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They should be ashamed of themselves.
The daughter said Briggs, who died this year, was 90 years old and her eyesight, hearing and memory were failing at the time the purchase was made.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/loc...holsterer.html
Elder fraud case costs upholsterer
By Craig Kapitan - Express-News
A well-known local upholstery business was ordered to pay more than $100,000 in fines Monday after pleading no contest to trying to charge an elderly customer more than $62,000 for drapes that cost them $2,250 to purchase and install.
Arrow Upholstery & Drapery was ordered to pay a $102,000 fine in the second-degree felony elder fraud case.
The company's owner, Sidney Lachman, wasn't in the 399th District Court when the ruling was issued. Neither was his son-in-law Scott Fahrenthold, who made the sale.
Attorney Jesse Sepulveda, who entered the no contest plea on behalf of the business, declined comment Monday.
Bertha Briggs, who lived in the Towers retirement community, contacted Arrow Upholstery in April 2006 to install five window drapes. The business initially charged her $62,000 but later agreed to reduce the amount to $11,300 after her daughter complained, according to court do ents.
Despite the steep reduction, Briggs was still overcharged, her daughter, Sharon Morey, said in court do ents.
Morey traveled from California to meet with the Bexar County district attorney's office in June 2006, after getting a call from her mother's bank attempting to verify a $35,000 down payment check to Arrow Upholstery.
The daughter said Briggs, who died this year, was 90 years old and her eyesight, hearing and memory were failing at the time the purchase was made.
“She had never been good with numbers or finances, and now whatever skill she once had is virtually gone,” Morey previously said in court do ents. “She frequently says to anyone, including strangers, ‘I can't see, I can't hear, but otherwise I'm all right.'”
Briggs' relatives also weren't in court Monday.
It's rare but not unheard of for the district attorney's office to charge a corporation instead of an individual, according to prosecutor Joanne Woodruff. In such cases, there is no possibility of prison time, but a business can be fined up to twice the amount deemed fraudulently taken, she said.
Had an individual been prosecuted instead, the maximum fine would have been $10,000.
The key element that made this incident elder fraud instead of merely an unethical sale was Briggs' lack of mental facilities, Woodruff said.
“It's rarely a criminal offense to overcharge someone,” she said. “But due to the diminished capacity and the exorbitant price charged ... it became a criminal act.”
Woodruff suggested that elderly residents help avoid such scams by allowing a trusted relative to review bank statements.
As part of Monday's plea agreement, the employee who sold Briggs the curtains agreed to plead guilty at a later time in misdemeanor court to deceptive business practices.
They should be ashamed of themselves.
The daughter said Briggs, who died this year, was 90 years old and her eyesight, hearing and memory were failing at the time the purchase was made.
That's just ed up!
I hate people who prey on the elderly
That's just ed up!
I hate people who prey on the elderly
It is just like that guy that wasted B2B time buying the 100k trailer then had a friend call to back out of the deal!
Boo Hoo I am old, I did not know what i was doing...
It's not the same.
Sportcamper's mental facilities are in as bad of shape as the old lady'sIt's not the same.
I am just saying that if you took away these senior citizens telephones & TV’s we would not have these problems…Home Shopping Club would be out of business…Some of these people are now buying things on the internet…We need tougher laws & regulation preventing senior citizens from buying things they don’t need & can’t afford…
You will be old someday.
It's a shame, but I can't say I'm too surprised. Their prices are terribly inflated. But all the same, I love Sid Lachman. He's one of the coolest old dudes I've ever known. And I do mean oldI know a lot of people think he's an asshole, but to me he's always been a charming, smart-ass, cigar chomping, old school salesman. And I like Scott a lot too. I like that he gives me the details about the projects they've done at the Spurs' homes! Although Sid always told me he wondered about Scott and his business sense (putting it nicely). I feel sorry for the poor old lady and her family and I hope they can put this behind them and get back to normal. Same for Sid and his crew.
And another old lady gets hustled...It's a shame, but I can't say I'm too surprised. Their prices are terribly inflated. But all the same, I love Sid Lachman. He's one of the coolest old dudes I've ever known. And I do mean old
Sid and Scott sound like assholes to me.It's a shame, but I can't say I'm too surprised. Their prices are terribly inflated. But all the same, I love Sid Lachman. He's one of the coolest old dudes I've ever known. And I do mean old
Geez. I know their business practices are suspect; but personally I like those 2 men---so shoot me why don't you??And another old lady gets hustled...
c'mon, smile. Just a little ribbin goin on here...
We won't but they may. Right in your bank account
I didn't realize B2B was no longer in the trailer selling b'niz.
It is a cover up.
S y bought drapes?
Hi S y!
Wheres that freaking old lady looking over her glasses down her nose saying "i've gone back to them 3 times haven't i"
Arrow....Arrow Upholstery.
I guess they dance to a different tune.
I like the diminished mental capacity parallel. Good Job.
Yes, very likable gentlemen indeed.It's a shame, but I can't say I'm too surprised. Their prices are terribly inflated. But all the same, I love Sid Lachman. He's one of the coolest old dudes I've ever known. And I do mean old
This isn't bad business sense, this is malicious intent. And according to the news story they did a while back, this is a regular practice for them.
It's a shame that they couldn't attach jail time to this offense. These guys are Grade A S bags.
Just call Arrow....Arroooow Uphoooolsteryyyyyy.
That's all I have to contribute.
I can buy a candy bar at HEB for 75 cents or a case of them from Costco for about 40 cents per candy bar…I guess the grocery store has malicious intent & the manager should be thrown in jail because they charge more…
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