TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida Agriculture & Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said he is seeking or has collected fines totaling $46,000 against nine gas stations for alleged price gouging in connection with the four hurricanes last year.
His announcement comes on the heels of yesterdays report out of neighboring Georgia that the Office of Consumer Affairs had secured 51 more settlements reached as a result of recent gas price-gouging investigations. To date, with 15 previous settlements, the fines assessed against 66 stations exceeded $125,000.[image-nocss]
Settlement agreements sent by Bronsons department to the Florida stations follow the imposition of $34,500 in fines levied by the department against nine other stations in late 2005 for engaging in price gouging during and in the aftermath of the storms.
Under state law, merchants selling essential items such as food, water, gasoline, lodging and storm-recovery materials during a state of emergency are prohibited from charging excessive or exorbitant prices for their goods, unless the increase in price can be attributed to additional costs incurred by the retailer.
Investigations by Bronsons Division of Standards, an office in the department that regulates the sale of petroleum products at gas stations, concluded that the nine stations unlawfully increased their prices for gasoline. Weve looked at these cases thoroughly and are convinced that consumers were overcharged for gasoline by these companies, Bronson said.
Stations that issued settlement agreements, which call for the payment of fines and pledges by the stations that they will comply with Floridas price-gouging statute in the future, were:
Sparkys Shell No. 412, Winter Haven. A fine of 1,000 is being sought against the station for illegally increasing its gasoline price by 18 cents a gallon. Sparkys Shell No. 304, Lakeland. The department is seeking a $1,000 fine against that station for unlawfully hiking its gasoline price by 18 cents a gallon. Sparkys Shell No. 331, Bushnell. It is being asked to pay a fine of $500 for unlawfully increasing its gasoline price by 14 cents a gallon. Sparkys Shell No. 329, Polk City. The department is seeking a $1,000 fine from the station for illegally increasing its gasoline price by 18 cents a gallon. Ronnies Food Mart, Jacksonville. The department is seeking a $10,000 fine against the station for unlawfully increasing its gasoline price by 66.8 cents a gallon. Buzzmart, Hastings. It is being asked to pay a $10,000 fine for illegally hiking its gasoline price by 53.2 cents a gallon. South Dade Amoco, Miami. The department is seeking a $10,000 fine against the station for unlawfully increasing its gasoline price by 64 cents a gallon. Super Stop No. 104, Homestead. The department is seeking a $10,000 fine against that station for illegally hiking its gasoline price by 64 cents a gallon. Freedom Oil Co., Bloomington, Ill., dba Owens, St. Augustine. The station was asked to pay a fine of $2,500 for illegally increasing its gasoline price by 28 cents a gallon, a fine it already has paid.Each of the nine stations, with the exception of Freedom Oil, which already has settled its case, is free to reject the departments settlement offers. If they do, legal actions likely will be filed against the companies, Bronson said.
The Commissioner added that his department has current investigations of approximately 150 additional stations, the gasoline prices of which triggered consumer complaints last year.
During the 2005 hurricane season, Bronsons department received nearly 3,500 price gouging complaints, it said, most involving gasoline.
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