'car wash' has opened in a previously unused premises opposte the opposite apt bldng.

A friend of mine has been living in an apartment for over two years, and in the last year a 'car wash' has opened in a previously unused premises opposte the building.

I've seen it a number of times when I've been over and it seems to be a very unusual operation. When open during the day, it crowds the streets with cars that have hand written for sale signs in them. It also has a constant stream of customers all of a similar eastern European nationality.

What's starting to alarm him is that they have been operating at night, cars have been brought in at random hours and there seems to have been spray work going on as well. Since it opened as a car wash it now says it does 'car services' as well. When the guy who works there the most was asked to try to keep the noise down at night, he got irate and aggressive.

The neighbors have called the Gardaí and Dublin City Council (because the spots they are occupying for free are metered spots), but neither have done much more than drive past every few weeks.

Does he have anywhere he can turn? A tax compliance office? Or a tradings standards? Or another body that will actually investigate these guys.

I hope I'm wrong, but my first thought on reading that was 'cutting shop' ... where stolen cars have their identities faked or are stripped down for parts, or written off cars are 'prepared' for the market. There have been several sting operations involving 'ringers' over the past couple of years ... it's possible.

I've been round at a few different times and seen it in operation. During the day it does seem to actually clean cars, but usually from a similar customer. It's the carry on at night that is strange. Not to mention the fact they place chairs on the public footpath and sit there staring at everyone when they are not busy. It runs 7 days a week as well.

Good luck to them if it is all above board, stop being nosey or do something positive

And if it's not above board ... well done for trying to do something about it.

They could also servicing the hackney business I guess ... pardon the imagery but lots of vomit to be cleaned at odd hours!

If they're washing cars with chemicals which they must be if its any sort of valet they will have to be compliant for the disposal of these chemicals - the local council will have a very dim view if they're just washing the silt and chemicals into the normal drainage.
That along with a call to the revenue should be enough to have them move on if thats the want.

mrblues said:

If they're washing cars with chemicals which they must be if its any sort of valet they will have to be compliant for the disposal of these chemicals - the local council will have a very dim view if they're just washing the silt and chemicals into the normal drainage.
That along with a call to the revenue should be enough to have them move on if thats the want.

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I remember hearing on the radio that the regulations to these type of car wash places aren't as strict as the ones attached to forecourts, something that really annoys the forecourt owners.

There does seem to be a lot of them cropping up, there is a new one just before punches cross in Limerick on a space that has been derelict for almost 10 years.

I really don't think it's being nosy when it makes no sense what is going on. They are doing car washes for 6euro and by all accounts don't have a regular trade during the day, and then randomly open at night. And according to my friend it's not hosing that's taking place at night but spraying (paint) or drilling etc.

It could be all the mechanics/body shop guys are doing nixers and they can only do this at night away from thieir full time job during the day. Just hard workers

wheels said:

A friend of mine has been living in an apartment for over two years, and in the last year a 'car wash' has opened in a previously unused premises opposte the building.

I've seen it a number of times when I've been over and it seems to be a very unusual operation. When open during the day, it crowds the streets with cars that have hand written for sale signs in them. It also has a constant stream of customers all of a similar eastern European nationality.

What's starting to alarm him is that they have been operating at night, cars have been brought in at random hours and there seems to have been spray work going on as well. Since it opened as a car wash it now says it does 'car services' as well. When the guy who works there the most was asked to try to keep the noise down at night, he got irate and aggressive.

The neighbors have called the Gardaí and Dublin City Council (because the spots they are occupying for free are metered spots), but neither have done much more than drive past every few weeks.

Does he have anywhere he can turn? A tax compliance office? Or a tradings standards? Or another body that will actually investigate these guys.

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What relevance does their nationality have to the query?

I reckon he's saying that they don't seem to be providing a mainstream service.

If you have suspicions report to Gardai ... and keep following it up.

You can't do much more than that.

PaddyBloggit said:

I reckon he's saying that they don't seem to be providing a mainstream service.

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Spot on, that's exactly what I'm saying. Maybe it's more common than we thought if not that many people seem to think it sounds dodgey, but from what I've seen and from what my friend has been telling me, it just seems very strange. I think a call to revenue is probably worth it on his part though.

Cheers!

Does this "car wash" have a trading name? Have you check to see if they are registered? and what type of business have they registered?

Do they have planning permission to carry on this business in this location? Is it a shop, garage, carpark, retail unit, derelect house, yard, commercial unit?

RonanC said:

Do they have planning permission to carry on this business in this location? Is it a shop, garage, carpark, retail unit, derelect house, yard, commercial unit?

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Ring the county council and ask if they are paying rates for the business also. The council may follow up with them and request fees. And ring the Guards at night when there is a car being resprayed or whatever and tell them you think there is a stolen car on the premises and they should call around to check it.