Im running 12-2 wiring to an outdoor motion light above the overhead garage door. Is this acceptable to just drop the wire out of the ceiling like in this photo? Just a rough attic above with wiring. I'm going to staple it to the beam above the door to make it neat, but didn't know if this would pass code/inspection. Would it need some kind of conduit? Thanks!

As a result of purchasing an older home (built 1961), and the owner in the 80's being a master electrician, I am left with several mysteries to this place. We have a main panel with three sub panels one located in the garage next to the air handler and water heater, the other in a storage shed attached to the side of the house. The third is in a green house, but we have no need to check that out at this time. We purchased from his daughter and she had a tenant in it for the last 5 years or so who fancied himself a DIY'er despite shoddy work like mis-wiring the self install on an AC unit (he told me he installed it himself) :wall:and putting nails into the floor of the shower pan :wall:he built causing it to leak. The other shower pan also leaks, his great fix for this was a lot of caulk, :wall:sending the water to parts unknown under or in the house. Again, his story. The first priority is finding either the breaker or wall switch for the outlet that was used by the fountain pump some 200' away from the house. Using a voltage detector I can confirm it is not getting power. Again, the tenant told us it worked, and I am not sure it was included on the home inspection. Is there an inexpensive way to "tone" that outlet. Pictures will be forthcoming. Thanks for your time