You’re probably heard that famous song, by the Marvelettes ‘Please Mr. Postman,’ and if not, you can watch it on YouTube, here. We all know the lyrics –
Wait!!
Oh yes, wait a minute mr. Postman
Wait!!
Waaaiiit mr. Postman…Please Mister Postman, look and see
Oh, yeah
If there’s a letter in your bag for me
Please, please Mr. Postman
You know it’s been a long time
Oh, yeah
Since I’ve heard from that boyfriend of mineThere must be some word today
From my boyfriend so far away
Please mr. Postman look and see
Is there a letter, a letter for me
Humor and Letters, and then Not So Much
Now, that’s all humorous, of course. If you are a SMOG Check Station, Automotive Repair Shop, or participant in California’s STAR Program by the Bureau of Automotive Repair, however, receiving a letter from the Bureau isn’t quite as fun as the Marvelettes’ song. If you’ve received a letter, don’t panic. However, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you as a layperson can even understand what it truly means. The Bureau of Automotive Repair is a government agency, staffed by lawyers, and that letter you may be holding in your hand, may have many legal phrases and meanings that you may not fully understand!
A Letter from the Bureau of Automotive Repair Could Be Serious
Second, the procedures for responding – even in a so-called “informal” way – are not self-obvious. In fact, we might go so far as to say that the idea of an “informal” hearing can be very misleading to the average person. “Informal” sounds as if you, the Bureau of Automotive Repair representatives, and perhaps an administrative judge were just heading down to the local Starbucks to discuss problems over a cup of coffee. That’s not really accurate, or not always accurate, or often accurate. Missteps can be made, and those can cause problems down the road for you.
In sum, receiving a letter from the Bureau of Automotive Repair on an alleged violation of any of California’s SMOG check regulations and/or the regulations of the STAR program can be a very serious matter. It may involve your station, a technician or employee, or some other aspect up to and including revoking your license. It might even involve the so-called undercover cars sent out by the Bureau of Automotive Repair. The letter in your hand is just the first step. In sum, while the Marvelettes were eager to have that “letter from the postman,” you probably aren’t so keen on it. To make it more complicated, that letter from the Bureau can be a very, very big deal.
The best way to find out is to reach out to us for a consultation. You can PDF the letter (scan it), and email it to us, or fax it to us, or just read it to us over the phone. Letters, in sum, are very serious things.