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Opinion: There’s a Sensible Approach to Fix California’s Broken Lemon Law

Access to reliable cars is a fundamental need for consumers, small business owners, and their hard-working employees. California’s Lemon Law is a long-standing consumer protection that allows our community members to replace the family car if they take it to the shop for repairs and it can’t be fixed. This law is a vital tool for consumers that must be protected at all costs; however, there are serious flaws in the current system that must be dealt with, especially with the current increase in the cost of living.

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Courtesy of Earl “Skip” Cooper
Courtesy of Earl “Skip” Cooper

Earl Skip Cooper, Special to California Black Media Partners 

Access to reliable cars is a fundamental need for consumers, small business owners, and their hard-working employees.

California’s Lemon Law is a long-standing consumer protection that allows our community members to replace the family car if they take it to the shop for repairs and it can’t be fixed. This law is a vital tool for consumers that must be protected at all costs; however, there are serious flaws in the current system that must be dealt with, especially with the current increase in the cost of living.

In the last few years, lemon law complaints filed in California courts have increased by many thousands, which has resulted in a court system that is severely backlogged and slows justice down even more for the consumers who need it the most. To show in numbers what this looks like, there were 4,300 cases filed in 2015 – and this year, there will likely be 30,000. This isn’t due to issues with vehicle quality; studies show those ratings are better than ever. Instead, our current law has created a system that allows, even encourages, and rewards bad-acting attorneys to mass-file thousands of lawsuits to force companies to settle and get their big cut. This can’t be allowed to continue any longer.

The backlog in the courts caused by these bad actors results in families waiting years for these cases to resolve, which means they have to spend their hard-earned dollars renting vehicles for months or relying on rideshares and taxis constantly.

The bill is called Assembly Bill 1755, coauthored by well-respected and strong leaders in our State Legislature – Sen. Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana) and Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San Jose). AB 1755 is a vital bill that gives consumers the right to cut out expensive, unnecessary middlemen and email the auto manufacturers directly to own the resolution of the problem and find out directly whether and how quickly an auto manufacturer will offer a vehicle repurchase or replacement for a customer having a car repair issue that can’t be fixed. Under the deadlines in the bill, manufacturers would have to decide within 30 days of simple customer notice whether they will make it right. And if a vehicle repurchase or replacement is offered, that solution must be completed within the next 30 days.

AB 1755 is supported by our California African American Chamber of Commerce and speaking for myself as a Community activist for over 50 years, and the Chairman of the Board and President Emeritus for the Black Business Association, headquartered in Los Angeles, I wholeheartedly agree. On behalf of the consumers and businesses I work with, I call on Governor Newsom to sign AB 1755.

Consumers should not be forced to wait months or years for a replacement vehicle so that they can get to work, drive their kids to school, and explore everything our great region has to offer in their time off. I would humbly ask for our community to support the common-sense reforms proposed in Assembly Bill 1755, which is on our Governor’s desk awaiting his signature.

Let California be a leader on this issue and provide an example of what good a consumer protection reform can look like.

About the Author 

Earl Skip Cooper is the Chairman of the Board and President Emeritus, Black Business Association.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025

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Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland

Food banks and grocery giveaways are a large part of the resources nonprofits in Oakland prioritize, particularly in areas like East and West Oakland where low-income families of color tend to reside. These neighborhoods are often labeled as “food deserts” or communities that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.

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Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland
Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland

By Magaly Muñoz

In 2023, the average spending on groceries increased by nearly $30 each month from the year before;people are spending over $500 a month to put food on the table.

Through previous reporting by the Post, we’ve learned that families in Oakland are depending more and more on free or low cost groceries from food banks because they can no longer afford the rising costs of food at the store.

Food banks and grocery giveaways are a large part of the resources nonprofits in Oakland prioritize, particularly in areas like East and West Oakland where low-income families of color tend to reside. These neighborhoods are often labeled as “food deserts” or communities that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.

We’ve recently spoken to families across these two areas of Oakland and have heard several stories that all point to one problem: food is expensive. Some individuals are spending upwards of $150 a week for themselves or double if they have teens or small children in the family.

We’ve also heard stories of people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure struggling to maintain their diets because they’re having a hard time affording the food that helps them stay healthy.

Do these experiences sound similar to what you or your family are dealing with every month? Are you struggling to afford your basic groceries every week? Do you depend on food banks to help you get by? Are there any chronic illnesses in your household that need to be managed by a special diet?

We want to hear about your experiences and ideas for solutions!

The Oakland Post is investigating food access in Oakland and how residents are surviving as the cost of living continues to increase. Your experiences will help shape our reporting and show local leaders the need to invest in our communities.

In order to get as much feedback as possible, we ask that you click this link to fill out a brief questionnaire or visit tinyurl.com/Oakland-Post-food-survey. You can also scan the QR code above to reach the survey. After you fill it out, please consider sharing the link with your friends and family in Oakland.

If you have questions, please reach out to our Oakland reporter Magaly Muñoz at mmunoz@postnewsgroup or text/call her at (510) 905-5286.

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