Housing and wrenching in Marin county (or, any place in Bay Area, for that matter)

[S21FOLGORE]

So, I find myself in a situation where I have no other choice but to move out the place.

I've been in this place for 6 months. (Sharing, with the landlord)

I had a feeling that this isn't really going to work out well, so I was thinking (vaguely) I may have to find another place.

(The main reason I moved into this place was because of the garage.)

I'd cut out all the small details, personal stuff.

But, what happened over the weekend was ...

My daily driver (1992 Mazda Miata) started making horrible metal rattling sound, Friday night.
I thought, some of the retaining bolts on the exhaust system getting loose, causing some parts to vibrate, making that noise.
(It happened before. I've dropped a nut on catalytic converter mount, twice.)

When I put the car on the ramp Sunday, I found nothing was getting loose.

So, ... where it's coming from?

It sounded like it's coming from the engine.

Is it valve lifter?

Is it con-rod metal?

Either way, it'd be lubricating problem.

All the repair shops are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

And I couldn't leave it that way.

So, naturally I did what I could.


youtu.be/ZZev5TggWWg

Surprisingly, oil change fixed it.

So far, so good.

The problem was, in the middle of oil change, the landlord / roommate lady came back from work.
And saw what I was doing, and ...
She was SO MAD.

Saying working on the vehicle is not allowed by the rules of condo
(which I didn't know. Yes, it's my fault not to check it beforehand.
But, this was (sort of) emergency repair.

Anyhow.
I apologized as much as possible.

Following morning, I found a note saying my rent will increase 22% from March 1st.

Um,... okay, so this is her way of telling me to move out.

Thus, I'm looking for a place to move.
Not because I can't afford 22% increase, but because it's not worth staying here.

It is not easy to find a place with off-street parking in Southern Marin (let alone with the garage.)
And when you find a place with a garage, that garage can only be used to park ONE vehicle (so parking a small car and a motorcycle is violation and a tenant can get fined), NO working in the garage is allowed.
I can't do the oil change, I can't even adjust drive chain of my motorcycle as long as I live here.

Even a house with a garage, HOA can be really uptight depending on location.

I just want a place to keep one small car and a motorcycle (off-street, preferably covered (for motorcycle), do routine maintenance, not a major project.
Now it seems like asking too much ...

 

[Dubbington]

Got a 2 car garage and 2 stall driveway for rent in Danville :teeth Also have a couple 20amp and 30 amp breakers for big tools.

 

[Eldritch]

So, I find myself in a situation where I have no other choice but to move out the place.

I've been in this place for 6 months. (Sharing, with the landlord)

I had a feeling that this isn't really going to work out well, so I was thinking (vaguely) I may have to find another place.

(The main reason I moved into this place was because of the garage.)

I'd cut out all the small details, personal stuff.

But, what happened over the weekend was ...

My daily driver (1992 Mazda Miata) started making horrible metal rattling sound, Friday night.
I thought, some of the retaining bolts on the exhaust system getting loose, causing some parts to vibrate, making that noise.
(It happened before. I've dropped a nut on catalytic converter mount, twice.)

When I put the car on the ramp Sunday, I found nothing was getting loose.

So, ... where it's coming from?

It sounded like it's coming from the engine.

Is it valve lifter?

Is it con-rod metal?

Either way, it'd be lubricating problem.

All the repair shops are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

And I couldn't leave it that way.

So, naturally I did what I could.


youtu.be/ZZev5TggWWg

Surprisingly, oil change fixed it.

So far, so good.

The problem was, in the middle of oil change, the landlord / roommate lady came back from work.
And saw what I was doing, and ...
She was SO MAD.

Saying working on the vehicle is not allowed by the rules of condo
(which I didn't know. Yes, it's my fault not to check it beforehand.
But, this was (sort of) emergency repair.

Anyhow.
I apologized as much as possible.

Following morning, I found a note saying my rent will increase 22% from March 1st.

Um,... okay, so this is her way of telling me to move out.

Thus, I'm looking for a place to move.
Not because I can't afford 22% increase, but because it's not worth staying here.

It is not easy to find a place with off-street parking in Southern Marin (let alone with the garage.)
And when you find a place with a garage, that garage can only be used to park ONE vehicle (so parking a small car and a motorcycle is violation and a tenant can get fined), NO working in the garage is allowed.
I can't do the oil change, I can't even adjust drive chain of my motorcycle as long as I live here.

