Finally began engine project, have a couple questions.

[CTJoe]

Hi Everyone.
I'm very discouraged and, to be honest, depressed. I'm a very tenacious and strong individual, probably more so than most if not all people you're likely to meet, but every now and then a series of events eventually beats me down, and I start to feel like my sense of personal agency is severely compromised.

I was at the storage space a few hours ago, assembling the 2-ton crane I'd purchased just for this job, with the engine about halfway disassembled, when along comes some mid-tier manager or maybe even a clerk, saying "You can't do car work in these ($215) slots", and walked off. I was utterly stunned. After struggling since December to find a place to do this, and nearly incalculable expense, the whole thing just fell apart, and it's back to the drawing board.

[E39MGirl]

Well, that sucks a lot but I must admit that when I started reading about assembling the crane I thought: "Oh no, don't tell me you have ended up under a dropped engine?". So it's not the worst possible outcome even though it is a setback.

Do they allow work to be done on mechanical items in any of the units? Have a good look though the paperwork for the unit you have and if there is nothing in there that says you can't do mechanical work in the '$215 slots', I would find the person who spoke to you and explain you rented the unit specifically for that purpose and in the absence of anything written to the contrary you believed you were within your rights to work on it there. If they have units where you can work try to negotiate a discount for a unit in which you are permitted to do mechanical work on the basis you have already paid for this one believing you could do the work there.

Likewise if there is something in the paperwork that says you can't work there just let them know it was an honest mistake but you would still like a favourable rate on another unit - otherwise your only option is to go elsewhere.

If the 'underling' is a pr!ck about it, ask to speak to the manager and if that person is not forthcoming with the manager or a number for the manager, look the number up on your phone while you are in the office with the person you spoke to. Often once they realise you really are going to speak to a manager and the problem isn't going away, they will be more willing to do something constructive.

I gather you have spoken with friends or family about borrowing or even renting space?

[CTJoe]

[QUOTE=E39MGirl;29642061]Well, that sucks a lot but I must admit that when I started reading about assembling the crane I thought: "Oh no, don't tell me you have ended up under a dropped engine?". So it's not the worst possible outcome even though it is a setback.

Do they allow work to be done on mechanical items in any of the units? Have a good look though the paperwork for the unit you have and if there is nothing in there that says you can't do mechanical work in the '$215 slots', I would find the person who spoke to you and explain you rented the unit specifically for that purpose and in the absence of anything written to the contrary you believed you were within your rights to work on it there. If they have units where you can work try to negotiate a discount for a unit in which you are permitted to do mechanical work on the basis you have already paid for this one believing you could do the work there.

Likewise if there is something in the paperwork that says you can't work there just let them know it was an honest mistake but you would still like a favourable rate on another unit - otherwise your only option is to go elsewhere.

If the 'underling' is a pr!ck about it, ask to speak to the manager and if that person is not forthcoming with the manager or a number for the manager, look the number up on your phone while you are in the office with the person you spoke to. Often once they realise you really are going to speak to a manager and the problem isn't going away, they will be more willing to do something constructive.

I gather you have spoken with friends or family about borrowing or even renting space?

Family, friends, friends of friends, Craigslist,... you name it. I had been hoping that there was a civilian equivalent of an auto hobby shop. We had these on larger bases, wherein you had a lift and pretty much every tool you could possibly want to do pretty much anything, including spray booths and a wheel alignment rig. It amazes me that you only see these in the midwest. The profit potential and demand must certainly be there.

[E39MGirl]

Back in the day my pass also allowed me onto other bases in the MD (though the world has a changed a little since then). Do you have a mate, or at least someone you know, posted to a base nearby with the facilities that could work something out for you on a weekend? I guess there is the PITA of removing it and returning it to storage if there are no weekend to weekend storage facilities at the base workshop though?

Does your base have a tech support unit (whatever the equivalent is there) that you can chat to? Even if they don't have the facilities themselves it tends to be that techs are into this stuff on their weekends too, so they might know of somewhere you can do the work (even an empty storage shed on the base).

If that's not possible then I guess it's down to negotiating with the unit owners. Garages for rent in the local paper?

