By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q. My next door neighbor is an auto mechanic and a very successful one. He started as a mobile mechanic where he picked up disabled cars on the road as requested by owners and repaired them on the spot. But over the past few years, he has been repairing cars at his home all hours of the day, seven days a week. His yard is now like a junk yard, full of cars in different states of disrepair. He also parks cars on the unpaved sidewalk fronting his house with "for sale" signs on them. What agency is responsible for enforcing the laws being violated?

A. The only vehicles your neighbor can repair at his home are those that belong to him or other people that live on his property. William Deering from the city Department of Planning and Permitting said he will send an inspector to find out who owns the cars. If your neighbor is committing a zoning violation, he will have to stop within 30 days, or even sooner if his actions create a real hazard, Deering said.

Police Officer Randall Platt said your neighbor has already been told to move a car with the "for sale" sign. "The law prohibits you from displaying cars for sale on a city street," he said. While ordinarily it is an offense carrying a $55 to $80 penalty, in this case your neighbor was given a warning and told to keep the car in his yard. For concerns about other auto repair shops in residential areas, call 523-4381.

Q. The makai corner of South and Queen streets across from the Kinko's has a distinctly unpleasant smell which does not seem to dissipate ever. The gas station there has been torn down and the area is fenced off. I was wondering what exactly is behind that fence and if there will ever be anything done about the smell. If I run the red light because of the fumes, can I still get a ticket?

A. You should report your concerns about closed gas stations to the Department of Health, said Gregory Olmsted, supervisor of the Underground Storage Tank Section of the Solid and Hazardous Waste Branch. "Whether the odor is a nuisance or potentially dangerous, our inspectors will investigate to identify the source of the complaint. The public is especially encouraged to call in if there is evidence of a release of gasoline or diesel," he said.

Rather than risk a ticket by running a red light, it would probably be better for you to avoid that intersection if at all possible. Honolulu police Capt. Clayton Saito said this did not sound like a situation in which running a red light would be acceptable.

Do you ever get frustrated or confused trying to navigate the various layers of government? Are you looking for an answer to a simple question but can't figure out where to start? If you have a question or a problem and need help getting to the right person, you can reach The Bureaucracy Buster one of three ways:

• E-mail: buster@honoluluadvertiser.com

• Phone: 535-2454 and leave a message.

Be sure to give us your name and daytime telephone number.