Judge to Consider ‘Lemon Law’ Appeal

A Superior Court judge in Sacramento said she will consider an appeal of an obscure state board’s decision to overturn a controversial “lemon law� ruling that would block Chrysler Corp. from shipping new vehicles to California for 45 days. In ruling against Chrysler’s request to send the matter back through the state’s administrative law process, Judge Cecily Bond set the stage for the first civil court hearing of a case in which a major auto manufacturer is accused of reselling “lemon� vehicles to unsuspecting buyers. In May 1996, the Department of Motor Vehicles slapped Chrysler with tough sanctions over 116 alleged violations of California’s lemon law. In hearings before a state administrative law judge, the DMV said Chrysler’s violations included failure to notify used-car buyers that they were purchasing lemon vehicles, among other things. It was the first time a state agency had ever sanctioned an auto maker with a business license suspension. Chrysler appealed the DMV’s ruling to the New Motor Vehicle Board, which subsequently overturned the DMV’s ruling. The DMV filed an appeal, which was fought by Chrysler. Bond’s decision allows the DMV to go forward with its appeal.