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Toronto, March 04, 2003 - On
Friday, February 28, 2003 in
provincial court in Scarborough
Anatoly Kirpatovsky was
convicted of 2 counts of acting
as an unregistered motor vehicle
dealer. He was fined $5,000.00
per count for a total of
$10,000.
OMVIC investigator Dave Wilson
found Kirpatovsky purchased two
vehicles from a registered
dealer in Mount Hope in January
2002 and, within weeks, sold
both cars through newspaper
classified ads. When Kirpatovsky
sold the vehicles, odometer
readings on both cars were
significantly less than when
they were purchased in Mount
Hope.
Wilson says it was a consumer
complaint that alerted OMVIC to
Kirpatovsky’s activities in
2002. The investigation was
subsequently launched.
Unregistered dealers, known as “curbsiders,”
sell vehicles to unsuspecting
consumers. In most cases the
vehicles are stolen, damaged,
rebuilt, odometer-tampered or
have liens against them.
Industry studies have shown that
as many as 25% of private sale
classifieds may be placed by
curbsiders.
Carl Compton, Executive Director
and Registrar of OMVIC, is
pleased with the heavy fine
passed down to Kirpatovsky: “Curbsiding
is a serious offence and this
fine is a victory for both
consumers and the motor vehicle
dealer industry. In recognition
of just how serious an offence
curbsiding is, provincial
Consumer Minister, Tim Hudak,
recently introduced changes to
the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act
which will increase the minimum
fine for curbsiding to $2,500.
Tougher penalties will guarantee
even more success in our efforts
to protect consumers from
illegal car sales.”
There are significant benefits
when buying from registered car
dealers: you know who you are
dealing with, you can come to
OMVIC if you encounter any
problems and you have the
protection of the Motor Vehicle
Dealers Compensation Fund. For a
list of registered dealers,
visit the online search function
at www.omvic.on.ca. If consumers
do opt to buy privately, they
are reminded to follow these
steps:
- Insist the private seller
provide you with an official
Used Vehicle Information Package
(UVIP) which tells you the
history of the vehicle’s
ownership.
Private sellers are
required to provide potential
buyers with the UVIP. If the
seller doesn’t provide you with
a UVIP, walk away from the deal.
- Make sure the vehicle you are
buying is registered in the name
of the seller. If it isn’t, ask
questions and find out why.
- Before you agree to buy the
vehicle, get an unbiased opinion
from a mechanic you trust.
- Suspected curbsiders should be
reported to OMVIC’s hotline:
1-888-NOCURBS.
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