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Published by JBsZ06  10-16-2009 | |||||||
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#1
By
JBsZ06
on
10-16-2009, 10:16 pm
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 Accused gas station owners call citations are unfair By Chanta Jackson June 21, 2008, 7:12AM Attorney General Anne Milgram released a list of gas stations cited for violating laws designed to protect consumers, some station operators said they were being unfairly branded as cheats over minor issues of paperwork and misplaced signs. Following a news conference on Thursday that included tough talk about going after unscrupulous stations, Milgram's office released the names of more than 300 businesses cited for matters ranging from charging customers wrong amounts to failing to post permits. Andrew Garcia Phillips/The Star-LedgerThe list, however, did not indicate the type of violations at each station. Operators complained Friday that that left customers with the impression that all of them had been caught cheating. "They made it seem like we were stealing from the customers," said Lynn Bain of Bain's Citgo East in Succasunna, which was cited for not having certain documents immediately available for inspection when Weights and Measures inspectors visited. In fact, like many of those on the list, Bain said she has not received an official notice of a violation. "That was so unfair," she said. "We can barely keep our head above water as it is. Now nobody will buy gas. Who's going to believe we're honest?" Jack Tabibian, owner of Jack's Friendly Service in Fairfield, was likewise shocked to be on the list -- for not posting his 2008 registration, which Tabibian said he paid for and was still waiting to get from the state. "Is that trickery?" Tabibian said. "What does not having a permit up have to do with tricking the customer? In today's world, we're the bad guys, not those oil companies that make billions of dollars." Attorney General's Office spokesman Jeff Lamm denied his office was showboating for the public, saying a list of stations detailing their violations was simply not available Thursday night. A detailed list was released yesterday. "The public should know that Weight and Measures inspectors are out there and that some serious violations -- violations related to proper octane and improperly functioning pumps -- were found," Lamm said. "It's the station operator's responsibility to be in compliance with the regulation and when they're not, they get cited." Keith Friedman, managing partner of Pitstop in East Brunswick, said he got in trouble for having prices for cash and credit listed next to each other at the pump, rather than one above the other. He said he promptly corrected that, and didn't know he'd been cited for it, or for not providing the required information on credit card receipts. Bob Simpson, the owner of Shell of Randolph, said he had an "electronic glitch" on one of his pumps -- the display showed the wrong price even though it charged customers the right amount -- and the inspector just told him to get it fixed. Then he found himself on the list. "I think they're just trying to make themselves look good in the eyes of the public," Simpson said. |
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#3
By
JBsZ06
on
10-16-2009, 10:18 pm
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| New Jersey Real-Time News Breaking Local News from New JerseyEditors' Picks, News » State releases new details on gas stations cited by regulators By John Appezzato June 20, 2008, 8:10PM New Jersey officials today released detailed information on the 350 gas station owners ticketed during a recent three-day, 21-county sweep. This map shows the location of the stations. Click on any bubble to see what offense that station owner was charged with. Use the navigation tools on the left to zoom in and move the map. View Larger Map "Consumers deserve to get what they pay for, especially when they are paying record-setting prices for gasoline," Attorney General Anne Milgram said in announcing the results of the sweep at a news conference Thursday. Milgram said the tough enforcement will continue. The state has 3,142 gas stations. State inspectors found 46 instances where per-gallon prices were different on each side of the pump; 37 instances where the fuel grade was not posted; and 19 instances of inaccurate price totals. State inspectors also cited 14 stations for changing the price of gas more than once within 24 hours, a violation of state law. Milgram said she believes most of the violations were intentional, and said she had little tolerance for accidental violations because gas station operators are responsible for knowing and following the law. Violators face civil fines of up to $1,500 for first-time offenders and significantly more for repeat violators. Individual counties process the violations and can also suspend a gas station's operating license for five to 30 days. Customers who suspect violations are asked to immediately call the state's weights and measures office at (732) 815-4840. Milgram said inspectors will respond with a visit to the site within 24 hours. |
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