Motor dealer loses licence

Press, 26 August 1978, Page 5

Motor dealer loses licence

A motor vehicle dealer who had his motor vehicle (dealers’ licence suspended I earlier this year for misconduct in his business, yesterday had the licence cancelled by Mr F. G. PaterI son, S.M.; in the Magistrate's Court in Christ- : church. The Magistrate said that '■ the business, Crown Motor \ Court, was in an “unacceptable state of affairs.” The (Owner, Graham Russell Vautier, now overseas, had not left the business under personal supervision, as>the law i required, and had made only six telephone calls to the salesman left in charge. Counsel for the Motor ! Vehicle Dealers’ Institute (Mr P. F. Whiteside) said the business had gone into receivership. Summing up, Mr Paterson said that Vautier had 10i

r I cars on display without cor- > ] rect sales notices in their • | windows, he had not entered 1 all the cars held for sale in ■ I the stock book, he had sold .!a car as being free from all ’ I encumbrances while it was - still under a hire purchase ■ jagreement, he. did not have -; his licence in display, and ihe had failed to keep proper :j records of transactions. T Vautier’s bank overdraft I was in excess of the allow-I liable figure, the Magistrate) ! said. The institute had said j . I this put its fidelity fund at I ■! risk. 1 ] Vautier had used business I ’! funds to pay for a trip to I ‘.Hawaii, and to pay for flats. I Mr I. M. Shrimpton, a] ■ spokesman for the institute, : said that it was rare for a I dealer’s licence to be cani celled; action on such occasions was taken when in- . nocent members of the public were affected.