December 19, 2024 • 32 mins
House rejects Trump-backed plan on government shutdown, leaving next steps uncertain. Congress races to fund federal government before deadline: Here’s what staying open and closing. RHOA alum Peter Thomas hit with 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to failure to pay trust fund taxes/ Luigi Mangione appears in NY court, faces federal charges including stalking, murder. CA's lemon law is changing and car buyers have fewer protections in the new year.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's k IF I am sixty and you're listening to
the Conway Show on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Mark Thompson sitting in for Tim through the holiday season
as Tim takes some time away. A lot going on today.
We've got a couple of guests on board. Got a comedian,
a very good comedian, Pat McGann's coming in after five o'clock,
so that's gonna be fun. Dean Sharp's coming through a
man's man. I can ask Dean Sharp about my swamp
gas problem. I have a problem at the house with
(00:29):
one of the bathrooms filled with the smell of like
sewer smell.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
What the hell is your house? Man, It's haunted.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I'm telling you the It's been fine for three years,
but now the haunting is coming out.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I mean, I'm.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Fully expecting that I'll get to knock on the door
that it's been built on some kind of Native people grave.
And that's the reason I'm getting this insane series of
things happening.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
But there is a.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I mean hard to take smell in this bathroom, the
one bathroom. Unfortunately, you can close the door to the
bathroom and open the window, and so you don't live
with it in the whole house. We have the plumber
coming on Monday, but maybe Dean Sharp, my dream man,
will come through the house whisper and set things straight. Anyway,
that's a little bit of what's happening on the show.
(01:21):
We've also got to all manner of stuff serious and
stuff holiday related and stuff a little bit offbeat. And
I think, certainly as far as being an American goes,
probably the lead story is the fact that the government
is close to closing down. There was a bill, as
(01:41):
you know, that was designed to fund the government through March,
and that bill was kneecapped by Elon Musk and then
he came forward first, and Donald Trump came forward a
few hours after that, like four hours later. Trump joined
the fray and they were successful in derailing that. Now
(02:03):
they derailed it because they didn't like the amount of
money that was going to disaster relief. There was disaster
relief for the hurricane North Carolina in Florida. There was
some money for wildfire relief. It is one hundred billion dollars.
So they objected to that. But the one thing that
they wanted was a raising of the debt limit. And
(02:24):
the reason that they want that I'm talking about Musk
and Trump is because.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
They are coming in.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
As you know, a priority of the new administration is
these tax cuts, and the tax cuts will raise the debt, so.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
They needcap that.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
In fact, Musket he didn't want Congress to pass anything
until the new president is there, and Trump won't be
the new president until late January, right. So I mentioned
this because this is sort of the history of events
over the last day. Realizing that we won't be able
to keep the government open without some kind of continuing resolution,
(02:59):
they hatch their own version of a funding bill and
that was just voted down. Klozer was telling me in
Washington just minutes ago, and.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
It wasn't even close. They needed a two thirds majority
because it's under a fast track process before the shutdown
tomorrow night is scheduled, and the vote was one seventy
four to two thirty five. So the irony of that
debt ceiling argument, by the way, is that Republicans don't
want to raise it at all, and Democrats usually are
(03:32):
the ones that are pushing to raise it. And Donald
Trump wants to actually do away with the debt ceiling.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Well, he wants to raise it or do away with
it because of these tax cuts, and he doesn't want
on his watch there to be a request to eliminate
the debt ceiling or raise the debt ceiling. It looks
better for Trump if it's done on Biden's watch, and
he's said as much, I want to do this on
Biden's watch, I don't want to do it on mind.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
So well, so yeah, he also saying that's why he
has no problem with the shutdown, because it would be
during Biden's administration.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And there's some thought that the Biden administration might from
an image standpoint, take a hit, as you're saying, but
there's also thought that this is an awkward way to
start your new administration with the coming off of a
government shutdown. The government shutdown is a fairly serious thing,
meaning it will affect a lot of life in America.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I mean, you know, we don't even keep track.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
I think sometimes are the ways that we interact with
federal agencies. But you know there is money set aside
all the time for the operations of the Feds, even
within the state.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
It's interesting the gamesmanship that's going on right now, because
to me, it's whatever was in this package which we're
going to find out which was just rejected. It was
soundly voted against by Republicans. Mean, all Democrats voted against it.
One voted present, but all Democrats voted against it. And
I think thirty to forty Republicans voted against it. And
(05:10):
I think to me, the thinking was that it'll pass
the House with a Republican majority in there, they can
go to the Senate.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
The Senate will.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Probably reject it because it's a Democrat control for now,
and then that would look like you say, that would
look bad on Democrats if it would shut down the government.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
The thing that's I think, just as an aside, one
of the moments, the teachable moment here is something that
Musk is going through. I don't think for all of
his power and all of his genius and all of
his money, that Musk understands really the government. It's odd
that he's been put in charge of, you know, trimming
(05:46):
the government and finding waste in the government.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You can certainly find waste in the government.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Please don't misunderstand me, But what I'm saying is the
idea somehow that you could pass anything without some democratic
buy in. You don't have both chambers yet you won't
have both chambers as the GOP until after the new year.
