The Downtown Auto Center on Glengarry Avenue just south of Wyandotte Street has been fined $50,000 after owner, Mohsen Farahat, pleaded guilty to a total of 20 charges of curbsiding. Aug 7, 2019. (Photo by Paul Pedro)The Downtown Auto Center on Glengarry Avenue just south of Wyandotte Street has been fined $50,000 after owner, Mohsen Farahat, pleaded guilty to a total of 20 charges of curbsiding. Aug 7, 2019. (Photo by Paul Pedro)
Windsor

Garage in Windsor slapped with stiff fine

A Windsor auto repair shop and its owner have been significantly fined for illegally selling vehicles.

The Downtown Auto Center on Glengarry Avenue, just south of Wyandotte Street, has been fined $50,000 after owner, Mohsen Farahat, pleaded guilty to a total of 20 charges of curbsiding.

Curbsiding is acting as a dealer without a registration, according to the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC), which is Ontario’s Vehicle Sales Regulator.

“Curbsiders are illegal, unlicensed dealers who usually pose as private sellers, but in this case, it was a business curbsiding," stated John Carmichael, OMVIC CEO and Interim Registrar. "As a result, some consumers may have mistakenly believed they were dealing with a legitimate registered dealer and were entitled to the protections that normally provides.”

Carmichael added, "this was definitely not a case where the accused was unaware he was breaking the law.”

Farahat is a licenced mechanic and applied for an OMVIC registration in 2012 but his application was denied when it was determined he failed to disclose a conviction under the Highway Traffic Act for issuing a Safety Standards Certificate to an unsafe vehicle. Farahat appealed the decision but he was not successful and the OMVIC cautioned him against trading vehicles. However, at the recent guilty plea, the court heard that Farahat and the Downtown Auto Center sold a large number of vehicles, mostly purchased from an auction that disposes of insurance company write-offs.

The Downtown Auto Center pleaded guilty to 15 counts of curbsiding and Farahat pleaded guilty to five. They were fined $2,500 for each count plus the mandatory victim fine surcharge.

How to Spot a Curbsider

Curbsiders often use one or more of the following tactics:

- Vehicle not registered to seller, or, only registered to seller for short period of time - Vehicle priced below market value - Doesn’t provide the mandatory Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP), or provides a UVIP that has been tampered with (e.g. lien or mileage info removed) or with missing pages - Refuses inspection by purchaser’s mechanic - Vehicle often not plated and/or uninsured; therefore, test-drive is not possible - Uses a yellow Service Licence Plate for test drives - Refuses to provide receipt or proof of purchase

To report a suspected curbsider, call 1-888-NO-CURBS (662-8727) or email nocurbs@omvic.on.ca.

Information can be reported anonymously.

For more information on how to avoid curbsiders, click here.

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