(LEBANON, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today announced a consumer protection lawsuit against a used car dealership and its owner who failed to deliver a vehicle title to a customer in southwest Ohio.
“If you want to get along in this life, don’t mess with another person’s money, spouse or car,” Yost said. “This dealership hit two out of three, and we’re going to court.”
The lawsuit accuses Catherine Manning and her business, #1 Auto Exchange, of violating Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act and Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title Act. The dealership is located at 1380 E. 2nd St. in Franklin.
The attorney general’s office received a complaint against the business in 2017, alleging that Manning never provided a title for a car purchased at the dealership. Manning responded by claiming she did not have enough money to refund the customer’s purchase.
Yost’s Consumer Protection Section made the customer whole with a $7,306.03 payment from the Title Defect Recision Fund, a program that helps used car buyers resolve title problems.
Manning signed an agreement requiring her to reimburse the fund at a rate of $100 per week, with the first payment due in November 2017. She also agreed to pay $1,500 for attorney fees and investigative costs. The attorney general’s office received $2,700 from Manning before she stopped making the required payments in July 2018.
The lawsuit filed in the Warren County Common Pleas Court seeks to recover the remaining $4,606.03, plus the outstanding attorney fees and investigative costs. It also seeks an order preventing Manning from operating her business until she repays the fund, complies with Ohio’s consumer protection laws and files a required surety bond.
Consumers who suspect an unfair or deceptive sales practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.