California’s Bureau of Automotive Repair can seem very intimidating to the average STAR Program participant, SMOG station, or technician.
Photo credit: Mic V. via Foter.com / CC BY
After all, the Bureau of Automotive Repair has the formidable resources of the state of California behind it, as well as a body of laws and regulations, and, of course, a bunch of well-dressed attorneys who act in its interests during any disputes over the licensing status of a SMOG station or technician. To the average guy or gal who is just trying to make a living by providing a service to the consumer and to the state of California by inspecting cars against the very necessary regulations concerning air pollution, this state agency can seem to have the upper hand!
What to Do If You Receive a Letter from the Bureau of Automotive Repair
We get many inquiries from SMOG stations or technicians who have received a citation, letter, or some other type of legal correspondence from the Bureau of Automotive Repair. This correspondence is often written in PhD language, making it hard for the average layperson to even understand what the problem is. To make matters worse, there is an unspoken idea that one can work with the Bureau of Automotive Repair in an informal way. However, at all stages of this process, the laws of the state of California are in the background, and if you do not take steps to protect your interests, you may mistakenly act against your own interests without even realizing it. For this reason, it is often helpful to have an attorney to work with who has experience with the Bureau of Automotive Repair.
In other words, when attempting to combat a problem caused by the Bureau of automotive repair, it is important to level the playing field, by having your own representation, that is, an attorney, who can speak the language of the bureaucracy. Rather than being intimidated into doing something that is not in your interests, it is often a better policy to attempt to reach out to an attorney for assistance. There is no reason to be intimidated, especially when you have done nothing wrong. The laws and regulations are very complicated, however, and so are the technical requirements. There are many alternative explanations to why a problem may occur, many of which have nothing to do with any illegalities or inappropriate conducts. It’s easy to get confused and to say, or agree to, something which you do not fully understand.
Complexities and the Bureau of Automotive Repair
Just think for a moment as to how many makes and models of automobiles drive the roads of the state of California. Or how many different technicians may be involved. Or the fact that most of this process is computer-driven, and as the news media reminds us day in and day out, computers make mistakes. Everything created by human hands is subject to human error, and that means not just the technicians or smog stations, but also California’s well respected Bureau of Automotive Repair, its attorneys and regulatory agents, and everyone else involved in the process. For these reasons it is important to have a positive and open attitude, but also to act aggressively to defend your own interests in this very complicated process. You may want to consult an attorney.