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Taxi Medallion Owner Will Pay $750,000 To Drivers He Overcharged
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 28, 2016
Modified Mar 28, 2016
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 28, 2016
Modified Mar 28, 2016
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A greedy taxi medallion owner has been punished by the NY Attorney General's office for illegally asking drivers to overpay to use his taxis. AG Eric Schneiderman said, "Taxi drivers work hard every day to keep New York moving and their earnings should not be squeezed by taxi companies which own or manage medallions."
His office explained, "Many drivers lease their cabs on a daily basis from owners and leasing agents. The TLC lease cap rules limit the dollar amount drivers may be charged for leasing medallions and taxicabs, in order to ensure a baseline level of take-home earnings for drivers. The rules also strictly limit add-on charges that can be imposed upon drivers and limit the purposes for which charges may be assessed. Overcharges by owners or agents chisel away at drivers’ limited income."
However, an investigation found the Style Management Corp., owned by Andrew Rosenberg, "violated the TLC’s lease cap rules by charging amounts in excess of the amounts allowed under law, and by rounding drivers’ credit card fare earnings to even dollar amounts, almost always rounding in Style's favor." Apparently that rounding allowed Style to take an extra $159,000 over five years.
Style, which is located on West 44th Street and owns 142 medallions, will pay $750,000 in restitution to drivers, plus other $95,000 in penalties. The company will also have to train managers and other staffers and post a notice about lease cap rules.
TLC Commissioner Meera Joshi praised Schneiderman's "ongoing commitment to protecting the rights of hardworking taxi drivers as well as to the accountability that must be at the heart of our regulated industries." Referring to previous incidents, like four taxi companies caught ripping off drivers in 2013, Joshi added, "The Attorney General/TLC joint prosecution initiative continues to send a powerful message of support to TLC drivers, and an equally strong warning to those who would contemplate depriving them of their hard-earned pay."
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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