New Jersey Attorney General Peter C. Harvey has filed suit against three car dealers for allegedly violating the state's Consumer Fraud Act and other regulations governing the advertisement and sale of used and new vehicles.
The three dealerships named in the lawsuits are Lilliston Ford of Vineland; Northeast Leasing of Plainfield and company officers Jed S. Efrus and Scott N. Efrus; and Rocmen Enterprises (doing business as Michael Ds) of Linden and company officer Michael A. DiCecilia.
"Key information that consumers need, and are legally entitled to, in order to make an informed purchasing decision either was allegedly not disclosed or misrepresented and inaccurate," Attorney General Harvey said. "These alleged violations include not disclosing prior motor vehicle damage, something any purchaser obviously would want to know.
"The law requires and consumers expect all the facts to be disclosed prior to a sale occuring," Harvey added.
The lawsuits seek reimbursement for affected customers, maximum civil penalties and compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. Civil penalties under the State Consumer Fraud Act are up to $10,000 for a first offense and up to $20,000 for each additional offense.
"The alleged deceptions and withholding of information from consumers is something we cannot tolerate," Director Ricketts said. "The customer is not required to ask for information about the vehicles condition, the onus is on the dealer to disclose the information. A customer does not have to play 20 Questions in order to learn about the condition of a vehicle."
Other Cases
The attorney general also filed administrative complaints against one automotive dealer and two auto body repair facilities who allegedly committed multiple violations of the Consumer Fraud Act and of the regulations governing automotive advertising and repairs.
The State filed complaints against:
• Performance Dodge, Inc. in Woodbury,
• Roderick John Mauro d/b/a Hot Rods Autobody in Lakewood and Toms River, and
• Steve Samiel d/b/a Steves Auto Body Work in Garfield.
The State alleges that Performance Dodge, Inc. violated the Consumer Fraud Act, the Motor Vehicle Advertising Regulations and the Automotive Repair Regulations by, among other things, failing to honor the financing terms of negotiated deals, refusing or changing the terms of financing offers, overcharging customers for licensing and fees and failing to return customer deposits.
The State alleges that Hot Rods Autobody and Steves Auto Body Work violated the Consumer Fraud Act and the Automotive Repair Regulations by, among other things, not being licensed to perform auto body repairs, failing to itemize the repairs to be made before work began, failing to provide a detailed invoice and failing to perform agreed upon repairs.
The State is seeking restitution for consumers, civil penalties, reimbursement of its attorneys fees and investigative costs and future compliance with the Consumer Fraud Act and related regulations.
