April 23, 2001 - Chicago, Illinois - A jury in Illinois awarded $81,000 to a consumer deceptively sold a new Jeep Cherokee damaged before purchase. Consumer protection laws provide for full disclosure of the exact condition of a new or used car at the time of sale. The buyer was not informed of any prior damage to the vehicle. He found out later that some important information regarding this new car's history had been withheld. The Jeep Cherokee appeared to be in perfect condition when the consumer inspected and purchased his first new car at Clifford Chrysler of Buffalo Grove, Illinois. The investment for this "brand new" vehicle was $28,294.58, which included all fees and taxes. After owning the car a few months, the surprised consumer discovered paint peeling off the left side of the car. On closer observation, he noticed more than one area of paint peeling away from the same side of the car. When the salesman was questioned as to the condition of the car he claimed no knowledge of any prior damage, implying something could have occurred during the Jeep's delivery to the dealership. Repeated phone calls to various other employees of Clifford Chrysler and a call directly to Chrysler Corporate offices still did not provide the consumer with any insight into the cause of this damage. Finally, a dealership customer service rep let the truth slip. The car had been vandalized at the dealership 4 months prior to its purchase, along with several other vehicles. The damage, keying down the entire side from metal panel to metal panel, was so severe that it was taken to an outside body shop for repairs. The repairs were performed and the Jeep Cherokee went back to the dealership, tagged as new, ready to be sold to a buyer. "A vehicle that has incurred damage before it ever leaves the dealers lot should not be falsely represented to a prospective buyer as new or free from defect", claims Adam Krohn or Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center® the law firm that represented the consumer in this case. "A buyer has the right to know and the laws offer protection when a consumer has been dealt with in a deceptive manner, " adds Krohn. The law firm of Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center® handles thousands of cases each year involving lemon law, breach of warranty, auto and other consumer fraud issues, without charging clients any attorney's fees. Under the law, the dealer or manufacturer is responsible for the attorney's fees if the claim is successful. Contact Mr. Krohn at 1-888-MY LEMON (888-695-3666) or via akrohn@consumerlawcenter.net. Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center® also handles cases in Ohio, Indiana, Georgia, Wisconsin and Missouri.