ATLANTA -- Joe Doyle, administrator of the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs, announced 51 additional settlements that have been reached as a result of recent gasoline price-gouging investigations conducted by the OCA in Georgia.
The OCA began the investigation of price gouging immediately after Governor Sonny Perdue's Executive Order of Aug. 31, 2005, to control rising motor fuel costs after Hurricane Katrina. The first 15 settlementsas reported in CSP Daily Newswere announced in November. To date, the fines assessed against the 66 stations exceed $125,000.[image-nocss]
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 emergency declaration.
Cases were evaluated on the individual facts, said Doyle, and the settlements 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 for 30 days on the station's gas pumps stating that customers with receipts who were covered by the agreement were eligible for refunds.
The OCA, which says it has received more than 3,300 complaints or inquiries about price gouging since Aug. 31, 2005, is still investigating approximately 35 potential 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 latest settlements include the following stations:
A.D. Spence dba West Paces Ferry Chevron, Atlanta: Restitution plus $3,000 fine. B.F. McCurley & Sons Inc. dba Shell, Atlanta: Restitution plus $2,500. Black Mountain Express LLC dba Black Mountain Express, Toccoa: $ 2,500. Gate Petroleum Co. dba Gate Service Station, Rincon: $2,500. Muskaan LLC dba Conyers Chevron, Conyers: Restitution plus $3,000. Pranami Inc. dba Pranami No. 2 Sunoco, Rincon: Restitution plus $2,500. Quilon Enterprises Inc. dba Quilon Exxon Gas Station, College Park: $1,500. Shahab Shahmuhammadi dba Bee Hive, Mineral Bluff: $2,000. Strickland Oil Co. Inc. dba Flash Foods Shell, Rincon: Restitution plus $500. Tadmore Enterprises Inc. dba Tadmore Food Mart, Gainesville: $1,000. The Rahn Co. Inc. dba Goshen Corner BP, Rincon: $4,000. Brad Lanier Oil Co. Inc. dba Homerun Foods No. 1, Albany: $2,000. JAK Group Inc. dba Lake Food Mart, Cumming: $500. John's Convenience Market Inc. dba John's Convenience Store, Smyrna: Restitution plus $2,500. Krishna & Urmi Inc. dba Windy Hill Texaco, Smyrna: Restitution plus $3,000. Kwik Stop No. 3, Eatonton: $200. McKellar Enterprises LLC dba Bunkers, Moultrie: Restitution plus $2,500. Rehana Enterprises dba Shell Quick Stop No. 4, Alpharetta: $800. S & S Food & Gas Inc. dba Shell No. 11, Monroe: $600. The Cupboard LLC, Alpharetta: $800. Triple Star Fuels Inc. dba BP Gas Market, Columbus: $2,000. Yasmin Investments Inc. dba CITGO Food Mart, Cartersville: $1,000. Z-N Express Business Enterprises Inc. dba Quick Pick Food Mart, Snellville: $3,000. Al Rehman & Dura LLC dba Trotter's Old Place Store, Gainesville: Restitution plus $1,000. Big A Shell Food Mart LLC dba Shell Food Mart Old National Hwy., College Park: $2,000. BMBA Inc. dba K & H Food Mart, Austell: $1,200. Fast Trac Fuel Inc. dba Fast Trac Marathon, Marietta: $1,200. H & J Inc. dba Hines Superthrift, Carrollton: $2,000. J & M Fortune Inc. dba Food Mart CITGO-Dunwoody Place, Atlanta: $600. JMC Food Inc. dba INS Quick Mart, Conyers: Restitution plus $2,000. Premium Investments Properties Inc. dba Shell 2 Cumming, Cumming: $2,000. Razia Group Inc. dba Peachtree Collier Texaco, Atlanta: $500. Sabeena Inc. dba South Cobb Drive Food Mart, Smyrna: $500. Shiraz & Shaz Inc. dba Dunwoody Express Shell, Atlanta: Restitution plus $3,000. Barnett Shoals Chevron, Athens: Restitution plus $4,000. F & S Food Mart dba CITGO Gas Station, McDonough: Restitution plus $500. KR & R LLC dba Shell Convenience Store, Bethlehem: Restitution only. M & I Enterprises LLC dba Mt. Zion BP, Jonesboro: Restitution plus $1,000. MIR Enterprises Inc. dba Shell Food Mart, Bethlehem: Restitution plus $1,000. New Sugarland Inc. dba Chevron Apex Gas Station, Athens: $4,000. Swaminarayan Inc. dba Shell Big H Food Store, Stone Mountain: Restitution plus $1,000. USAG Petro LLC dba Shell Food Mart, Tucker: Restitution plus $500. Zain-G Inc. dba Zetella Express, Griffin: Restitution plus $2,000. Joy Lake LLC dba Joy Lake Food Mart, Morrow: Restitution plus $1,000. Mary & Anthony Enterprises Inc. dba Mobile Food Mart, Union City: Restitution plus $1,500. OAM Inc. dba Billy's Marathon, Stockbridge: Restitution only. Randhawa Enterprises Inc. dba CITGO Value Mart, Smyrna: Restitution plus $500. S & Z Petro Inc. dba Forest Park Valero, Forest Park: $500. SNZ Inc., Forest Park: Restitution plus $2,000. SVR Enterprises Inc. dba Concord Shell, Smyrna: Restitution plus $1,000. VIB Inc. dba Sugar Hill Shell, Sugar Hill: $800.Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.