The state Attorney General’s Office has settled with a Fife, Wash., car dealership that sold used luxury cars that had been repurchased under a California lemon buyback law without the necessary disclosures to customers.

McCann Motors didn’t tell the 79 unsuspecting buyers who paid up to $50,000 to own secondhand Hummers and Cadillac Escalades that the vehicles, which previously had been returned to the manufacturer, could have potential problems, the AG’s office says.

They may have negotiated differently if they had received the Lemon Law disclosures required under Washington law, said Doug Walsh, chief of consumer protection division in the AG’s office.

Washington law requires that a bright yellow flier be placed in the window which reads, “Lemon Law Resale Notice of Nonconformity or Serious Safety Defect.”

As part of the settlement, the dealer will contact the buyers and work out a reasonable solution. The dealership also agreed to pay $12,000 in state attorneys’ fees and costs. McCann Motors didn’t admit to any wrongdoing.

The state’s complaint and settlement were filed today in Pierce County Superior Court.

If you live in Massachusett and is interested in buying a car learn the lemon law of that state, it could save you a tonne of money and headaches

First, the law only applies if you have a car less than a year old with fewer than 15,000 miles. It must have problems that affect the vehicle’s use, safety, and value. The manufacturer or dealer is allowed three tries to fix the problem, or until the car has been out of service for 15 days.

If the problem continues, you have to give the auto maker one more chance. They have up to seven business days to remedy the problem. If they fail or refuse, you can demand (by certified mail) a refund or replacement. If they don’t comply, an arbitration process begins. For more information, click on the Lemon Law link at www.mass.gov/oca.

By PHUONG CAT LE

Seventy-nine customers who bought secondhand Hummers and Cadillac Escalades from a dealership in Fife didn’t get all the legal disclosures about the vehicles’ history, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

The AG’s office reached a settlement Friday with McCann Motors in which the auto dealership agreed to notify the customers of what happened and offer to work out a suitable resolution. The dealership did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to pay $12,000 in state attorneys’ fees and costs.

Buyers didn’t get a notice that the cars were reacquired by their manufacturer under California’s Lemon Law before being resold in Washington, the office said.

If you buy a car in Washington, the state’s Lemon Law and other consumer laws protect you by requiring certain disclosures about the vehicle.

“The price of prestige probably was too high for some of these buyers who paid up to $50,000 for luxury cars but may have negotiated differently had they received the required Lemon Law disclosures,” consumer protection division chief Doug Walsh said.

The buyers signed paperwork that included a notice that the cars had been repurchased under a California Lemon buyback law, but they didn’t get special disclosures that the state contends would have made it more obvious that these cars could have potential problems, he added.

State law requires that a bright yellow flier be placed in the window of the car that reads “Lemon Law Resale Notice of Nonconformity or Serious Safety Defect” and that customers get documents telling them that the title will include a statement that the vehicle was previously returned to the manufacturer and this may affect the vehicle’s future resale value.

The state alleged that failure to provide those disclosures violated state laws.

OhioLemonLawInfo.com has re-launched, bringing new, timely information and advice to Ohio car owners plagued by auto repairs and mishaps caused by poor repairs, workmanship, manufacturing or design.

The Ohio lemon law establishes the responsibility of manufacturers to consumers to repair or replace habitually defective vehicles. The law also contains a series of established procedures for consumers and manufacturers to follow.

Unfortunately, some manufacturers and dealerships are less than forthcoming about their responsibilities as detailed by Ohio lemon law. OhioLemonLawInfo.com attempts to build the knowledge base of car owners in order to level the playing field between manufacturers and consumers. The website features a complete copy of current the Ohio lemon law for visitor reference. In addition to the letter of the law, the website features interpretations of the ordinances as defined by a pair of experienced Ohio lemon lawyers.

OhioLemonLawInfo.com is the creation of David Levin and Mitchel Luxenburg, a pair of lawyers with considerable experience in Ohio lemon law cases and consumer protection litigation. These Ohio lemon lawyers have pooled their expertise to create a resource for consumers. They present an overview of the typical dispute resolution process and answer common questions about lemon law litigation and consumer fraud.

Along with an in-depth treatment of the Ohio lemon law, the website contains other useful information on a variety of topics related to the sale and repair of automobiles. Fraudulent dealer practices, spot delivery issues, bait-and-switch sales tactics, invalid warranties and contracts, and failure to disclose relevant vehicle history issues are all addressed by the re-launched OhioLemonLawInfo.com site.

Informative articles further increase the site’s utility to the Ohio car-buying public. A representative article covers the process of informal dispute resolution, a state-required process that consumers must complete before having the option to pursue litigation. Although focused on the Ohio lemon law, other subjects include working with an auto dealership, vehicle recalls and technical service bulletins.

For more information, please call 440-364-1869 or visit http://www.ohiolemonlawinfo.com.