The car dealership network AutoNation Inc. has agreed to pay $650,000 in fines and overhaul its policies to settle a six-county lawsuit — including three from the Bay Area — over tardy title transfer practices that prevented used car buyers from officially owning their vehicles, authorities said.
District attorneys in Santa Clara, San Francisco, Sonoma, Los Angeles, Riverside and Ventura counties sued AutoNation alleging that 42 of its dealerships violated laws requiring them to alert the DMV and begin transferring a used car’s title, also known as a pink slip, to the buyer within 30 days of purchase.
The alleged delays meant that the buyers could not officially claim the cars as their property if they wanted to resell, refinance or offer the vehicles as loan collateral. Investigators estimate that there have been thousands of delayed transfers going back to 2019.
According to several of the district attorney’s offices involved in the lawsuit, the terms of the settlement entail no admission of liability and include $450,000 in civil penalties, $150,000 in investigative costs and $50,000 that will go toward state consumer protection programs. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge William Monahan signed the settlement, which was filed Tuesday.
Related Articles
Crime and Public Safety | ‘A volunteer jail:’ Inside the scandals and abuse pushing California’s homeless out of shelters Crime and Public Safety | A Toronto girl believed she was chatting with another teen online, but it turned out to be an Oakland man, police say Crime and Public Safety | Man goes missing after leaping into ocean north of Santa Cruz Crime and Public Safety | Judge grants landmark protections for inmates of East Bay’s ‘rape club’ prison Crime and Public Safety | East Bay liquor store robbery ends in suspect’s deathAutoNation will also be required to “create and enforce policies so that they will received registration and paperwork in a timely manner,” according to the settlement terms. That includes stopping any car sale without ready access to the title; requiring smog check and VIN verification prior to a sale; having sufficient staffing to process title transfers and a manager tasked with compliance; and deferring sales commissions on purchases where a timely transfer is not feasible.
“People who buy cars with their hard-earned money rightfully expect to receive ownership on time,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins added in a statement, “I am pleased that these dealerships made changes that will minimize the number of problems that may arise in the future.”
Hence then, the article about bay area counties part of autonation settlement over tardy title transfers was published today ( ) and is available on mercury news ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Bay Area counties part of AutoNation settlement over tardy title transfers )
Also on site :
- Wharton’s great contrarian says AI adoption isn’t an easy way to cut headcount: ‘The key thing … is just how much work is involved in doing it’
- Ex-husband charged in deaths of Monique and Spencer Tepe
- A Red State’s High Court Gave Sam Alito the Dobbs Rejoinder He Deserves