Car Dealer Lawyer

The Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs raised new allegations against Bill Heard Enterprises.  The Governor’s Office claims that Bill Heard engaged in deceptive and misleading sales practices in violation of Georgia’s Fair Business Practices Act of 1975.  Specifically, it asserts that Bill Heard failed to pay off trades and engaged in “power booking” (overstating the equipment on vehicles to induce a lender to finance a larger amount).  Bill Heard disputes the allegations.

Bill Heard is based in Columbus, Georgia and operates five stores in Georgia and nine stores in other states.  It is one of the largest General Motors retailers in the country.

The current allegations arise from a long-standing dispute between Bill Heard and the Governor’s Office.  According to the Governor’s Office, between July 1, 2005 and April 5, 2007, it received 113 complaints about Bill Heard’s stores.  Instead of settling those claims, Bill Heard sued the Governor’s office in May, 2007 under Georgia’s Open Records law seeking the names of the consumers and dealerships who filed complaints against it.  The Governor’s Office then sued Bill Heard for $50 million claiming that a sales mailer sent to thousands of consumers was misleading.  The mailer allegedly looked like a factory recall notice. 

The new allegations are simply the latest round of this bitter dispute.  But they come at a particularly difficult time for Bill Heard.  According to news reports, GMAC Financial Services recently discontinued Bill Heard’s new vehicle inventory financing. 

“State Says Bill Heard Used Deceptive Practices,”  Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“State Levels Accusations Against Bill Heard” Ledger-Enquirer.com