NEWARK
– The Attorney General’s Office
and Division of Consumer Affairs have
filed suit against eight moving companies
for alleged violations of the State’s
Public Movers and Warehousemen Licensing
Act, related regulations and the Consumer
Fraud Act, Attorney General Zulima V.
Farber and Consumer Affairs Director Kimberly
Ricketts announced.
“Consumers
entrust movers with their household furnishings,
which typically are worth tens of thousands
of dollars,” said Attorney General
Farber. “We allege that these companies
failed to comply with the State’s
laws and regulations, putting consumers’
valuable possessions at risk.”
The State is seeking assessment of civil
penalties and the payment of restitution
to customers, as well as full compliance
with all applicable laws and regulations.
Among the alleged violations committed
by the named companies and their principals
are:
-
Operating as movers and/or warehousemen
without being licensed by Consumer Affairs
to do so;
-
Operating without the required insurance
coverage;
-
Failing to provide consumers with required
written estimates;
-
Failing to provide consumers with the
required brochure titled,
“Important Notice to Consumers
Utilizing Public Movers”;
-
Failing to file rate tariffs with Consumer
Affairs; and
-
Failing to adjudicate consumer claims
in a timely manner.
The specific alleged violations vary for
each of the eight movers.
The eight moving companies named in
the State’s complaints and the town
where each company is based are as follows:
-
A. Bell Installation and Relocations
Services, Inc.
Fairfield
- A
Professional Movers, Inc.
South Hackensack
- A
Safe Self Storage Place, Inc.
(doing business as Safe Self
Moving and Storage)
Hackensack
- East
Coast Assembly & Moving
(doing business as East Coast
Assembly, East Coast Moving & Storage,
East Coast Movers)
Farmingdale
-
Lakeland Moving & Storage, LLC
Ringwood
-
The Padded Wagon of New Jersey, Inc.
(doing business as The Padded
Wagon of NJ, Inc., The Padded Wagon)
Parsippany
- Pollard
& Son Movers, Inc.
East Orange
-
Zealous Enterprise
(doing business as A1 Rose Movers,
Manchester Movers)
Plainfield
“Our
laws and regulations protect consumers
if their furnishings are damaged or lost
during a move and also define a process
for resolving disputes. Customers of these
movers allegedly were deprived of their
full legal protections and in some cases
were not even told about their rights
as legally required,” Consumer Affairs
Director Ricketts said.
Deputy Attorneys General Frank A. Coppa,
Jeremy S. Crawford and Jonathan D. Rudolph
are representing the State in these matters.
All companies conducting moves within
New Jersey are required to be licensed
with the Regulated Business Unit of the
Division of Consumer Affairs. Presently,
there are approximately 375 movers and
warehousemen licensed by Consumer Affairs.
Before hiring a company, consumers can
check to see if a particular company is
licensed and inquire if complaints have
been filed against the company. The Regulated
Business Unit can be contacted at 973-504-6442
or 973-504-6512.
Additional information about movers and
warehousemen can be found on the Consumer
Affairs Web site at www.NJConsumeraffairs.org/pmovers/movfaq2.htm.
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