Limo firm surrenders state permit to operate

Thursday, Sept. 23, 2004 | 11:14 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A company that operates 15 limousines in Clark County has surrendered its state license rather than fight allegations that it has failed to comply with numerous regulations.

The state Transportation Services Authority said Wednesday that Fox Limousines agreed Tuesday to give up its operating permit effective Oct. 4 rather than face a disciplinary hearing Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Steve Cunningham, president of Fox Limousines, said it "was a business decision." He said he would have had to make too many changes in the operation to remedy the alleged violations found by the enforcement staff of the authority.

He said he will concentrate on his charter bus service after the limousine business folds.

The transportation authority alleged the company failed to properly register and license its vehicles; operated beyond the scope of its authority and failed to charge uniform tariff rates.

Byram Tichenor, chief of enforcement for the transportation authority, said each limousine company must get approval for the rates that are going to be charged so that customers are not taken advantage of.

The transportation authority also alleged that Fox Limousine: failed to properly maintain driver qualification files; failed to verify driver medical certificates; failed to perform Department of Motor Vehicle record checks; failed to do drug testing on employees before they were hired and failed to have drivers perform daily vehicle safety inspections.

The company's staff also allegedly interfered with enforcement inspections and investigation of records.

Cunningham said the company failed to give the state inspectors the records of the charter bus company documents and that resulted in the interference allegation. He said the records were later turned over.

He said Transportation Services Authority enforcement agents "were not heavy-handed" and that the two sides had been trying to work out the deficiencies for several months.

"It's been going on for some time," said Cunningham. "I thought we had a pretty good operation."

Fox has had a permit since November 1999.

The investigation started when Cunningham applied to expand his service. Las Vegas Limousines filed a complaint against Fox and the inquiry started.

Sandra Lee Avants, Transportation Services Authority chairwoman, said, "As the proliferation of limousine operators and the increased competition between companies and drivers continues in Southern Nevada, some companies have begun to cut corners, resulting in their failure to maintain operational standards."

Tichenor said the elimination of 15 vehicles from the street should not result in a shortage of limos for public use. He said some companies have unlimited authority to operate.

The authority also said it has joined with the state Department of Justice to execute a search warrant at the home office of Stephen Maresca, owner and operator of Insta-Mov, a company that doesn't have a state permit to operate a moving service.

The authority said Maresca has been cited numerous times and has been fined more than $50,000. He has never paid the fines and has never shown up at the disciplinary hearings.

Tichenor said there have been "chronic violations" by Maresca and the state authority has joined with the justice department in the criminal investigation.

Authorities allege that Maresca has operated without liability insurance, city or county licenses and has failed to pay worker's compensation. Tichenor said furniture has been damaged and customers had no way to get reimbursed without insurance.

Maresca said he has been operating since 1991 and has built a successful business. He said he got disgusted years ago and never renewed his local city licenses and doesn't carry insurance.

If there is damage to household goods while they are being moved, he said he reimburses the customer himself. "I'm the insurance company," he said.

Maresca said he doesn't own any moving vans but subcontracts that portion of the job.

He said it is "really difficult" to get a state permit. It takes up to six months and $100,000 in attorney fees, he said. But he said he is "contemplating" applying for a state certificate.

He said the Transportation Services Authority is cracking down on all movers in Southern Nevada.