Baytown gas station ordered to pay $50K fine for price gouging during Hurricane Beryl
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The owners of a gas station in Baytown will have to pay up after they were accused of price gouging customers during Hurricane Beryl.
The Harris County Attorney's Office announced a lawsuit against the Super Stop on North Main Street, accusing the business of price gouging during the storm in July.
In a release to the media, Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee said the owners of the Super Stop agreed to pay a $50,000 fine after they were unable to justify an over 40% price hike on gas during Beryl.
The gas station also agreed to a cease and desist from charging exorbitant prices during future declared disasters.
Menefee said his office received more than 250 complaints about price gouging during and after Beryl.
While most businesses complied with cease-and-desist orders, Menefee said Super Stop refused, and that's why legal action was taken.
The Super Stop was not the only Houston-area gas station sued for price gouging. Back in August, Menefee's office also filed a lawsuit against a real estate chapter operating a Shell gas station off the West Loop in Bellaire. The owners are accused of gouging prices up to 41% higher than the pre-hurricane price.
There has been no word yet on if the owners will also pay a penalty.
SEE ALSO: More than 350 price gouging complaints were made on gas, hotels and food following Hurricane Beryl
If you think a business is price gouging, officials say you should take a photo of or keep your receipt.
Write down information like the name of the business and the date of the purchase, along with any employee names.
Then, report all of this to the Harris County Attorney's Office or even the Texas Attorney General.
After a complaint is made, investigators may go to the store. Even if the price is lowered, the business may face legal troubles.
For more on this story, follow Jeff Ehling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
