NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced that his office reached a settlement with Kost Tire Distributors Inc., an upstate automobile service station company, after allegations of breaking New York’s Environmental Conservation Law.
Kost Tire allegedly charged consumers an extra $2 fee for each oil change on their vehicles. The company has done this since at least Jan. 1, 2012, according to Schneiderman’s office. The Environmental Conservation Law specifically prohibits such stations from charging fees for accepting and disposing of used oil.
“Service stations are required to collect and dispose of used oil free of charge,” Schneiderman said. “By tacking on a $2 fee, consumers were being charged an inflated price for oil changes under the false pretense that the fee was required by the government. The agreement announced today will continue to protect our environment while also protecting consumers across Upstate New York.”
As disgorgement of the “oil and filter recycling fees,” Kost Tire agreed to pay the state $181,511.36. Additionally, the company will pay $93,488.64 in civil penalties.
Assistant Attorney General Michael J. Danaher Jr. of the Binghamton Regional Office handled the case.