Latest news with #McNicholas
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
A Brooklyn auto shop held a man's SUV for two years as the man got more than $2K in parking fines. Here's what went down
It's not uncommon for car repairs to turn into a costly headache, but Louis Denory's experience with a local repair shop can easily be described as a nightmare. As the Brooklyn man shared with CBS New York, his Ford Flex was held hostage for nearly two years by an auto repair shop that refused to return it. After an accident in April, 2023, Denory's SUV was towed to A9's Automotive in Brooklyn. That shop later changed its name to State to State Automotive, but kept the same management team. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) A near-record number of Americans are grappling with $1,000 car payments and many drivers can't keep up. Here are 3 ways to stay ahead Home prices in America could fly through the roof in 2025 — here's the big reason why and how to take full advantage (with as little as $10) Meanwhile, Denory says he spent months trying to get his vehicle back while the shop offered excuse after excuse. 'They would give excuses, talking about 'Oh, the parts, there was a delay on the parts,'' Denory shared with CBS. 'And then the guy talking about he had a death in the famiy… and nobody knew where the car was.' While the shop stalled, the city of Brooklyn apparently knew exactly where Denory's SUV was. After receiving more than $2,000 in fines, Denory learned that his vehicle had been illegally parked down the street from the body shop for months, collecting parking ticket after parking ticket. This sent Denory on a mission to get his SUV back, and CBS News New York's Tim McNicholas was there to help. As the days turned into months following his accident, Denory couldn't get a clear answer on when his vehicle would be fixed. And then the fines started showing up in the mail. By August, 2024, a judge ruled that State to State Automotive was responsible for paying the parking tickets, but the shop still hasn't paid the fines. Denory and McNicholas went to State to State's shop around this time to ask about the SUV. "Where's this guy's car?" McNicholas asked a man at the shop, to which the man replied, 'We don't have a Ford Flex here.' In October, 2024, Denory finally tracked down his vehicle, which was at a parking lot near the auto shop. But when he arrived to take it back, Denory was met with more bad news — the SUV wouldn't start, had flat tires and a truck was blocking the exit to the lot. When he demanded his vehicle back, Denory said an unidentified worker brought up 'storage fees.' 'I'm not paying no storage. I don't care what you're saying,' Denory said. 'Then you're not getting the car back,' the man replied. Later, Denory and McNicholas revisited the lot and found someone had moved his vehicle closer to the exit. With help from his insurance company, which sent someone to jumpstart the vehicle and pump up the tires, Denory was able to drive his SUV home for the first time in 20 months. But the fight apparently isn't over. Denory still doesn't know if his vehicle was properly fixed despite Geico Insurance's claim that the shop cashed the $6,000 check to cover the repair costs. He is now working with the sheriff's office to try to get the funds from the shop for the unpaid parking tickets. The Department of Motor Vehicles is also investigating State to State Automotive, though they declined to offer details. Read more: Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Denory finally has his Ford Flex back, but other customers of the same auto shop say their vehicles are also being held hostage. No one wants to experience this kind of frustration, so what can you do to avoid finding yourself in a similar situation? You can start by checking out the auto repair shop's online reviews. After that, extend your research to the Better Business Bureau, where you can see if the shop has any negative complaints. If anything in your research gives you pause, find another auto shop in your area and conduct your research over again. When you land on an auto shop that's earned your confidence, request a written estimate that includes the costs, as well as a projected completion date before agreeing to the repairs. This can help you hold the shop accountable if things go wrong. These steps can help you avoid Denory's fate, but sometimes all the research in the world isn't enough to prevent you from doing business with an unscrupulous company. If you ever happen to find yourself in a similar situation to Denory's, you can always file a complaint with the BBB or another government agency, such as the Division of Consumer Protection, the AG's office or your state's version of the Department of Motor Vehicles. You can also take legal action. In extreme cases like Denory's, you may need to get legal assistance, and if hiring a lawyer is too expensive, you can always take the issue to small claims court. These 5 money moves will boost you up America's net worth ladder in 2025 — and you can complete each step within minutes. Here's how Jamie Dimon issues a warning about the US stock market — says prices are 'kind of inflated.' Crashproof your portfolio with these 3 rock-solid strategies This self-made $500M real estate mogul reveals his 'essential' US portfolio that he says Amazon 'can't hurt' — here's how everyday investors can copy his secret formula This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
CBS News
22-02-2025
- CBS News
As NYPD cracks down on illegal license plate covers, consumers say some don't even work
Some New Yorkers have turned to questionable methods to try to skirt tolls from speed cameras and congestion pricing, such as license plate blockers, which police say are illegal in New York and New Jersey, but some consumers who bought one such product say it was a waste of their money. A company called Alite claims the film they're selling creates a reflective glare and prevents traffic cameras from capturing license plates. They offer individual characters to stick over plate numbers or strips of film for stenciling. Their social media posts often feature New York or New Jersey plates, and claim the products are "100 percent legal." On its website, however, Alite admits, "In states like ... New York, any cover on your license plate, even if it's clear, can be deemed illegal." "Dude, it doesn't work" One Queens man told CBS News New York investigative reporter Tim McNicholas he paid $56 for two strips of film from Alite back in September, hoping to avoid speeding tickets. "We're trying to get away from the city's unfair practices," he said. "You really can't drive 25 anywhere in the city and expect