The Justice Department announced it reached an agreement with ASAP Towing & Storage Company in Jacksonville, Fla, to resolve allegations that ASAP violated a federal law, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), by auctioning off or otherwise disposing of cars owned by protected servicemembers without first obtaining court orders. Under the agreement, ASAP must pay […]
Las Vegas Man Indicted for Falsifying Collision Repair Center Tax Returns
Accountant alleged to have conspired with business owners to claim more than $11 million in false deductions from 2013-2015. A federal grand jury in Las Vegas, Nevada, returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging a Las Vegas man with conspiracy to defraud the IRS. The indictment was announced by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. […]
U.S. Justice Department Sues Florida Towing Company for Unlawfully Selling Car Belonging to Deployed Servicemember
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida alleging that Target Recovery Towing Inc. and Target Recovery & Transport Inc. violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), by failing to obtain a court order before auctioning off a car belonging to a U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant who was deployed overseas. The […]
Massachusetts Collision Repair Facility Owner Charged with Tax Fraud
The owner of Everett and Worcester, Mass. auto body repair facilities was charged yesterday with a payroll tax scheme resulting in a $292,231 tax loss. This is not Haddad’s first run in with authorities, in 2019 Haddad was charged with auto insurance fraud by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. Haddad pleaded not guilty to the […]
Pennsylvania Attorney General Sues Predatory Philadelphia Towing Companies
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced July 17 that the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection filed a lawsuit against several towing companies in Philadelphia alleging that they illegally and wrongfully towed cars throughout the city, and threatened owners for payment to have their cars returned. The lawsuit is being filed against Siani’s Towing and […]
San Francisco Area Collision Repair Shop Operator Charged with Wire Fraud
Government alleges defendant orchestrated kickback scheme and lied to secure PPP loan. Geoffrey M. Palermo, owner of GMP Cars, was charged in a criminal complaint with wire fraud and making false statements in a loan application in connection with multiple schemes to defraud from 2013 to 2020. According to the complaint, Palermo, 56, of Novato, […]
LKQ Corporation Files Lawsuit Against General Motors Seeking to Have Collision Repair Part Design Patents Ruled Invalid
Federal lawsuit alleges vehicle manufacturer is seeking to undermine aftermarket parts supplier’s business relationships and seeks to change license agreement terms. LKQ Corporation filed a lawsuit in an Illinois Federal Court seeking a judgment against General Motors over the infringement and validity of collision repair part design patents. The lawsuit, LKQ Corporation and Keystone Automotive […]
North Carolina Towing Service Agrees to Pay $19,000 to Settle EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
Hunter Auto & Wrecker Service, Inc., a Charlotte, N.C.-based towing business, will pay $19,000 and provide other relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced in early April. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Hunter Auto violated federal law when it subjected a female […]
ABPA Releases Statement on Supreme Court Ruling
As CollisionWeek reported yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition by the Automotive Body Part Association (ABPA) to review a lower court ruling against the association in its design patent lawsuit against Ford. The ABPA released a statement in response to the ruling. According to the ABPA, “On March 9, 2020, the United States […]
U.S. Supreme Court Denies ABPA Petition to Hear Ford Collision Repair Part Design Patent Appeal
The denial leaves in place lower court finding Ford’s design patents for the F-150 are valid and enforceable. The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday denied a petition by the Automotive Body Parts Association to hear its appeal of lower court rulings that found design patents covering a hood and headlamp for the Ford F-150 were valid […]