Car Firm to Pay $75,000 Settlement

A Ventura motor corporation will pay $75,000 in penalties and restitution to settle a civil complaint in which it was accused of false advertising and unlawful business practices, authorities said Friday.

Without admitting wrongdoing, Weber & Cooper Lincoln-Mercury has agreed to pay $48,000 in penalties, $15,000 in investigative costs and $12,000 in restitution stemming from a civil complaint filed by county prosecutors in November 1997.

In addition to the money, the defendants named in the action agreed to a permanent injunction that bars them from running dealerships unless licensed to do so, Ventura County Deputy Dist. Atty. Gregory Brose said.

The corporation is led by Jack Weber, who formerly ran Jack Weber Nissan, Jack Weber Mazda, Jack Weber Kia and Jack Weber Infiniti in Ventura. The corporation surrendered its dealership licenses in a separate action brought by the Department of Motor Vehicles, Brose said.

The complaint alleged the corporation failed to disclose to customers that several used cars were former rental cars and failed to submit registration documents and fees to the DMV within 30 days of sale, as required by law.

The case was based on a DMV investigation and handled by the district attorney’s Consumer and Environmental Protection Division.