CHULA VISTA, CA — An auto center in Southern California has settled with the federal government after the business auctioned off a Navy lieutenant’s car while he was deployed at sea, according to authorities.
Tony’s Auto Center, based in Chula Vista, agreed to the settlement in which Lt. Jonathan Liongson will receive $7,500 in damages, the U.S. will receive a $2,000 civil penalty and the business will implement policies to prevent violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, authorities said.
Liongson parked his 2011 Mazda 6 at a friend’s house in November 2022 before leaving for deployment, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. While he was deployed, the auto center towed the car and sold it at auction without a court order two months later, authorities said.
“Members of our armed forces should not have to worry about their cars being auctioned off while they are deployed on missions defending our freedoms, liberties, and rights,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, of the department’s Civil Rights Division, said in a news release. “This settlement should send a strong message to other towing companies that they should not take advantage of our servicemembers while they are keeping Americans safe.”
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is a federal law that provides a variety of financial and housing protections to members of the U.S. military, according to the department, including prohibiting a towing company from auctioning a servicemember’s vehicle without a court order.
