Auto dealers are among 54 non-compliant businesses subject to court petition by DACO
By John McPhaul
jpmcphaul@gmail.com
In July, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO by its Spanish acronym) filed 54 petitions to enforce orders in court, as announced Sunday by DACO Secretary Edan Rivera Rodríguez, who indicated that 33 of the actions were filed to collect debts on behalf of consumers, and 21 were to collect administrative fines for violations of the laws and regulations enforced by the agency.
From the list of “non-compliant businesses” for July, motor vehicle dealers stand out. Nissan Motors Acceptance Corp owes $20,134, Euro Boutique owes $14,640.24 and Golden Auto Inc. owes $8,000.
In the category of “works and services,” the largest debt corresponds to the co-defendants Solar Root LLC and Planet Solar Antilles LLC, with $11,995. It is followed by Mundo Piscinas Inc., which owes $8,500.
As for “construction,” which is one of the repeated categories in the monthly DACO lists, Emmanuel Sánchez García and/or Jenitza Narváez González stand out, with a debt of $8,900.
The boards of directors of several condominiums also appear in the July list. In these cases, the debts are not monetary, but constitute “obligations to comply” that have not been fulfilled.
The boards that are reluctant to respect the rights of the owners are those of Torres de Cervantes Condominium, Gallardo Gardens Condominium, and Park West Condominium.
“These monthly publications seek to alert citizens to those businesses that, despite having final and firm resolutions that recognize some remedy for consumers, refuse to comply with them,” Rivera Rodríguez said. “This is something that, as an agency, we cannot allow.”
This month, the list of “non-compliers” also includes businesses that have not paid administrative fines imposed by the agency for violating some consumer protection rule.
“The fines imposed by our inspectors have a dissuasive purpose; that is, to avoid the repetition of the conduct that violates any recognized consumer right,” stressed the official, who reiterated that “respecting DACO is, ultimately, respecting consumers.” “That is why it is extremely important to make sure that these fines are paid.”
Any consumer who has a final determination signed in his or her favor that has not yet been fulfilled can contact the DACO Litigation Division, or submit the “Informative Motion” form available at www.daco.pr.gov. The form can be delivered in person, at any of the regional offices of the agency, or sent to the email service@daco.pr.gov.