NEWARK
— Attorney General Peter C. Harvey
and the Division of Consumer Affairs today
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,
filed in State Superior Court venues,
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
D’s) 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 vehicle’s
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.”
Deputy Attorneys General Frank A. Coppa,
Jeffrey Koziar and Jonathan D. Rudolph
are representing the State in these matters.