Reardon v. Zoning Hearing Board of Town of McCandless

In Reardon v. Zoning Hearing Board of Town of McCandless, 726 A.2d 1108 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1999), the property owner was a Snap-On Tools franchisee whose business was completely mobile and contained in his truck which was painted with advertising slogans and signs. All of his business transactions took place in his truck or at his customers' place of business, although he did receive work-related packages at his home. The trial court determined that Reardon was operating a business from his home by parking his commercial vehicle behind his house. Reardon argued that the trial court erred because he was simply parking his work truck at his house at the end of his workday, and he conducted no business at his residence. The Court, however, agreed with the trial court and found that: Reardon's argument . . . ignores an integral part of the holding in Taddeo. The Taddeo Court held that when equipment, commercial in nature and inseparable from a business, is parked at a residence, a part of the commercial enterprise is transferred to that site in violation of residential zoning ordinances. Moreover, the Court has ruled in Dech . . . that the storage of a self-contained catering truck used in a business could not be considered a legitimate residential use. Reardon has admitted that the truck contains all of the equipment necessary for running his business. Id. at 1110.