Attorney General sues for price gouging after ice storm

“In a situation such as this, with prices for these necessities showing wild fluctuations, we put in hundreds of hours examining market data for gas prices and hotel room rates before the storm hit and found significant differences in what the businesses charged in the aftermath,” Nixon said in a news release. “We want to send a signal to anyone else who would consider trying this that they will be held accountable.”

Two Springfield hotels – Super 8 at 3034 Moulder Ave. and Springfield Inn at 2355 N. Glenstone – are included in the suits. The lawsuits allege the hotels’ rates and profit margin for rooms increased substantially immediately after the storm.

In Willard, Nixon filed suit against Hometown Equipment Rental and Hardware, for allegedly more than doubling its profit margin for prepackaged, 5-gallon containers of kerosene.

Nixon also sued Coast to Coast Hardware in Monett, alleging the store substantially raised its price of gasoline and generators. Another suit was filed against Melton’s 66 in Buffalo for allegedly raising its gas prices by more than 65 cents per gallon after the storm.

Nixon also has filed a suit against the Days Inn on South Rangeline in Joplin to get the hotel to comply with his office’s civil investigative demand.

In addition, Nixon has filed assurances of voluntary compliance.

One is with Champion Oil in Lebanon for alleged price gouging. The station will pay $2,886 in full restitution, $10,113 in court costs and $12,000 in civil penalties; it will pay another $78,000 if it is found to be engaging in price gouging in the future.

A second assurance of voluntary compliance is with the owners of the Days Inn in St. Robert. The hotel will give refunds of room costs to consumers who were overcharged; it also will pay $2,000 to the state for costs of bringing the case and a $1,000 penalty. Another $9,000 in penalties was suspended pending the hotel’s compliance with the law.

Nixon’s office received 408 complaints regarding alleged price gouging after the storm and is investigating more than 40 additional businesses. Nixon said most businesses contacted so far have cooperated, and many complaints have been resolved without legal action.