VANCOUVER -- An auto shop in Vancouver is facing thousands of dollars in fines after a police investigation found dozens of inspections were completed without an authorized inspector on site.
According to Vancouver police, the Budget Brake and Muffler on 2nd Avenue signed off on 40 inspection reports, without having someone authorized to do so. Officers discovered the infractions during an audit of local businesses conducted last month.
Police said of the 40 vehicles with invalid inspections, 16 of them were limousines. An additional 17 were commercial vehicles, and another was a tow truck. The remaining six were private vehicles.
"For public safety, the (Vancouver Police Department) is contacting all the vehicle owners to advise them their inspections are invalid, and that they will need to have them inspected at a valid facility," the VPD said in a news release.
The owner of the auto shop has been charged with 40 counts of unauthorized person signing an inspection report, contrary Motor Vehicle Act regulations.
Each of the 40 violations comes with a $598 fine, bringing the total to $23,920.
The owner of the auto shop has since surrendered his inspection facility designation and his "facility operator" certificate to the provincial Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement team.