to get anything done." The customer added, "The way I see it is I don't see myself doing something illegal, either. If you look at my plates, you can see all the numbers are visible any time of the day." Police never discovered the film on this man's plates, and he still got fined for a bus lane violation. He's one of three New Yorkers that CBS News New York tracked down who said they bought and applied products from Alite, but cameras still picked up their plate. "I know a bunch of people that asked me personally, 'Hey, should we get this, too?' Just off the top of my head, about four friends that asked me, and I said, 'Dude, it doesn't work. Just drive slow or don't drive at all,'" the customer said. "There are some people who are gonna see this, and they're gonna say, well, serves you right to get those tickets... why don't you just drive safe? What would your response be?" McNicholas asked. "My response to those people would be grow up, become an adult and gain some common sense and then drive a little bit on your own to see what 25 miles an hour does," the man said. "It'll increase the time that you need to get any tasks done ... and I understand it if they're doing it in school zones, right? I get that, that's safety. But they're doing it everywhere." Alite would not agree to an interview and instead emailed CBS News New York saying its stickers are effective but the features of "some modern traffic cameras ... may still pick up plate details." The email went on to say "in some cases, the strength of the infrared flash" from cameras "may not be sufficient to completely obscure the symbols" and nearby "headlights, streetlights, or sunlight ... could reduce the effectiveness of the reflection." Alite claims to be based in London, but that customer says his order was shipped from Ukraine. He says he tried to get his money back, but no one from the company responded to him, and now feels he was scammed. We also noticed the product name of a type of film made by another company printed on the back of those strips that Queens man bought. That company told us they never intended their product to be used for that, and they don't condone it. Drivers trying to block plates could face fines, NYPD says Contrary to what Alite says to its tens of thousands of social media followers, police say the kind of film they sell is 100% illegal in New York and New Jersey. "The biggest concern is the threat to public safety. If someone wanted to do harm to the city or the residence they're in, they're not gonna use a vehicle that is traceable to them, they're gonna use a ghost vehicle," NYPD Transportation Bureau Deputy Chief Thomas Alps said. "We're actually looking at a lot of new technology, and using a lot of machine learning and artificial intelligence to try and combat some of these things," MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Cathy Sheridan said. In other words, if you try to block your plate to avoid speeding tickets or congestion pricing tolls, you could face fines. Police say they're also on the lookout for electronic covers, including those that mask or unmask plates with the click of a button. During a recent enforcement operation, Sheridan told CBS News New York that officers might pull drivers over if nearby cameras or scanners don't capture their plates. "It can even make those alerts automatically, so the officer in the car is getting real-time information through the technology they have in the vehicle," she said.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Institute of American Indian Arts student fights school sanctions over critical editorials
Feb. 17—A student and former magazine editor with the Institute of American Indian Arts has enlisted help from a national campus free speech organization to force the school to lift sanctions against him after he published commentaries critical of campus administrators. David John Baer McNicholas, who was the senior editor of the Young Warrior student magazine, is partnering with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) on what the nonprofit described as a public campaign against the Santa Fe-based school. The campaign comes after an attorney representing IAIA issued a statement to FIRE in January stating that it will not lift punishments against McNicholas in response to his decision to publish two anonymous student submissions in March 2024. One of the pieces voiced concerns over the resignation of a student adviser who was allegedly bullied into stepping down, and the other accused an administrator of robbing a campus food pantry. IAIA demanded McNicholas retract the submissions in the magazine and issue a public apology to the administrators he offended. The school also barred McNicholas from full campus participation, including living in a dorm. FIRE Program Officer Jessie Appleby said in a Jan. 2 letter to the school that the submissions McNicholas published do not meet the legal standards for defamation or harassment and are protected by the First Amendment. Appleby asked IAIA to drop its sanctions against McNicholas and revise its anti-bullying policy, which IAIA's attorney, Patricia Salazar Ives, later said the school would do as part of its annual review. McNicholas said Wednesday he is living out of his car and is hopeful FIRE's efforts will prevail "not just in reversing the sanctions, but in forcing the school and the administration to be accountable to the Constitution and to the needs of students." McNicholas said if the nonprofit decides to litigate, "I'll be right there." IAIA spokesperson Jason Ordaz said the school does not discuss or comment on student matters. The anonymous student op-ed McNicholas published urged students to speak up against the IAIA administration when officials, including IAIA Student Success Advisor Karen Redeye, "have no choice but to leave," according to the op-ed, which was cited in a FIRE letter. The op-ed accused Redeye's supervisors of bullying Redeye. The second anonymous submission contained an image of a flyer that read, "Karen Redeye keeps pantries full(.) Redeye Redemption(.)" The submission also accused one of Redeye's supervisors of robbing a campus food pantry. McNicholas defended his decisions by saying that Young Warrior student magazine is a new publication that is short-staffed. At the time the submissions were published, he said he was the only regular staffer. "I think the problem is that it takes more than the judgment and efforts of one person to adequately represent newsworthy items," McNicholas said. If he had more staff, McNicholas said he would have liked to get differing views to balance out the piece. "But I don't think we could have done it any differently at the moment," he said.
