Area businesses fined for ice-storm price gouging

After looking into about 400 complaints of price gouging, Nixon in February announced five other lawsuits and two settlements after the ice storm. Those together recovered $28,000 in restitution, penalties and payments to the state.

Nixon’s latest round of assurances of voluntary compliance are with the following businesses:

• Central Power Systems, 3100 E. Kearney St., which will pay $31,796 in consumer restitution, $5,103 to the Merchandising Practices Revolving Fund and a civil penalty of $3,100. Nixon alleged the business overcharged some customers who leased portable generators by several hundred dollars;

• Fastenal, 2109 E. Division St., which will pay $11,171 in restitution, $2,000 to the revolving fund and a civil penalty of $1,828, to settle allegation that it sold generators at about $100 above the normal price;

• Super 8 Motel, 3022 N. Kentwood Ave., which will pay $8,504 in restitution, $5,000 to the revolving fund and a civil penalty of $2,495. Nixon alleged the motel raised its per-room rate by as much as $40 after the storm;

• Battlefield Inn, 2114 S. Glenstone Ave., which will pay $1,910 in restitution, $1,000 to the revolving fund and a $1,000 civil penalty, to settle allegations that it raised its room rates after the storm;

• Days Inn, 900 N. 18th St. in Ozark, which will pay $3,324 in restitution and $650 to the revolving fund to settle allegations that it raised room rates by as much as 50 percent after the storm;

• Dallas County Farmers Exchange No. 177, which does business as MFA, in Buffalo. The business will pay a $1,000 civil penalty over allegations that it purchased between 25 and 50 empty gas cans from another business for about $5 each and immediately resold them for $8 each; and

• Days Inn on South Rangeline Road in Joplin, which will pay $7,373 in restitution, $3,000 to the revolving fund and a $2,500 civil penalty, to settle allegations that it raised room rates after the storm.

Five other price-gouging lawsuits filed in southwest Missouri in February are pending.