There has to be something out there.

[bmwdirtracer]

Wow, Andrea...The MD?....Help me, I'm a civilian. Maryland? Military District?
Okay. ....but maybe that's a military term? I dunno, I went to the finest military schools, got kicked out of two of them; one for writing an underground newspaper. YUP.

But that's another story.

My own thoughts, Joe, will come from my understanding of your environs. CT is, of course, the birthplace of civil lawsuits. I hate that $#!+. (My Mom still lives in Stamford, where I grew up)


IF the lease says nothing about a prohibition against automotive work, in any way, shape or form, then you should keep doing what you're doing.... and meanwhile keep looking, for another venue.
Just because some dumb-ass says you can't do that, doesn't mean you can't do that.

Email me a copy of the rental agreement / lease, my friend.. I have significant knowledge of legalese, although it has to do with international banking law.

[E39MGirl]

MD - bang on with the second educated guess Chris - so something from those schools stuck :-) Nothing wrong with military colleges, or schools, though they can be a little picky about what you write and when!

Hopefully you can either continue working where you are Joe, or find somewhere suitable soon.

[CTJoe]

Wow, Andrea...The MD?....Help me, I'm a civilian. Maryland? Military District?
Okay. ....but maybe that's a military term? I dunno, I went to the finest military schools, got kicked out of two of them; one for writing an underground newspaper. YUP.

But that's another story.

My own thoughts, Joe, will come from my understanding of your environs. CT is, of course, the birthplace of civil lawsuits. I hate that $#!+. (My Mom still lives in Stamford, where I grew up)


IF the lease says nothing about a prohibition against automotive work, in any way, shape or form, then you should keep doing what you're doing.... and meanwhile keep looking, for another venue.
Just because some dumb-ass says you can't do that, doesn't mean you can't do that.

Email me a copy of the rental agreement / lease, my friend.. I have significant knowledge of legalese, although it has to do with international banking law.

I'll do just that, Chris. I'm having Denise look for the lease when we get home. She filed it away somewhere.

[CTJoe]

I'm thinking of getting a little sneaky about it. The other day, I had the (small, quiet inverter) generator going outside to power the big lights, but maybe if I completely close the door, no generator, use my headband light and dim ceiling light, amd maybe even park my wife's car around the corner, I might be able to make some progress. I wish I had asked before I had everything hauled there, but I thought it was a reasonable assumption, given that I'd told them I was moving both a car and engine in, and they said nothing about car work being prohibited. Besides, I've seen this sort of thing done at storage sheds more times than I can count.

[MauiM3Mania]

Do you really want your private info not so private?

[CTJoe]

Okay, I've temporarily deleted it until i can figure out how to photoshop out the personal info.

[MauiM3Mania]

Do you feel it needs to be posted? It states pretty damn clearly in section 3.6.1, "you will use YOUR space ONLY for storage and ONLY to store your own property." A couple other clauses aren't helpful.

[bmwdirtracer]

Yeah. Um, your lease agreement really sucks. They can make any rule they want, and the moment they post it, it becomes official. And then there's a 7-day "go-away" clause, and an "end of the month" clause, too. No, there is not anything in that agreement that prohibits working on cars.....except maybe the part that says "for storage only". But given the provision that they can post any rule they want to and it's effective immediately, or the rule that they can boot you out for any reason they like, with seven days notice, you don't realistically have any rights.

There are benefits and drawbacks to the political correctness and legal rigamarole of the geographical area, my friend. My gut feeling says trying to "sneak" this won't work; that you should seek out another location which might allow you to do "minor, hobby level work" on your personal car.

Or, ask at the office whether there is some small premium you might pay, for this privilege, to account for any extra possible additional electric use.

The business is holding all the aces; you should try to work with this, rather than trying to fight it. You know that I am 100% on your side, but they own all the legalese here.

And, um, our Moderator is very right . That's why I said you should send me a PM with the lease. I think you should erase your last post, after copying the last several to your personal files. I will delete my posts on this subject right away. Not that you're doing anything wrong, but we live in a litigious world.