Thursday, August 20, 2009

Attorney Sergei Lemberg: Chrysler Bankruptcy Trustee Must Protect Consumers with Lemon Law Claims

“Chrysler is bouncing checks, consumers are being ripped off, and the government is looking the other way,” said Sergei Lemberg, an attorney specializing in lemon law. That’s why Lemberg & Associates LLC (www.LemonJustice.com) on Wednesday urged the U.S. Trustee for Chrysler to appoint a committee of Statutory Law and Warranty Claim Holders for the duration of the automaker’s bankruptcy proceeding.

Stamford, CT (Advertiser Talk) 30-Jul-2009 — “Chrysler is bouncing checks, consumers are being ripped off, and the government is looking the other way,” said Sergei Lemberg, an attorney specializing in lemon law. That’s why Lemberg & Associates LLC (http://www.lemonjustice.com) on Wednesday urged the U.S. Trustee for Chrysler to appoint a committee of Statutory Law and Warranty Claim Holders for the duration of the automaker’s bankruptcy proceeding.

According to Lemberg, “In its bankruptcy, Chrysler is not honoring claims for the tens of thousands of consumers who purchased defective vehicles and are entitled to lemon law relief, nor for the thousands of people who have breach of warranty claims but do not technically qualify for lemon law relief.”

Chrysler is bouncing checks, consumers are being ripped off, and the government is looking the other way Chrysler is bouncing checks, consumers are being ripped off, and the government is looking the other way In its bankruptcy, Chrysler is not honoring claims for the tens of thousands of consumers who purchased defective vehicles and are entitled to lemon law relief, nor for the thousands of people who have breach of warranty claims but do not technically qualify for lemon law relief. In these difficult economic times, consumers who are targeted to receive little or nothing for their claims can’t afford to retain bankruptcy attorneys to represent their interests in Chrysler’s proceedings, yet every other entity with a significant interest is represented by counsel The U.S. trustee must fill this gaping hole by forming a committee for Statutory Law and Warranty Claim Holders. If the government doesn’t step in and assist consumers through the appointment of an Official Committee under the Bankruptcy Code, state lemon laws and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on While it appears that Chrysler is consoling customers on radio and TV ads by saying that all is well and that’s it’s okay to buy Chrysler cards, in reality the company is playing a high-stakes ‘gotcha’ game with consumers. He noted that, although Chrysler’s bankruptcy filing indicated that the automaker’s warranty and return vehicle obligations would be assumed, pending settlements are not being honored, and that Chrysler intends to challenge lemon law and breach of warranty claims as unsecured claims that will receive little, if any, recovery in the Chrysler Chapter 11 case. Last Friday, Lemberg received an email from Chrysler’s consumer claims counsel for the Northeast, which read in part:


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Monday, August 3, 2009

The Lemon Law in California

What is the California Lemon Law?
Simply put the California Lemon Law is an additional level of protection given to consumers in the State of California who purchase or lease vehicle that require repeated repairs or are in the repair shop for long periods of time while under the original manufacturer’s warranty.
When you purchase or lease a new automobile (or a used vehicle with a factory warranty) in the State of California, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, better known as the California Lemon Law can be a very powerful tool when dealing with the giant vehicle manufacturers. The California Lemon Law covers new and used cars, pickup trucks, vans, SUVs as well as motor homes.
What does this law obligate the manufacturer to do for me if I qualify?
The automobile manufacturer is under obligation, if there are too many attempts to repair or if the vehicle is in the repair shop for a very long time, to either repurchase or replace the defective vehicle. There is no set number of repair attempts. Vehicle manufacturers are obligated to repair defects and are allowed a "reasonable" opportunity to do so. What is a "reasonable" number of attempts depends on the nature of the defect. If a defect is serious enough a "reasonable" number may be fewer than four, but more than one (For a more thorough explanation, see California Lemon Law.)
Unfortunately, even though this CA Lemon Law exists, many manufacturers/dealerships will ignore all or part of this law. As a result, many consumers are forced to seek out the services of a California Lemon Law Attorney to prosecute the client's potential lemon law claim effectively and in a timely manner.What does the law provide for the consumer? The California Lemon Law provides the consumer with appropriate compensation for buying a lemon. Under this law the California consumer is entitled to have their lemon vehicle either repurchased by the manufacturer or replaced. When a vehicle is repurchase by the manufacturer the consumer will get back their down payment, all monthly payments, registration fees and any other costs associated with the lemon vehicle less a deduction for the actual mileage on the vehicle.
To ensure the best possible results for California Lemon Law claims, CA Lemon Law Attorneys represent thousands of consumers throughout California.

Who qualifies for the Lemon Law in California?

The California Lemon Law covers new and used cars, pickup trucks, vans, SUVs as well as motor homes that are covered by the original manufacturer’s warranty.

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