Even a house with a garage, HOA can be really uptight depending on location.

I just want a place to keep one small car and a motorcycle (off-street, preferably covered (for motorcycle), do routine maintenance, not a major project.
Now it seems like asking too much ...

Well, I mean, there are a ton of houses in Mill Valley that have a full size Garage where no one would know if you were working on anything if you kept the garage door closed, but I haven't really heard of any of those places having any kind of HOA.

You probably just won't find that in any kind of HOA/Condo/Apartment situation. If you want the freedom to have a workshop for your vehicles, you need to be in a detached private house. I think this is pretty normal anywhere in the bay area.

If you enroll in an automotive repair class at Marin Community College, you get full access to their Shop with all the lifts and tools, which is nice, but that is up in Novato.

 

[auntiebling]

every apartment type housing i've been in over the last 20 years or so, which includes 2 condos i "owned" and several regular apartments, forbid workshops of any kind in the garage but did allow for "emergency" repair to vehicles. none of it was really specifically defined.

in one case, my landlord happened to drop by while i was changing the carburetor on my 63 lincoln, and offered a few pointers. the lease specifically forbade such activity.

both HOAs had "no workshops, emergency repairs only" clauses and that's probably what the LL in this case is referring to. in my case, through out the complex (80something units i think) this was basically ignored. one neighbor built racecars (front drive shitboxes can be racecars) and another had a full blown hobby level woodshop.

anyway, you should assume that any housing complex situation is a No Workshop situation too. it sucks.

the rent increase is likely illegal btw. i'm no expert but there are limits
https://rentprep.com/landlord-tips/california-rent-increase-laws/ suggests that 5% is about the max your LL can impose. i'm not sure if that only applies to year long leases, legalease ain't my bag and that website is setup to generate business leads by being somewhat vague

 

[ctwo]

Sounds like you're kind of screwed because the terms of AB-1482 are not met and you were in violation of the agreement, assuming you were given the bylaws. And who would want to live in conflict anyways...

The places that allow such activity are going to get very expensive soon, to cover the expected order of magnitude property tax increases that prop 19 will cause.

Hope you find a place quick.

 

[Kurosaki]

I've gotten complaints about working on my car while other people have a wood shop in there garage and some metal work.

 

[AbsolutEnduser]

every apartment type housing i've been in over the last 20 years or so, which includes 2 condos i "owned" and several regular apartments, forbid workshops of any kind in the garage but did allow for "emergency" repair to vehicles. none of it was really specifically defined.

in one case, my landlord happened to drop by while i was changing the carburetor on my 63 lincoln, and offered a few pointers. the lease specifically forbade such activity.

both HOAs had "no workshops, emergency repairs only" clauses and that's probably what the LL in this case is referring to. in my case, through out the complex (80something units i think) this was basically ignored. one neighbor built racecars (front drive shitboxes can be racecars) and another had a full blown hobby level woodshop.

anyway, you should assume that any housing complex situation is a No Workshop situation too. it sucks.

the rent increase is likely illegal btw. i'm no expert but there are limits
https://rentprep.com/landlord-tips/california-rent-increase-laws/ suggests that 5% is about the max your LL can impose. i'm not sure if that only applies to year long leases, legalease ain't my bag and that website is setup to generate business leads by being somewhat vague

Thanks for the informative

I've gotten complaints about working on my car while other people have a wood shop in there garage and some metal work.

You’re probably suspecting inverse-favoritism the least, but I suspect it’s possible there are places where automotive work is explicitly forbidden(in written leases) but machines are not.
Or, circumvented the rules

 

[Kurosaki]

You’re probably suspecting inverse-favoritism the least, but I suspect it’s possible there are places where automotive work is explicitly forbidden(in written leases) but machines are not.
Or, circumvented the rules

I can't prove it but I'd guess is because those people are home owners not renters like us. Majority of the neighborhood is. I have nothing against them, I know them. They're nice people and of the few people in this city I can talk shop with, literally.

Also think it's some arbitrary application of the HOA code or things some people want to complain about and not others. I got a complaint because I was air drying my karate and jiu jitsu gis over the railing on the balcony so they don't shrink in the dryer. I see other people hanging things over their balconies week after week.

