Mover Sentenced for Overcharging

A Van Nuys man who runs a San Fernando Valley moving company was sentenced to 20 days of community service and fined after being convicted of overcharging homeowners fleeing their homes in the wake of the Northridge earthquake.

Thomas J. Smith, a 42-year-old Van Nuys man, pleaded no contest Monday in Los Angeles Municipal Court to five counts of making false statements and five counts of violating moving regulation laws, according to the Los Angeles city attorney’s office.

Smith is a Mayflower agent and president of L.A. Moving, Storage & Distribution Inc. of Arleta.

The company was ordered to pay more than $3,300 in restitution to six victims in Sherman Oaks and $3,000 to the California Public Utilities Commission to reimburse the agency for investigative costs. Smith was personally ordered to pay $1,350 in fines, according to Deputy City Atty. P. Greg Parham.

The multi-agency Earthquake Fraud Prevention Task Force began investigating L.A. Moving after several people phoned a hot line to complain about the moving firm.

Each of the violations occurred on Jan. 19, two days after the devastating earthquake. One man was charged nearly $2,900 for a job, a figure the PUC determined was more than $800 too much. A woman was charged nearly $2,000 for a move after she was guaranteed the cost would not exceed $1,000.