After Mike Montagano allowed a church congregation to use his used car dealership for meetings until it could find a proper facility, the Burlington, New Jersey, zoning board informed him that the building was being used illegally and that he faced a $500-a-day fine. According to a state motor vehicle statute, a dealership could not be open on a Sunday, and the board said that even if the dealership was open only to the congregation, it would still be considered to be open for business. Montagano maintains that he deliberately stayed away when the congregation met, going instead to his vacation home to avoid being accused of trying to conduct business.

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