Fraud Law

Fraud Law in Clifton, NJ

When a company supplies its consumers with a product, whether it is a new or used car, toy, bank account or an insurance policy, that company is expected to abide by the contract and the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, NJSA 56:8-2, et seq. Unfortunately, there are companies who do not operate in the best interests of their customers. 

For 30 + years, The Law Office Of Richard A. Vrhovc has protected the rights of citizens all over the country by seeking and obtaining triple damages, costs and attorney’s fees.  New Jersey has one of the most favorable consumer protection laws in the country,  which was enacted to punish unscrupulous businesses. While many cases settle before trial, Attorney Vrhovc has taken many cases to trial where the targets do not want to settle.  In 2017 Mr. Vrhovc obtained the #1 jury verdict in New Jersey for breach of contract. The jury awarded the client $3,766,416.99. The defendant was also found to have defrauded the client.

Used car dealers are just one of the types of businesses our office pursues on behalf of customers who bought a used car in New Jersey or New York. Such dealers have many ways of defrauding customers. Some of the ways customers are victimized are:
A. “Bait and switch” schemes where the dealer advertises the car for a low price to lure the customer onto the lot and then, once the customer falls in love with the car, increases the price on the grounds that the advertised price did not include “required” warranties or that the advertised price is just the “wholesale price.”
B. “Aftermarket warranties.” Some dealers add so-called warranties or service contracts to the deal for thousands of dollars extra without even telling the customer about them.  Sometimes the unsuspecting customer doesn’t even know he was scammed until he gets the bill from the finance company.  Other times, the dealer will falsely tell the customer that the warranties are required to get financing, when they are not required at all.
C. “Guarantees.” Some dealers will offer the customer a “guarantee” for a set period of time, usually 30 days.  When the car breaks down, some dealers will pretend to repair the car and give it back to the customer, who learns that the car was not really repaired at all.  By the time he brings it back to the dealer the 30 days have elapsed and the “guarantee” has expired.
D. “Terms and Conditions” may exist on a dealer’s website which hide extra fees,  sometimes referred to as “Vehicle Certification” fees.  When and if the customer notices the extra charges, some dealers will defend their unscrupulous conduct by pointing to the fine print on their website.
E. “Fake down payments.” Some dealers will put a fake down payment number on the contract in order to make the deal more attractive to the finance company.  The larger the down payment, the more likely the bank will agree to finance the loan. Customers should take care to make sure the contract has the true down payment listed, because if not, that is a big warning sign about who you are doing business with.
All of the above circumstances are violations of the Consumer Fraud Act.  Some of our recent cases included the following:

A client traveled from Pennsylvania to New Jersey to buy a used Mazda Miata based upon the dealer’s representation that there was “no rust” on the vehicle.  Upon returning to Pennsylvania the vehicle failed inspection due to the massive amount of rust on the undercarriage.  Attorney Vrhovc took the case to trial and won at trial, which netted the client 3 times his damages, plus costs and attorney’s fees.  When the dealer did not pay voluntarily, we got the Sheriff to freeze its bank account and collected the money for our client.
 A client from Virginia who wanted to make a living by making deliveries for Amazon bought a used International truck from Carr Automotive in Delran, NJ. The deal came with a 30-day/1,000-mile warranty on the engine and transmission from Carr Automotive.  The truck never operated properly despite the dealer’s representations, did not pass a DOT inspection, and the client never even made one single delivery with the truck.  Carr Automotive repeatedly failed to repair the truck as required.  Carr also refused to put the client in another truck or to rewind the deal.  Attorney Vrhovc forced the dealer into arbitration where the arbitrator found that Carr Automotive LLC violated the Consumer Fraud Act and our client was awarded triple damages, attorney’s fees, and costs totaling $77,612.44.

 A New Jersey client “bought” a used car from a dealership in New York, financing the majority of the purchase price. Unfortunately, the dealership never sent her the title or license plates and then went out of business, leaving her with a car which she could not register, title or drive. Attorney Vrhovc contacted the finance company, which agreed to rewind the deal without even having to file a lawsuit. The client’s credit will not be affected.

Another client bought a used car for what he was told was the “advertised price,” signing numerous documents. On his way out the door, the salesperson handed him a stack of papers which he looked at when he got the car home.  It was only then that he realized he was charged thousands of dollars more than what he was told.  Attorney Vrhovc filed suit and the case was settled for an amount far in excess of the extra cost the dealer tacked onto the loan.
A client traded in her Mercedes Benz for a Range Rover, with the dealer promising to pay off the loan on the Mercedes and transfer it to the Range Rover.  Unfortunately, the dealer never paid off the loan on the Mercedes, leaving the client with 2 loans instead of one! On top of that the dealer managed to erase the lien on the Mercedes and sell it to someone else. With the dealer and its personnel having disappeared, Attorney Vrhovc successfully sued the finance company, which erased the loan on the Mercedes and paid the client and the attorney.

Talk to Our Trustworthy Firm

Reporting unethical business practices can be intimidating, daunting, and nerve-wracking. We’re here to tell you that you can trust our consumer and business fraud attorneys. Anything you say to us is completely confidential. We don’t take your claims lightly. We work to ensure you get as much compensation as possible. Being defrauded of your time and money is exhausting and devastating, but our firm is prepared to help you build a credible case.
Contact our firm to set up a meeting. We proudly serve clients all over the nation from our office in Clifton, NJ.

Elizabeth Osoria
Great lawyer, courteous, professional, highly recommended.
Denis Seckin
He got me out of trouble a few times, he helped me with my status in United States, he is always humble , he is a good listener and has an idea in a few seconds he has a plan in a few minutes that is the key. Immigration, marriage, civil cases and domestic violence all of the cases are successful and he is the only lawyer who is not going to ask for more than what he deserves...
Silie Salazar
Attorney Vrhovc fought to defend me as if he knew me all my life. He was professional, attentive, and responded all of my questions and concerns personally. He is highly ethical and professional. In addition, he was caring and compassionate. Furthermore, the cases were all dismissed. I highly recommend Richard Vrhovc. Richard, thank you for all you’ve done for us!
Agnieszka Pyra
Richard is always honest with what he can do in your case, with the great immigration experience. For me and my friends the best Lawyer. I can recommend his services as the best I know.
Qadr Abdul-Salaam
The Law office of Rich is professional, helpful and informative. I hired this office for a serious civil case and it was a long hard fought battle but we got the W. The other party was dodging payments initially but Rich took action that eventually made the other party pay in full. He was also kind enough to aid in the criminal aspect of this case per the municipality’s request. Have your ducks in a row, call Rich and he’ll get the job done.

Law Office Of Richard A. Vrhovc

Fraud Law in Clifton, NJ

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