The "Home Occupation Permit" Story

It was an ordinary day. Just wrote a check to Manheim Township to renew my "Home Occupation Permit." After I retired from teaching I decided I wanted to continue working for the school district so I asked the business manager if that was possible. He didn't want to have to continue paying me benefits so he told me I could work in the graphics room and do the printing for the school district if I became an independent contractor. He wouldn't even take taxes off my check. Gee, thanks. I was responsible for putting a certain amount away to pay the taxes at the end of the year. Then I found that I needed to form a company so they had a business name for the check they were going to write me. Decided to call it Woods Printing Services. I also had to get a federal tax ID#. And ...... the business manager told me I would have to buy a $2,000,000 liability policy to work in the school. He said they require all contractors to have this on file if they plan to be working in the school buildings. Didn't tell me how expensive it is to get the policy. Finally took care of all the items necessary and started to put in hours in the graphics room. At times I would do a few jobs on the computer at home to prepare for the next project. Then one day I got this letter in the mail telling me that in order to do business from my home in Manheim Township I needed to have a "Home Occupation Permit." Didn't matter that I was only working on my computer at home fof an hour or so a week, I had to have the permit. Now, who told them I was working at home a few hours a week? Had to fill out a form to get the permit that asked me to draw a map of my property and where I would have parking for customers when they came. Had to show entrances and how handicapped people could get to the business. Holy Cow! Might have been better to sit and watch TV all day instead of going through all this. I finally convinced them of what I was doing and they only required I pay the fee and not make the map. Then, the same time the following year I got the renewal notice. Of course!! Another fee for that year. Well, today I have mailed my tenth payment to the township. All other permits I have displayed in my house like they said I had to in case they came to inspect. I suspect I'll never see them at my front door. They won't know where to park since I didn't line my driveway. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.