FILLMORE : State Revokes License of Used-Car Dealer
State investigators have revoked the license of a used-car dealer in Fillmore who is accused of stealing $6,600 from a financing company and failing to repay a $42,700 bank loan.
The Department of Motor Vehicles in September charged Michael Wayne Harter of Oxnard with grand theft and fraud in connection with his used-car business, Michael “J” Auto Sales.
Supervising investigator Steve Wimpress said Harter went out of business in late September and has since left the state. While operating his business, Harter lived in Oxnard.
Wimpress said Harter does not face criminal prosecution because the charges were filed administratively against Harter’s license to sell cars in California. Under state law, dealers may challenge charges against their license and request a hearing before an administrative law judge.
Harter, however, has never responded to the charges.
According to Wimpress, the charges against Harter stem from two actions: failure to repay a loan from First National Bank of Ventura and his collection of payment for the same car twice. In the latter incident, Harter collected payment directly from the customer and from Auto Dealer’s Acceptance Corp., a separate financing company, Wimpress said.
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