Disciplinary actions: Vehicle wreckers

For details about many of these disciplinary actions, please see Search business and professional licenses.

March 2013

General Metals of Tacoma, dba Schnitzer Steel — Portland

  • Finding: Acquired vehicles without obtaining an affidavit of lost or stolen title from the registered owners.
  • Action: Fined $1000.

Smitty’s Inc. — North Bend

  • Finding:
    • Major component parts in the wrecking yard were not marked with yard numbers.
    • Unable to identify or provide records for crushed vehicles.
    • Failed to timely report the acquisition of vehicles on the Wrecker Monthly Report to the Department.
  • Action: Fined $12,000, which is stayed as long as they don’t commit further violations for 1 year.

February 2013

Peat’s Auto — Auburn

  • Finding:
    • Items not marked with yard numbers.
    • Failed to destroy license plate within 24 hours of entering that vehicle into the wrecking yard.
    • Failed to have records concerning the sale of vehicles or the major component parts to those vehicles, but those vehicles were not located at the established place of business.
  • Action: Fined $6,000.

October 2012

Almond Jewel Anderson — McKenna

  • Finding: Unlicensed wrecker activity.
  • Action: Fined $1,000.

Barlow Auto Wrecking — Rainier

  • Finding:
    • Acquired vehicles without properly-endorsed or completed paperwork from owners.
    • Failed to complete monthly wrecker reports.
    • Sold 28 catalytic converters without giving the purchaser a bill of sale.
  • Action: Fined $11,650.

Budget Auto Wrecking, Inc. — Kent

  • Finding: Acquired 2 stolen vehicles by accepting an Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest, notarized by their employee, which contained inaccurate driver license numbers for the registered owners. Acquired another stolen vehicle and falsely reported on the monthly wrecker report that the vehicle had been purchased from the registered owner.
  • Action: Fined $1,500.

Sutter Metals LLC, dba Lacey Auto Recycling

  • Finding: Reported in their monthly wrecker report that certain vehicles had been purchased from the registered owners, when, in fact, the vehicles had been reported stolen. Accepted a frame, a rear differential, and 4 engines without acquiring a bill of sale that included the vehicle identification number from which these major component parts came.
  • Action: Fined $1,500.

July 2012

Montgomery Scrap Processing — Bellingham

  • Finding:
    • Was in possession of 22 vehicles for which he didn’t have approved ownership documentation.
    • Certified he destroyed a vehicle when that vehicle wasn’t actually destroyed.
    • Failed to destroy a vehicle acquired from a customer, transferring ownership of that vehicle to a part-time employee instead.
    • Admitted he accepted 6 alleged stolen vehicles into his scrap processing business without any ownership documentation.
  • Action: Fined $16,500, and scrap processor license suspended for 1 year (120 days of the suspension was served, and the remainder is stayed for 3 years).

June 2012

Brian Cales — Arlington

  • Finding:
    • Failed to submit monthly reports to us by the 10th of the month following the acquisition of vehicles.
    • Failed to store the wrecking yard inventory and major component parts within the wrecking yard.
    • Failed to mark vehicles and major component parts with yard numbers.
    • Acquired vehicles without the proper documentation.
  • Action: Fined $1,000, with $500 stayed (not imposed).

Cedar Lanmon — Tacoma

  • Finding: Unlicensed wrecker activity.
  • Action: Ordered to cease and desist, and fined $1,000.

Shannon Doah Poeschl — Centralia

  • Finding: Unlicensed wrecker activity.
  • Action: Ordered to cease and desist, and fined $7,500.

Nai Xuan, Tong Zhao, and Tony Kim, aka WOTC Scrap Metal Repackaging — Lakewood

  • Finding: Unlicensed wrecker activity.
  • Action: Ordered to permanently cease and desist, and fined $900 ($450 stayed).
Access Washington