Northeast Edition New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware
31
YEARS
www.autobodynews.com
Troy, NY, Rejects Repeated Request for Use Permit for Former Body Shop Location In Troy, NY, the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals has for the fourth time unanimously rejected a local tow op-
Exterior view of the Cox family business on 5th Avenue in Troy, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union archive)
erator’s proposal to open an auto repair and towing business on Fifth Avenue at the location of a former body shop called Ward’s Auto Body. The Cox family had hoped to obtain approval for a nonconforming use variance in a B-2 commercial zone to open a towing business and garage for light automotive repair, such as tuneups and brake and muffler work. Jack Cox Jr. represented his father, Jack Cox Sr., at the hearing and said his father was informed when the property was purchased that it was grandfathered in as a B-2 Commercial See Rejected Request, Page 12
Automakers Report Strong U.S. Sales for 2012, Up 13% Overall, Japanese Brands Surge
See Strong Sales for 2012, Page 42
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
Strong U.S. sales in December capped a remarkable year for the auto industry—especially Japanese brands—and 2013 should be even better. Sales of new cars and trucks totaled around 14.5 million after all carmakers announced final figures in early January. That is 13% better than 2011 and the best performance in five years. In 2012, Americans had plenty of incentive to buy new cars and trucks. The economy improved. Unemploy-
ment eased. Home sales and prices rose. And the average age of a car topped 11 years in the U.S., a record that spurred people to trade in. Banks made that easier by offering low interest rates and greater access to loans, even for those with lousy credit. Year-end deals on pickup trucks and the usual round of sparkling holiday ads helped December sales jump 9% to more than 1.3 million, auto pricing site TrueCar.com predicted. That would translate to an annual rate of more than 15.6 million, making December the strongest month of 2012.
Change Service Requested
Chrysler Sales Jumped 20% and Subaru Has Record December, but Volkswagen Led Sales with 30% Increase
VOL. 2 ISSUE 11 FEBRUARY 2013
Greg Coccaro Settles with Progressive Insurance
After eight years of battling each other in court, Progressive Insurance and Greg Coccaro, owner of North State Custom in Bedford Hills, NY, have reached a settlement ahead of a Jan. 28 trial date. Coccaro said he could not discuss the specifics of the settlement agreement, but he did express relief that he could finally put this behind him now. “After eight years, it’s pretty weird not having to think about this anymore,” said Coccaro. “I basically can now have my life back and spend a little more time working on my business. You would have to go through the stress that I did to understand it. Once it was over, I still couldn’t stop thinking about it. It took me two to three weeks to get out of ‘legal mode.’ It never left me night or day for those eight years. It was very difficult for everyone involved, but we did what we did, stood up and didn’t cave. “I think a lot of good came out of the whole thing for the industry in a lot of ways. Anyone who has followed this can understand why. I’m very glad it’s over, and so is my family. It was a
little difficult to live through some of the more stressful times, but I’m back and trying to get back to myself and how I was before.” Asked what advice he has to other shops considering legal action against insurers, Coccaro said it depends on the circumstances. “One has to think long and hard before taking on a billion-dollar corporation,” he said. “In my case, I felt I had no choice. The problem is that it has to be something that’s pretty egregious for you to do it. I felt if I didn’t do it, I had a chance of losing my business, so that’s why I did it. I don’t think it’s Greg Coccaro something that a single shop wants to take on. Anything similar to what I did would have to be done on a class-action where there are multiple shops rather than laying it on the shoulders of one individual shop. Don’t take anything on alone unless you absolutely have to.”
California Department of Insurance Approves New Aftermarket Part Regulations, Onus on Insurers California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced that the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved amended regulations submitted by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) regarding the use of non-original equipment manufacturer (OEM) replacement crash parts, generally known as aftermarket parts. These regulations were sought by Commissioner Jones to further protect California consumers from physical and financial harm caused by defective or inferior aftermarket parts and to enhance insurer accountability in the claims process, said CDI. The new regulations, originally released by CDI in June 2012, are to go into effect on January 30. Insurers will be required to comply on and after March 30, 2013. “The amendments build on existing protections by requiring insurers
to settle automobile insurance claims using repair standards described by the Bureau of Automotive Repair, and not the insurer’s own standards of repair,” said Commissioner Jones. “This also places greater accountability on the insurer when they require use of an aftermarket replacement part so that damaged automobiles are repaired properly and safely.” After investigating complaints from consumers and automobile repair shops and evaluating the law, CDI drew the conclusion that defective or otherwise non-compliant aftermarket parts continued to infiltrate the repair process due to insurers’ failure to perform the necessary steps to ensure public safety. CDI had been made aware of defective aftermarket bumper reinforcements, hood latches, and other safety See Calif. Aftermarket, Page 6
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit #2244