SOUTHWICK – It is Building Inspector Denis Galdo’s assessment that the owners of 34 Tannery Road are not running an unlicensed business from their home, despite a Connecticut man’s claims to the contrary.
West Suffield, Conn. resident Ted Pollerylo told the Southwick Board of Selectman earlier this month that Richard and Karen Greco of 34 Tannery Road operate an auto business out of the home, which is zoned R-40. The business, R.G. Auto Body and Restorations, possibly also called R.G. Corvette Restoration, does not have a business certificate with the town and a search of State Secretary William F. Gavin’s website does not show any incorporation of a business under those names, or the Greco’s.
Pollerylo said his relationship with Greco and R.G. goes back four or five years when Pollerylo bought a 1960s Corvette.
“I went to Suburban Chevrolet to see if they could get parts for it and they said no, but told me there was a guy on Tannery Road who worked on Corvettes,” Pollerylo said.
Pollerylo said he went to see the man – Greco – and became “pretty good acquaintances.”
“I brought him vegetables from my garden and he gave me used parts when he had extras he didn’t need and even invited me to see the house he built in New Hampshire,” Pollerylo said.
Pollerylo said Greco gave him a tour of his shop, which he said is run out of his three-bay home garage, and an outbuildng behind his home is used to store vehicles when they are not being worked on.
The problems began in 2010 when Pollerylo was in a collision with his Corvette.
“I got an estimate from the other guy’s insurance company and Mr. Greco, and went with Mr. Greco,” said Pollerylo. “I took it there (34 Tannery Road) in June and he didn’t work on it until August and put it, I believe, in the outbuilding,” said Pollerylo.
Pollerylo supplied copies of receipts for the work – with the R.G. Auto Body and Restorations logo, phone number and Southwick P.O. Box on it – to the selectmen. He said a dispute arose when $1,900 worth of parts appeared on his bill that Pollerylo said were not put on his car.
“His employee, Wyatt, even told me he did not put them on my car,” said Pollerylo.
The dispute resulted in a small claims suit against Greco and during his research, Pollerylo could not find any license or business certificates for the company.
He alerted the town last year and Galdo, as well as a state inspector, visited 34 Tannery Road several times and found nothing.
“I’ve been out there two or three times and I don’t find anything to confirm (a business) there,” said Galdo. “The state inspector came out twice and didn’t find anything.”
Galdo said Pollerylo has a “personal vendetta” with Greco over “a few thousand dollars.” When Galdo visited the home in 2011, he said he found automotive items that Greco used for his own personal vehicles.
Pollerylo claimed that when the local and state inspectors visited the home, it was during a time when Greco had temporarily shut down the business because of surgery.
A letter written by Karen and Richard Greco on Jan. 5, 2012 is on file with the selectmen and states “we do not run a business out of our home.” The Grecos also mention that Galdo visited their residence three times in 2011, the state inspector visited twice, and a health inspector visited once.
“We have no privacy at our residence because we always have inspectors at our house,” the letter stated. The Grecos criticized the town for entertaining Pollerylo’s claims and said “this man is mad because I referred him to a shop and they had a falling out.” The letter also stated that Richard Greco was disabled and uses a cane, and said their home is no longer open to inspections.
The file also includes Pollerylo’s original letter to the selectmen alerting them to the issue, including documents such as receipts and advertisements for R.G. Auto Body and Restoration. The receipt lists the company address as 34 Tannery Road and includes a P.O. Box number and Southwick telephone number. The same information is on the website rgcorvetterestoration.com.
A letter from the town to Pollerylo dated June 15, 2011 states that Galdo visited the site and “found no significant evidence to substantiate an ongoing car restoration business at that site beyond supplies that could be used by an individual citizen working on their own vehicles.”
Richard Greco said yesterday that he has not owned a business since 2004 and there is no work being done at 34 Tannery Road, where Greco said his son and daughter live.
“My wife and I split up and I don’t live there anymore,” said Greco. “I live in New Hampshire where I am building a house in Plymouth.”
Greco said his past business was to “fawn out” work to auto body shops for a 10 percent commission.
“Apparently he had some kind of falling out with the shop owner and was mad when he found out I got 10 percent,” said Greco, who said Pollerylo – and the town, by visiting the home – is harassing him.
“The building inspector agreed with me,” said Greco, who added that Galdo said the advertisement Pollerylo gave him “meant nothing.”
Greco said he was never served papers that Pollerylo was suing him. Pollerylo said someone from the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department attempted to serve the papers on three occasions and spoke with a person named Wyatt on one occasion. Greco said he was not aware of the court date until after the fact.
“My mother gets my mail for me and I just saw the letter,” Greco said.
He later said that his daughter called him when the sheriff was at the home.
“The sheriff came out and my daughter was scared,” said Greco. “She called and I told her don’t open the door.”
Greco said there is no business at the residence and he has had enough.
“It’s time to go after him,” he said of Pollerylo.
Pollerylo said he does not have a vendetta, he only wants people to know that there is an illegal business operating out of a residential home that advertises it is still in business and lists 34 Tannery Road as the address. Pollerylo contends that when the sheriff’s department employee went to 34 Tannery Road to deliver a court summons, he found a man Pollerylo said is Greco’s employee, Wyatt, working on a vehicle and there were several corvettes on the property.
Town Planner Marcus Phelps said the Grecos, or anyone from R.G. Auto, have not appeared before the planning board seeking a home occupancy certificate, which would be required to do automotive work in a residential zone.
“At minimum they would have to have a business license from the town clerk’s office,” said Phelps.
The clerk’s office does not have a certificate or license on record.
Planning Board Chairman Douglas Moglin said he, too, could not recall ever meeting with anyone for a business at the residence.
“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Moglin said when asked.
R.G. Auto Body and Restorations currently advertises – with the same phone number and P.O. Box listed on rgcorvetterestorations.com, along with an address of 34 Tannery Road – on recycler.com, an online advertising site. The site lists the last update of the ad as May 11, 2012. Greco said he was a founder of the business but is no longer affiliated with it and is not running a business from Tannery Road.
