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Friday, March 29, 2024

Former car dealer paying up in New York

Schneiderman

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced on Wednesday that a former Central New York used car dealer has begun making payments after a court order to pay restitution and penalties.

The court order bars, Anthony Spinella Jr., the owner of Spinella's Enterprises, from ever owning and/or operating a car dealership in the state of New York again.

Spinella's Enterprises, located on Brewerton Road in Mattydale, N.Y., closed in November 2009. The closure allegedly left consumers with cars they couldn't register, unpaid loans and extended warranties that hadn't been activated, leading to some cars being repossessed by banks because of outstanding loans.

"Mr. Spinella's illegal actions left Syracuse-area consumers owing thousands of dollars for cars they no longer possessed," Schneiderman said. "My office is here to protect consumers in Central New York and throughout the state, and will make examples of any unscrupulous businesses that display a total disregard to honest business practices."

Schneiderman's lawsuit alleged deceptive business practices, violations of New York state laws and fraudulent practices. One of the alleged fraudulent practices included numerous consumers who paid between $800 and $2,000 for extended warranties that were not activated by Mr. Spinella.

The consent order requires Spinella's Enterprise Inc. pay $122,709 in restitution to 48 consumers for a variety of reasons.

The order also requires that Spinella make monthly payments to Schneiderman's office until all amounts owed to consumers for restitution are paid back. In addition, Spinella will have to pay more than $25,000 to the state in costs and civil penalties.

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