(CLEVELAND, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today that his office has filed a lawsuit against a used-car dealership and its owners over violations of consumer protection laws and failure to deliver vehicle titles to customers.
Consumers contacted the Attorney General’s Office with 85 complaints about Michael Ray Auto Group, Inc., a used-car dealership that operated in Cleveland from March 2018 through September 2019. Seventy-five of the complaints were related to vehicle titles.
“Steer clear of fraudulent activity when buying a car by researching the purchasing process and the seller,” Yost said. “These so-called dealers ripped off their customers and now they’ll have to answer for their deceitfulness in court.”
The lawsuit accuses Kenneth Wayne Adams of Strongsville and Vartan Alexander of Twinsburg, owners of Michael Ray Auto Group, of violating Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act and Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title Act.
Yost’s Consumer Protection Section made customers whole with payments totaling $154,545.81 from the Title Defect Recision Fund, a program that helps used-car buyers resolve title problems.
The lawsuit, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, seeks to recover from Michael Ray Auto Group and its owners the amount of money paid to resolve consumer complaints. Additionally, the complaint asks the court to impose a civil penalty for violations of Ohio’s consumer protection laws and prohibit Adams and Alexander from maintaining or applying for auto dealer or salesperson licenses.
Consumers who suspect an unfair or deceptive sales practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.
