IAR Recyclers Newspress November / December 2015

DOT Shuts Down Two Des Moines Car Lots

Local News

Page 19

Recyclers News Press

The Iowa Department of Transportation shut down

two used car lots on the east side of Des Moines after

an investigation uncovered instances of fraud and

theft. Paul Moyer, owner of Extreme Auto Plaza, has

been charged with five counts of fraud and one count

of theft. The DOT issued the revocation Wednesday,

halting sales at Extreme Auto's two locations, 2214 E.

14th St. and 1453 E. 14th St.

Moyer, 48, is accused of not issuing salvage titles

with cars he sold, as required by state law. Moyer told

the Register on Thursday that he had sold refurbished

vehicles with regular titles, but told the buyers the

cars had been rebuilt after being totaled. He said he

asked customers to sign a paper saying they were

aware the vehicle they were buying was salvaged.

Paul Steier, director of the DOT's Bureau of Investiga-

tion and Identity Protection, said Moyer should have

issued salvage titles so that subsequent owners

would know the history of the vehicles. Signing a sep-

arate paper does not comply with state law, he said.

"Oversight on a couple is one thing, but clearly this

was intentionally being done," Steier said. Moyer also

is accused of overcharging 123 customers for vehicle

registration and title fees totaling more than $11,000.

The car dealer said he is negotiating a plea deal with

the Polk County Attorney's office. He is scheduled to

appear in court later this month. Moyer, who has op-

erated the dealership at 2214 E. 14th St. for 20 years,

said about 80 percent of the 300 to 400 cars he sells

each year are salvage vehicles. The average price for

a car sold at his lots is $7,000 to $8,000.

Steier said the DOT began investigating the business

a year ago after a customer complained that a vehicle

purchased at Extreme Auto Plaza did not have a cor-

rect title. The DOT executed a search warrant at the

businesses last fall. Moyers said if he can't reopen his

business for a year, "I will be stuck moving out of

state" where he would work for someone else or start

his own business.