Farland-Buell, Inc

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In THE Matrer oF FARLAND-BUELL, INC., ET AL.

CONSENT ORDER, ETC., IN REGARD TO THE ALLEGED VIOLATION OF THE TRUTH IN LENDING AND THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ACTS Docket C-2196. Complaint, Apr. 19, 1972—Decision Apr. 19, 1972 Consent order requiring a Denver, Colorado, automobile dealer to cease violating provisions of the Truth in Lending Act by failing to disclose to customers the cash price, payments schedule, annual percentage rate, deferred payment price, and other disclosures required by Regulation Z of the said Act.

487-883—73—__44 Complaint 80 F.T.C.

Complaint Pursuant to the provisions of the Truth in Lending Act and the implementing regulations promulgated thereunder and the Federal Trade Commission Act, and by virtue of the authority vested in it by said Acts, the Federal Trade Commission, having reason to bebelieve that Farland-Buell, Inc., a corporation, and Adolf Farland, individually and as an officer of said corporation, hereinafter referred to as respondents, have violated the provisions of said Acts and implementing regulations, and it appearing to the Commission that a proceeding by it in respect thereof would be in the public interest, hereby issues its complaint stating its charges in that respect as follows:

Paracrapu 1. Respondent Farland-Buell, Inc., is a corporation organized, existing ,and doing business under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Colorado, with its principal office and place of business located at 1505 South Colorado Boulevard, Denver, Colorado.

Respondent Adolf Farland is president of Farland-Buell, Inc. He formulates, directs, and controls the policies, acts, and practices of said corporation, including the acts and practices hereinafter set forth. His address is the same as that of the corporate respondent. Par. 2. Respondents are now, and for some time last past have been, engaged in the advertising, offering for sale, and sale of new and used automobiles to the public.

Par. 3. In the course and conduct of their business as aforesaid, respondents have caused, and are now causing, advertisements, as “advertisement” is defined in Section 226.2(b) of Regulation Z, to be placed in various media for the purpose of aiding, promoting, or assisting, directly or indirectly, the credit sales, as “credit sale” is defined in Section 226.2(n) of Regulation Z, of respondents’ said automobiles.

Par. 4. Subsequent to July 1, 1969, certain of the advertisements referred to in Paragraph Three above stated the amount of the downpayment required before credit would be extended without also stating:

1. the cash price;

2, the number, amount, and due dates or period of payments scheduled to repay the indebtedness;

8. the amount of the finance charge expressed as an annual percentage rate; and FARLAND-BUELL, INC., ET AL. 681 679 Decision and Order 4, the deferred payment price;

in the manner and form as required by Section 226.10(d) (2) of Regulation Z.

Par. 5. Subsequent to July 1, 1969, certain other of the advertisements referred to in Paragraph Three above stated the period of repayment allowed in the extension of credit without also stating: J. the amount of the downpayment required; 2. the number, amount, and due dates or period of payments scheduled to repay the indebtedness;

3. the amount of the finance charge expressed as an annual percentage rate; and 4. the deferred payment price;

in the manner and form as required by Section 226.10(d) (2) of Regulation Z.

Par. 6. Pursuant to Section 103(q) of the Truth in Lending Act, respondents’ aforesaid failures to comply with the provisions of Regulation Z constitute violations of that Act, and pursuant to Section 108 thereof, respondents have thereby violated the Federal Trade Commission Act.

DeEcIsION AND ORDER The Federal Trade Commission having initiated an investigation of certain acts and practices of the respondents named in the caption hereof, and the respcndents having been furnished thereafter with a copy of a draft of complaint which the Bureau of Consumer Protection proposed to present to the Commission for its consideration and which, if issued hy the Commission, would charge respondents with violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act; and The respondents and counsel for the Commission having thereafter executed an agreement containing a consent order, an admission by the respondents of all the jurisdictional facts set forth in the complaint to issue herein, a statement that the signing of said agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by respondents that the law has been violated as alleged in such complaint, and waivers and other provisions as required by the Commission’s rules; and The Commission having considered the agreement and having accepted same, and the agreement containing consent order having thereupon been placed on the public record for a period of thirty (30) days, now in further conformity with the procedure prescribed in Section 2.84(b) of its rules, the Commission ‘hereby issues its Decision and Order 80 F.T.C.

complaint in the form contemplated by said agreement, makes the following jurisdictional findings, and enters the following order: 1. Respondent Farland-Buell, Inc., is a corporation organized, existing, and doing business under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Colorado, with its principal office and place of business located at 1505 South Colorado Boulevard, Denver, Colorado. Respondent Adolf Farland is president of Farland-Buell, Inc. He formulates, directs, and controls the policies, acts, and practices of said corporation including the acts and practices hereinafter set forth. His address is the same as that of the corporate respondent. 2. The Federal Trade Commission has jurisdiction of the subject matter of this proceeding and of the respondents and the proceeding is in the public interest.

ORDER It is ordered, That respondent Farland-Buell, Inc., a corporation, and its officers, and Adolf Farland, individually and as an officer of said corporation, trading under said corporate name or under any trade name or names, their successors and assigns, and respondents’ agents, representatives, and employees, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary, division, or other device, in connection with the arrangement, extension, or advertisement of consumer credit in connection with the sale of automobiles or other products or services, as “advertisement” and “consumer credit” are defined in Regulation Z (12 CFR § 226) of the Truth in Lending Act (Pub.L. 90- 321, 15 U.S.C. 1601 e¢ seg.), do forthwith cease and desist from: 1. Causing to be disseminated to the public in any manner whatsoever any advertisement to aid, promote, or assist, directly or indirectly, any extension of consumer credit, which advertisement states the amount of the downpayment required, or that no downpayment is required, the amount of any installment payment, the dollar amount of any finance charge, the number of installments or the period of repayment, or that there is no charge for credit, unless it states all of the following items in the manner and form as required by Section 226.10(d) (2) of Regulation Z:

a. the cash price;

b. the amount of the downpayment required or that no downpayment is required, as applicable;

c. the number, amount, and due dates or period of payments scheduled to repay the indebtedness if the credit is extended;

FARLAND-BUELL, INC., ET AL. 683 679 Decision and Order d. the amount of the finance charge expressed as an annual percentage rate; and e. the deferred payment price or the sum of the payments, as applicable.

2. Failing, in any consumer credit transaction or advertisement, to make all the disclosures, determined in accordance with Sections 226.4 and 226.5 of Regulation Z, in the manner, form, and amount required by Sections 226.6, 226.7, 226.8, 226.9, and 226.10 of Regulation Z.

3. Failing to deliver a copy of this order to cease and desist to all present and future personnel of respondents engaged in any aspect of preparation, creation, and placing of advertising, all persons engaged in reviewing the legal sufficiency of advertising, and all present and future agencies engaged in preparation, creation, and placing of advertising on behalf of respondents, and failing to secure from each such person or agency a signed statement acknowledging receipt of said order. It is further ordered, That respondents shall, within sixty (60) days after service upon them of this order, file, individually, with the Commission, a report in writing, setting forth in detail the manner and form in which each of them has complied with this order.

It is further ordered, That respondents notify the Commission at least thirty (80) days prior to any proposed change in the corporate respondent such as dissolution, assignment, or sale resulting in the emergence of a successor corporation, the creation or dissolution of subsidiaries, or any other change in the corporation which may affect compliance obligations arising out of the order.