Anyone ever been caught selling cakes from home??? - Page 10  

I agree with you!!!

Here are my favorite laws:

Its against the law to sing off key.
Elephants may not be used to plow cotton fields.
While "doing laundry", you must stay in the lets just say "traditional" position and have the shades pulled.
Darn, I think my neighbors lobbied for that one
If a man and a woman who arent married go to a hotel/motel and register themselves as married then, according to state law, they are legally married.

West Virginia has some really good ones:
Whistling underwater is prohibited.
Can anyone teach me how to do that? I don't think it's illegal in NC.
Roadkill may be taken home for supper.
Now, how about a new thread to find out if it is legal to use that road
kill in ingredients for items make in your LEGAL home bakery?

This was rather hard to make sense of, but I wanted to comment that a lot of the legal bakers stopped posting pictures when people started stealing them from the site to put on their own sites as work they had done.. watermarks and all. So don't go spouting off that we are only here to push buttons and babble about "legality terms" and not share. A lot of us still do. A lot of highly qualified people who gave great advice to any who asked for it have left this site for various reasons, one of which is this very sort of an attitude. We don't think we are better than anyone, but we do have a livelihood to protect. The hobby baker doesn't pay the bills with their cakes.

A lot of the time people share what could happen to you if you aren't legal so that you know and can be spared that call from the HD and the IRS. We like to let people know that there's more to it than just baking and decorating. That you need liability insurance and commercial car insurance and that you need a food license and won't be able to just do it from home in every state. We do this not to wave it in anyone's face, but it it usually taken that way. It stinks. If you do get caught or worse... you get someone sick... you are risking a LOT. You can be sued and lose everything you have. Is it a guarantee? No, but if you have a family I can't see putting their livelyhood at risk to make a few extra bucks, and often times the hobby baker who decides to just start baking has NO idea what they have opened themself up to. They think... "hey this is fun... I could totally sell these cakes." and it just isn't that simple. Even in states with Cottage Laws you still have to report to the state.

This is getting long-winded, but the point is don't be so quick to think that the legal bakers are out to kill your buzz.

LOVE that sketch. Thanks for reminding me of it. I grew up mormon and always got a kick out of the part where he says that "God sends special apologies to the mormons, who he realises have put in a lot of work"

Now happily atheist! To me the world makes much more sense when you're not worrying about what happens when you die, but, hey - whatever works for you...

Oh, the topic! Working hard to become legal as I`m a worrier and couldn`t sleep at night if I was worried the cake gestapo would be calling in the wee hours. Not taking orders until then.

too pitiful...so no one could say that they were having a meeting 'cause no one would be in 'costume'. I'd rather have had them be in 'costume' and KNOW they were having a meeting than having them all gather and suspect they were possibly plotting something.

No, but always fear that one day someone (envious) will just snitch and everything will go wrong, and I guess I should mention I live in California the worst place to bake from home with fines larger than my mortage. But know of people who have been caught and it's not a pretty site.

WOW - My husband kicked me off the computer last night and I came back to this thread this morning with quite a lot of discussion!

I'm glad to see that we have been able to keep this going without it being locked...I hate when that happens...

As for all those that left the site for various reasons...It truly is a shame. I have been a member for a very long time but don't have the same amount of free time that a lot of you have for posting so unfortunately, I can only recall a few of those that have left and I know they are sorely missed.

I think because I got a little too carried away with religion I didn't really make my point very well that I hate the idea of turning anyone in because it shuts down their creativity and I totally remember what it was like to start out at home - that's how I did it! I feel very lucky to be where I am now that I have my own shop and I know that it wouldn't have happened if all the legal bakers in the area suddenly got spiteful and turned me in. Because, believe me - I was that naive and I shared with them that I was doing it out of my home and none of them were threatened by it.

If I could do it over - I wouldn't do it any differently. It's smart to start out at home and build up a clientele before taking on the overhead. I didn't realize it was illegal when I first started. I realize ignorance isn't a excuse but it really was the best way to do it.

I can see the point of those that started out baking for friends & family and getting the word out that way but not everyone has that opportunity. I didn't! I have no family in this area and came here not knowing a soul. Who was I going to bake for? My husband and his family are very private and aren't the type to get to know their neighbors in a personal way so that wasn't really an option either.

Long Story short (maybe it's too late for that!) I wish anyone starting out at home the best and much success. It's how I did it and I can totally understand!

Tammi

There are always ways to do it if you really seek them out. Even using your church kitchen is an option if they have it licensed. I could never have a clear conscience if I told people it was okay to do things on the down low. That's the moral dilema. If someone were to get in trouble from advice that I gave I couldn't be okay with that. It would in a sense be my fault.
.

I have just begun to read this thread and I am sure there are many interesting posts ahead! I wish I KNEW how to turn someone in, as we have alot of illegal home bakeries in our area. I dont understand why, since we are a cottage state and it doesnt take much to be legal. Laziness I guess. I wouldn't turn anyone in becuase I wanted to run them out of business or I was jealous or even because they are charging half of what I charge and they are stealing business. I would turn them in because 1) they are breaking the law. if I saw someone steal a candybar at the store or sell drugs form their home, I would turn them in too. 2) They might get someone sick. The news is very hysterical and if people start getting sick from illegals then they may change the laws and us LEGAL home bakers would have to close down. (aside from the fact they are made someone sick) A lot of these illegal places are unaware that it is illegal, even for a license home baker, to use dairy based mousses and real fruit fillings that require refrigeration. Do you know how fast you can make someone sick?

So no, turning someone in is not being mean. Its protecting the public. And our rights.

I was not afraid of getting caught by the health department. I was afraid of all the crazy people that sue everyone and their mother.

I am going to show this to my kids and ask them if they would like to read some good porn! hahaha! Great post!

*SIGH*

I used to come here to escape the problems of the world. Now we're being persecuted for believing in God, not believing in God, liking Kerry Vincent, disliking Kerry Vincent, baking from home, baking from a licensed shop, baking from scratch, baking from mix, having pets, not having pets, being overly nice and polite, being "tell-it-like-it-is, and the list goes on and on. I am so tired of coming in a thread because the title was interesting and having my eyes assaulted with this hatred. This is a CAKE DECORATING website. Or was.

And how is it that lately I know exactly which names I will see in a thread EVERY STINKIN' TIME it starts to turn ugly??

I understand both sides. I'm not going to tell you my belief system at all.

Christians feels they are offended for having to defend their beliefs. If someone questions your Christian beliefs just swallow it or let them know you understand they don't believe in the same thing. If you feel like you have to constantly defend your beliefs and you are becoming frustrated then stop discussing it.

Non-Christian are offended because they feel that the Bible and Christian faith is being used in a forum and they don't think it plays a part in cake decorating. Just skip over it, don't address them or make your snicker to yourself instead of online. I really don't see the non-Christians coming on line and talking about being a non-believer in Christianity until someone says something about faith, god, or their bible. Well that is except for nowherenearachurch. However, she doesn't vocalize it to everyone in the forums.

Let's let everyone believe what they want. Try to keep it at home, discuss it amongst your friends. While we are friends here at Cake Central, we don't know everyone personally. Let's try not offending others by pushing our beliefs to one another. You are all right.

Good grief people. Lets keep our beliefs to ourselves, either way, and come here for the cakes.

Besides, all the oh-so-helpful signature lines are all the announcement we need as to your...er...orientation. love those.

I forgot what this thread started with...oh yeah...something controversial.

Can we shut this one down yet?

AMEN!!!!!!