Consumer Advocate 

Auto Titles

• Gabbard Cars, Inc. (Medina County): A judge ordered Gabbard Cars to pay more than $68,000 for failing to transfer vehicle titles properly and mishandling consumers' payments. In the March 9 judgment, the judge agreed with Attorney General Cordray that the auto dealer's actions violated Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act and Title Defect Rescission Act.

Gift Certificates

• CertifiChecks, Inc. (Montgomery County): On March 9, Attorney General Cordray sued Dayton-based CertifiChecks for failing to honor its gift certificates and for misleading consumers. The company closed its doors in late February and left consumers with unused gift certificates. In the suit, Cordray asked the court to hold CertifiChecks responsible for reimbursing consumers.

Mortgage Appraisals

• Apex Mortgage Services (Belmont County): A Belmont County judge agreed with Attorney General Cordray that Apex Mortgage Services attempted to influence the independent judgment of an appraiser, according to a judgment filed on March 10. The judge ordered the company to pay $1,800 in consumer restitution and $50,000 in civil penalties, and declared its actions unfair and deceptive.
• Frontier Appraisals, LLC (Muskingum County): As part of a continuing series of actions to stop mortgage appraisers from being improperly influenced, Attorney General Cordray reached a settlement with Frontier Appraisals, a Denver-based company accused of trying to influence the independent appraisal of a residential property in Zanesville. The settlement requires Frontier to pay a $5,000 civil penalty and prohibits it from indicating a loan amount or estimated value in future appraisal requests.

Telemarketing

• DISH Network, LLC (Springfield, Ill.): Satellite giant DISH Network made unauthorized telemarketing calls to consumers, according to a lawsuit filed March 25 by Attorney General Cordray, the attorneys general of California, Illinois and North Carolina, and the Federal Trade Commission. An investigation found that the company (directly or indirectly through third parties) made calls to consumers on the National Do Not Call Registry.