LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles County inspectors cited 50 gas stations for overcharging customers last year and issued $22,650 in fines after receiving hundreds of complaints, according to an Associated Press report.
"Everybody is in a panic,'' said Jeff Humphreys, deputy director of the California county's Department of Weights & Measures. There is no doubt about it. The price of gas has people very, very concerned. Our job is to make sure people are getting what they pay for.''
Last year, the county agency's website received 624 [image-nocss] complaints about overcharges.
The citations and penalties for the fiscal year that ended on June 30 were far higher than the nine citations and $3,600 in fines levied during the 2004-05 year.
By law, the county must inspect each of more than 54,000 gasoline pumps in its jurisdiction at least once a year but the department had been falling behind because of understaffing.
Enforcement increased after the agency got more money and added three new inspectors.
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