Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced lawsuits against two car dealerships, including Keep It Moving Auto of Cleveland. The lawsuits charge the dealerships and their owners with multiple violations of Ohio’s consumer laws.

“In both of these cases, we found blatant violations of consumer financing laws,” DeWine said. “The purchases were often one-sided, heavily favoring the dealer and lacking required disclosures.”

After several consumers filed complaints against the business, the Attorney General’s office discovered numerous violations committed by the dealers, such as failing to notify consumers of payment due dates, failing to notify consumers of the total cost of credit, and including an acceleration clause for consumers who defaulted.

The lawsuit, filed last week in Portage County Common Pleas Court in Ohio, charges Keep It Moving Auto owner Ronnie Simmons Jr. and employee Chester Leonard with violations of Ohio’s Retail Installment Sales Act, Consumer Sales Practices Act, Odometer Rollback and Disclosure Act, and Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title Law.

In both lawsuits, the Attorney General seeks injunctive relief, civil penalties, and consumer restitution.

“Consumers need to understand their full financial obligations when buying from a buy-here-pay-here dealer,” DeWine said. “In some cases, consumers’ vehicles are repossessed within days or weeks of the purchase because the dealer didn’t clearly disclose when their payments were due.”