B&Z Auto Enterprises NYC used car restitution fund

Who may be eligible

New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection ordered the Bronx used-car dealer B&Z Auto Enterprises to pay $200,000 in restitution after finding it advertised prices it did not honour, charged customers more than the advertised price, and illegally disclaimed required warranties. When the agency published its list of restitution going unclaimed, $150,000 of that money was still sitting there. If you bought a car from B&Z and have paperwork showing you paid more than you should have, you may be eligible for part of it — you claim by emailing DCWP, which reviews each claim and sets the amount. The city states no filing deadline, and claiming is free.

The notice states no state limit, so it is usually nationwide. Covered: Used vehicles bought from B&Z Auto Enterprises.

Only the official administrator or agency decides who is eligible. Read the official notice before filing, and file only if you believe you meet its criteria.

Model and year are a starting point, not a decision. Coverage usually turns on the individual vehicle. Check yours on the official claim page, which is where any VIN lookup lives.

How much it may pay

Documented losses, from a $200,000 fund. Every figure here is an estimate from public materials, not a guarantee: many settlements pay pro rata or only after a claims review, so final amounts commonly land well below the advertised maximum.

DCWP decides each claim and the amount itself, so there is no fixed per-person figure. The agency asks for documentation showing you paid more than you should have — an advertisement or listing, the buyer's order or contract, an invoice, or a card or bank statement. When DCWP published its list of unclaimed restitution it said $150,000 of the $200,000 ordered had still not been claimed, which is unusually favourable odds for a fund of this kind, though it is not a promise of any amount.

DCWP ordered $200,000 in consumer restitution from B&Z Auto Enterprises. In the agency's notice about unclaimed restitution, $150,000 of that was still unclaimed and available to customers.

What the deadline is

See official notice.

What proof is needed

Receipts or payment records may be required.

The official claim form states exactly what it accepts; gather it before you start.

How to file for free

Open the official claim page on this page, run by New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, read the criteria, and file there if you believe you meet them. Filing is free: official claims never carry a fee, and this site never files on anyone's behalf.

Never give a Social Security number, bank login or card number to a site that is not the official administrator or agency page.

Why this case happened

New York City requires licensed second-hand auto dealers to sell at the price they advertise and to give buyers the warranties the law provides. DCWP found that B&Z Auto Enterprises LLC, a Bronx used-car dealership, falsely advertised vehicle prices, charged customers more than the advertised price, and illegally disclaimed warranties it was required to honour. The settlement ordered $200,000 in restitution, and the city later published a notice pointing out that most of that money was going unclaimed because the customers owed it had never come forward.