As of March 12, 59 cases have been resolved- 26 [image-nocss] with a finding of no price gouging and 33 with a finding of price gouging. Cases were evaluated on the individual facts, and the settlements with violators included fines, consumer restitution or both. All fines collected were deposited in the state treasury. If a gas station operator was required to provide consumer restitution, he or she had to post signage stating that customers with receipts who were covered by the agreement were eligible for refunds.
OCA, which said it received more than 2,000 complaints or inquiries about price gouging or gasoline shortages, is still investigating a number of cases. The agency also put hundreds of stations on notice of the provisions of the price-gouging statute in order to avoid future violations.
The recent settlements include the following businesses:
Pilot Travel Center No. 70, Port Wentworth. Restitution plus $20,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the nine Pilot locations listed here. Pilot Travel Center No. 319, Dalton. Restitution plus $20,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the nine Pilot locations listed here. Pilot Travel Center No. 421, Dalton. Restitution plus $20,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the nine Pilot locations listed here. Pilot Travel Center No. 65, Augusta. Restitution plus $20,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the nine Pilot locations listed here. Pilot Travel Center No. 67, Cartersville. Restitution plus $20,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the nine Pilot locations listed here. Pilot Travel Center No. 422, Newnan. Restitution plus $20,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the nine Pilot locations listed here. Pilot Station No. 416, Cordele. Restitution plus $20,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the nine Pilot locations listed here. Pilot Station No. 66, Braselton. Restitution plus $20,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the nine Pilot locations listed here Pilot Station No. 68, Dublin. Restitution plus $20,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the nine Pilot locations listed here. Chevron, Marietta. Restitution plus $2,000 fine. CITGO, Lithonia. Restitution plus $2,000 fine. Leon's Food Mart, Cumming. Restitution plus $1,400 fine. Super Speedzone, Griffin. Restitution plus $2,500 fine. Kroger, Covington. Restitution plus $4,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against the three Kroger locations listed here. Kroger, Cumming. Restitution plus $4,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against these three Kroger locations. Kroger Fuel Center, Suwanee. Restitution plus $4,000 fine, which was assessed jointly against these three Kroger locations. Lakeview Grocery, Griffin. Restitution plus $1,500 fine. Super Express, Augusta. Restitution plus $5,000 fine. Shell, Ellenwood. Restitution plus $1,000 fine. Coastal Gas Station, Douglasville. Restitution plus $750 fine. Oak Foods, Valdosta. Restitution plus $2,500 fine. Zetella Express, Griffin. Restitution plus $2,500 fine. Adel Truck Plaza, Adel. Restitution plus $10,000 fine. Shell (Top of the Ridge), Douglasville. Restitution plus $1,000 fine. Aden's Minute Mart No. 42, Douglas. Restitution plus $1,000 fine. Aden's Minit Market No. 50, Meigs. Restitution plus $750. Aden's Minute Market No. 52, Pelham. Restitution plus $1,000. Stop N Shop No. 2, Jessup. Restitution plus $500. Fillers No. 22, Warner Robins. Restitution only. Fillers No. 24, Perry. Restitution only. Marathon Ashland, Cedartown. Restitution only. Ashley's Convenience Store, Savannah. Restitution plus $3,000. Executive Park Chevron, Atlanta. Restitution plus $5,000. Under Georgia law, price-control statutes are activated upon the governor's declaration of a state of emergency. During the declared state of emergency, businesses may not sell any goods or services necessary to protect the health, safety or property of citizens at prices higher than the prices at which those same goods or services were offered before the declaration of a state of emergency. The only exception allowed is if the business can document that the price was increased only in an amount which accurately reflects an increase in the cost of the goods or services to the person selling the goods or services or an increase in the cost of transporting the goods or service into the area. Absent a declared state of emergency, competition and demand drive prices in the free-market economy.
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