Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today filed more price gouging lawsuits against businesses accused of taking advantage of Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey. In these cases consumers were allegedly charged excessive prices for gasoline.
Price gouging by unscrupulous profiteers is something that no Texan should have been confronted with during a declared disaster like Hurricane Harvey Attorney General Paxton said. Price gouging is illegal unconscionable and completely opposite the spirit of cooperation we saw just about everywhere else in our state before during and after the hurricane. My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute more cases arising from Harvey.
After a state disaster has been declared as Governor Greg Abbott did on August 23 Texas law prohibits selling necessities such as drinking water food medicine and fuel at an exorbitant or excessive price. Attorney General Paxton named the following defendants in Hurricane Harvey price gouging lawsuits:
- Big Willys which has locations south/southwest the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex charged $3.99 and $4.99 per gallon of unleaded gasoline at numerous stations.
- Tejano Mart in Laredo which charged consumers up to $9.99 per gallon of unleaded regular gasoline.
In September Attorney General Paxton filed the first round of Hurricane Harvey price gouging lawsuits against a motel in Robstown and gas stations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Laredo. Last month he sent notices of violations to 127 Texas retailers accused of price gouging at their gas stations. A finding of price gouging carries civil penalties up to $20000 for each violation rising to $250000 for violations targeting those 65 and older.
Texans who believe theyve been scammed or price gouged should call the attorney generals Consumer Protection Hotline toll-free at
(800) 621-0508email
consumeremergency@oag.texas.gov or file a complaint online at
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/file-a-consumer-complaint.
To view the petition filed against Big Willys click here:
http://bit.ly/2jmb1Pr
To view the petition filed against Tejano Mart click here:
http://bit.ly/2iUFDnl