Easy solution is for the garage is close the door obviously but it gets hot in there. Could run a couple fans I guess... And I got creative with the air drying.

 

[S21FOLGORE]

A little update ...

So I took the car to the local shop, dropped off before going to work, yesterday.

(I already explained about the noise while I was on the phone.
I basically asked them to put the car on the lift, and check if anything is rattling inside of catalytic converter, or in the exhaust system.)


And, they found where it's coming from.
It was the resonator.
(BTW, that's NOT a shop I take my Miata regularly. But, they are very nice People. They arranged the schedule for me (dropping off before going to work, picking up in lunch break. They do shuttle service. And, they charged only 0.5 Hr labor.)

(My regular go to shop is PR Motorsport in Hayward, so that was not an option. I have to have a day off in weekday. to go there.
But, Hector (the mechanic at PR), after watching the video on YT, told me that it sounds like coming from exhaust system. He suggested to take it to local shop and put it up on the lift and check it.)

So, my initial thought was close.
Something inside the resonator broke / fell off, and rattling inside.

I'm SO glad it's not coming from the engine internal.


So, my next step is to take the car to the muffler shop.
They would cut off the resonator, and weld on a new one.

I could order brand new mid pipe,

$183.50 from Good-Win.


Or, maybe I can just cut the resonator off, weld on straight pipe.

I know it would make exhaust noise a bit louder, but won't change anything other than that ...

 

[Killroy1999]

I thought the Miata video was going to be a Macgruber Tribute.

Full disclosure: My daily driver was a Y2K Miata. I purchased it for autocross driving so that I could "train" to race Formula SAE.

 

[S21FOLGORE]

... a little more update...

I talked to the landlord yesterday morning.
Telling her (calmly, of course) about my plan of moving out.
She quietly listened and understood what I said.
No drama there.

This morning, she took down 22% rent increase. So my rent will remain the same.
If I can't move out by the end of March, I can just pay the same amount for April rent and stay another month.
Anyway, that means no extra expense for me, which is great.
All I have to do is to be careful not to upset her.
(She clearly admitted that writing rent increase note was done on impulse.)

I am actively looking for a place, but I haven't found anything yet.

However, I did find motorcycle storage / parking space in walking distance from my work.
Located in down town San Rafael
Indoor motorcycle storage
with plug-in for battery tender sort of thing
gear locker
24 hr access
parking spot for a car during the day
(so, if I'm not in the walking distance, I can drive up there, park my car, change clothes, go for a ride.)
at a reasonable rate.

I found the ad on CL, and contacted the poster.
It turned out that the poster was someone I used to know (we haven't met years, though).

So, at least, I don't have to worry about where to keep my motorcycle regardless my moving situation.

That doesn't solve the wrenching situation problem.
If I give up doing all the mechanical work on my Duc, take it to the dealership every single time, the running cost will rise horrendously.

That reminds me about the conversation I had with the sales guy at the local Ducati dealer years ago. (Hattar Motorsport back then, now Marin Speed Shop)

He said I was one of the VERY FEW people who repeatedly come to purchase things like oil, oil filter, coolant, etc.

(Vast majority of the customers don't work on their motorcycles, he said. No oil change, no brake / clutch fluid change, not even drive chain adjustment.

My reaction back then was, "well, if they don't even adjust the chain, that's a totally different kind of motorcycling ..."

But, now, I think some of the people were (kind of) forced to do that by living situation.

Motorcycling is an expensive hobby in Marin county ...

 

[Kurosaki]

This sounds like maybe the best outcome of this situation. That could have easily gone much worse.

Not the best scenario but seems you were both being level-headed about it.

 

[S21FOLGORE]

This sounds like maybe the best outcome of this situation. That could have easily gone much worse.

Not the best scenario but seems you were both being level-headed about it.

Yes, indeed.

#1 No rent increase
Now, the landlord / roommate lady calmed down.
I'm not rushed to move out.

#2 No catastrophic problem with my DD (92 Miata)
I don't have to worry about getting stranded / loosing my daily driver suddenly.
(I could live with the noise, for the time being.
Once everything settled down, I cans spend $185 for a new mid pipe.)

#3 I don't have to worry about where to keep my motorcycle.
I'll go and take a look tomorrow.

Thanks for everyone who's giving advice.