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New California Laws Will Affect Auto Repairers in 2022 Every year, hundreds of new laws are enacted that impact California automotive repair dealers. Below is a brief summary of some of the key measures, in no particular order, that take effect Jan. 1, 2022, unless otherwise noted. Minimum Wage Increase: Reminder that effective Jan. 1, 2022, the minimum wage for employers with 26 or more employees will increase to $15 per hour. The minimum wage for employers with 25 or fewer employees will increase to $14. Please note local minimum wage ordinances may be higher.
Lead Acid Battery Fee Increase: Beginning April 2022, the current $1 California battery fee imposed on a person who purchases a replacement lead-acid battery from a retail dealer, including auto repair dealers, will increase to $2. BAR Auto Shop Locator Program Enhancement: Automotive repair dealers will now be able to provide BAR with educational certification credentials nationally recognized and industry-accepted (e.g. ASE, I-CAR, OEM certification) or approved by BAR. These certificates See New California Laws, Page 20
Bill Intended to Reduce Catalytic Converter Thefts Introduced in Washington State by The Chronicle staff
District 19 Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, has introduced a bill in the Washington State Legislature intended to target the growing wave of catalytic converter thefts in the state. If passed, Senate Bill 5495 would prohibit scrap dealers from purchasing catalytic converters except from commercial enterprises and vehicle owners. Scrap dealers who knowingly purchase or receive stolen catalytic converters would face misdemeanor charges.
The bill would also require scrap metal dealers to confirm ownership when catalytic convert-
District 19 Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, has introduced a bill intended to target the growing wave of catalytic converter thefts in Washington state. See Catalytic Converter Thefts, Page 29
Vol. 40 / Issue 1 / January 2022
7 Members of LA-Based Fraud Ring Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar COVID-19 Relief Scheme Seven members of a Los Angeles-based fraud ring were sentenced for a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $20 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) COVID-19 relief funds. On Nov. 15, Judge Stephen V. Wilson of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California sentenced Richard Ayvazyan, 43, to 17 years in prison; Marietta Terabelian, 37, to six years in prison; and Artur Ayvazyan, 41, to five years in prison, all of Encino, for engaging in the scheme.
Previously, Wilson sentenced Manuk Grigoryan, 28, of Sun Valley, to six years in prison on Oct. 25; Edvard Paronyan, 41, of Granada Hills, to 30 months in prison on Sept. 27; Vahe Dadyan, 42, of Glendale, to one year and one day in prison on Oct. 18; and Arman Hayrapetyan, 39, of Glendale, to 10 months of probation on Oct. 18. Tamara Dadyan, 42, of Encino, is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 6. According to court documents and evidence presented at a June See LA-Based Fraud Ring, Page 16
Classic Collision Adds 8 California Locations Classic Collision, LLC, a national multi-site collision repair operator based in Atlanta, announced a new closing Nov. 12—the acquisition of Platinum Collision Centers in Southern California. This acquisition will make Classic one of the largest collision providers in the region with a footprint of 24 centers throughout Southern California. At Platinum Collision, the goal has always been treating everyone as the most important customer, which is why the company has worked on highly sought-after manufacturer certifications. “This company delivers the very best to customers. This move to partner with Classic Collision will do just that,” said Tom Gregg, owner and founder of Platinum Collision Centers. “This acquisition is key for our growing California footprint and
strengthens our ability to service more of the Inland Empire community,” said Toan Nguyen, CEO of Classic Collision. “We are very pleased to add these eight shops that have highly trained teams and state of the art facilities with multiple certifications. Platinum has a great reputation, and we are excited to build on that.” Source: Classic Collision
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