hall just fueling more of the underground economy.

Findal · #18 02-14-2011, 08:03 PM

Did you get a bylaw# for this?

This has to be one of the stupidest bylaws that I have ever heard of, of which there is a long list already for the Calgary group of money grabbing (insert preferred derogatory name).

I suppose that if I drive to work, take a bus or C-Train I am also liable for this fee.

Another reason why they don't publisize and advertise these dumb rules, but wait until you break one so they can ticket you and grab the cash.

Nice deal they give on a annual permit, 365 days at 17.50 each day. They must think the whole damn place is a downtown premium parking lot for those rates.
It's not like you are working off a street corner like a hot dog cart, you are just transporting and parking, on roads your taxes already paid for. You are doing the work on private property, not the street anyway.

This is the kinda thing that makes you wanna visit Bill Bruce "the mouth" up close and personal; for using up my airwaves with his nonsence.

This just makes me so MAD , I can't even spell!

Ken07AOVette · #19 02-14-2011, 08:12 PM

Ok, I was in Calgary every 3 weeks for 3-4 days for 5 years, and the company I worked for from Edmonton never had this permit. Would they be held liable, or is it just for city of Calgary based businesses?

harrydude · #20 02-14-2011, 08:25 PM

well they have to pay for the tunnel some way

220swifty · #21 02-14-2011, 08:31 PM

So what would they say about me living in a holiday trailer on site while we framed the house we were parked in front of.

hal53 · #22 02-14-2011, 08:44 PM

Wonder what they charge Canada Post?????

Ken07AOVette · #23 02-14-2011, 08:58 PM

Sounds like it is time for all the tree trimmers, grass cutters, dog walkers, painters, eavestrough hangers etc to unite, form an association in which A permit covers and between a couple hundred to a couple thousand of you pay 5-25.00 each.

H380 · #24 02-14-2011, 08:59 PM

Hey Tree, Iwas wonderin .. if you can get this by the day ,is it possible to buy this " permit" on say a monthly basis where you were to have it valid on days you plan on working ? { say weekdays } that way you can save yourself roughly $1925 by not paying for Sat . and Sun . even more if you don't work Holidays .. maybe I'm wrong but that's the way I understand it . No way I'd pay the the 6387.50 up front ..

eastcoast · #25 02-14-2011, 09:03 PM

I thought the costs of the road upkeep was already paid through your registration which is alot higher for commercial vehicles,and gas taxes?

ex811 · #26 02-14-2011, 09:14 PM

A $17.50 daily fee seems like a reasonable amount for a business to pay for using City property. Tree, if you had a 'store front' you'd be paying rental fee's, therefore this license fee would be a business expense, making it a tax write off.
I looked up the Bylaw (they are all located on the City's website), it's been around for awhile.
If you're really ****ed speak to your Alderman, the City of Nenshi is all about kumbaya and smiles now adays, maybe you could get the Bylaw repealed.

Sandalius · #27 02-14-2011, 09:18 PM

Ok so I'm not Sandalius but he showed me this thread, as I am a driving instructor this sould really apply to me. BUT I googled it and what the city site says is
" Street Use permit (for use of street / sidewalk/ alley / boulevard traffic control set-up or parking meter hooding)"

I believe that this applies to Tree because of the pylons placed behind the chipper to direct traffic and make a safer work site. So if your not using pylons it shouldn't be a problem ????? just a thought, not the safest work environment though.....
Definitely worth a phone call to the city...from a payphone so they cant figure out who you are......

eastcoast · #28 02-14-2011, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ex811

A $17.50 daily fee seems like a reasonable amount for a business to pay for using City property. Tree, if you had a 'store front' you'd be paying rental fee's, therefore this license fee would be a business expense, making it a tax write off.
I looked up the Bylaw (they are all located on the City's website), it's been around for awhile.
If you're really ****ed speak to your Alderman, the City of Nenshi is all about kumbaya and smiles now adays, maybe you could get the Bylaw repealed.

im not sure about tree but maybe he already has an office that he pays taxes on,maybe alot of these guys have them and are now being double dipped?

hal53 · #29 02-14-2011, 09:21 PM

As a small business guy, I love how everyone thinks "so what?, it's a writeoff anyways"...well, you pay the cash up front for starters, and at your year end you get a deduction due to it being an operating expense, a year after the fact you paid it, in some cases. As well, some are rejected by CRA as non-justifiable...at the very least the "write off" becomes another expense that you may recoup a small portion of in your very large tax bill at year end.

TreeGuy · #30 02-14-2011, 09:23 PM

As it was explained, we can jump through the hoops every single day we're on the road and get the permit. This would mean waiting until the government offices opened, wait on hold, make the request and then wait until the daily permit is faxed through prior to rolling out. Needless to say, being able to have the truck on the road prior to noon each day would be optimistic at best.

Therefore, we are only left with the other option of buying the full year permit and that's it.

The reality is that we are a one truck/one chipper show. We make a living but trust me, no one is getting rich.

Sooo, we either ignore this law and by extension become de-facto criminals, or pay for it and some kid doesn't get hired this summer. It's just that simple.