So if you need a bill passed now, there's going
(06:11):
to have to be built into that bill stuff for
both sides. That's how you get a bipartisan passage of
a bill. So yeah, you're going to get criticism up
being a Christmas tree bill, that is to say, tell
so many things laiden with so many gifts and giveaways, etc.
In this case it was one hundred billion dollars for
disaster relief. But the idea somehow that you can just
(06:31):
do this on raw fisted politics, you can't. You need
buy in from both sides. This is a classic situation
in Washington. What's happening here at the end of the year.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
One of the other bills that or one of the
aspects of the bill yesterday that got rejected was interesting
was the RFK Stadium in DC. Oh, yeah, they wanted
to They wanted to put it into DC's control as
opposed to the federal governments which it has been, which
will allow the current owner of the Washington Commanders, red Skins,
whatever you want to call them, to actually purchase that
(07:02):
land and tear it down or rebuild the one that's
on there and that got kicked out of there because
of that.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Yeah, this is.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Well, so it leaves us in a really tough spot,
and we'll watch it for you and lawmakers are working
on it now. But you have these insanely powerful exterior
players Musk and Trump specifically, and they are driving a
lot of.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
The action in Washington right now. So we'll continue to watch.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
By the way, if you're curious as to what services
or programs are going to be impacted if the government
actually shuts down, I'll share some of that.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
With you next as we continue.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
You're listening to Tim Conway Junior on demand from KFI
Am sixty.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
When the government shuts down, which right now it is
really poised to do, position to do, having failed to
pass two continuing resolutions on the budget, what services and
programs are going.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
To be impacted?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Oh, the president continues to get paid. I know that
that is a load off your mind. Yeah, lawmakers in
Congress they also continue to receive pay. And by the way,
every time we get to one of these spots. The
last time we got into one of these spots was
there was a government shutdown during the first Trump administration.
(08:23):
And it's always talked about that lawmakers in Congress should
not receive pay during a government shutdown. Not that these
guys are living check to check, but still that conversation
is constantly brought up around these threats of shutdowns and
actual shutdowns. It would be nice if we followed through down,
(08:44):
if we followed through on that in some way, and
lawmakers would have an interruption in payment.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
By the way, you know that the first bill that
they rejected yesterday, you know what was contained in that bill.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
That was a pay raise? Wasn't it for pay raise
for Congress? It was like ive k pay raise I
think it will.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Was the first since two thousand and nine, so you
know they're due and they definitely earned it.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah yeah, I mean, look, they're not all bad, but
the system, the system is pretty bad. I mean, and
and the problem with the system, I think fundamentally is money.
I mean, if you could just get money out of
the political system in.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
America, we would just it would be so much cleaner
into these pains.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah yeah, I mean, it's just awful. The Social Security
Administration will continue distributing Social Security benefits even when the
government closes, so you people with disabilities, seniors, et cetera.
You'll still get your checks, but there will be a
lapse in funding that could likely decline delay new claims.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
So if you're involved.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
In some kind of customer service request or there's a
new claim with the Social Security Administration, likely will not.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Well won't restart, probably until there is full funding.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Medicare claims will continue to proceed, but new applications again
centers for Medicare and Medicaid services and more could be
delayed due to a funding lapse. As they say, so,
if you're getting Medicare, you've got claims that are in
the system already, they'll likely continue, but new apps no.
(10:23):
Veterans benefits, education and health benefits, disability compensation, pension claims
will not be impacted by the government shutdown. All via
medical facilities and clinics will remain open and operational, but
via call centers and hotlines, including the Veterans Crisis Line,
will be impacted by the governments shutting down. Federal unemployment
(10:46):
benefits will continue. They'll continue throughout California. The US Postal
Service will remain operational, and the United States Military, excluding
operation is deemed necessary for national security, will cease operation.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Again. That's a pretty broad.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Spectrum of activities in the United States military that will
fall into the category of those deemed necessary for national security,
because those are the ones that'll continue. Everything that's not
deemed necessary for national security will cease with the US military.
Active duty personnel will continue on a normal duty status.
Will not be paid until Congress appropriates their funding. All
(11:35):
of these people who will be temporarily furloughed, etc. As
a result of the government shutting down, will be paid
once the government reopens.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
They'll be paid back pay.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
But you know, if they've got to bump a credit
card or whatever to make it work, no one in
the government and there is no provision for making up
that deficit plus whatever they have to pay on their
visa bill, et cetera. The Pentagon, about half of the
Pentagon's eight hundred thousand civilian employees would be furloughed. National parks,
(12:09):
monuments other sites would be closed to the public.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Park rangers would be furloughed.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Some states could use money to keep their parks and
other sites open, but that would just be state by state.
You remember what happened the last time we had a
government shutdown. There was a kind of a graffitiized National
park thing going on. It was disgusting because with no
one watching the national parks, the Park Service, not funded
(12:37):
rangers not there, people went into the parks and there
was every manner of abuse. It was really sad. Agents
at the FBI, the DEA, other federal law enforcement agencies,
prison staffers, you'll all remain on the job. The Secret Service,
the Coast Guard, you will continue operations. But the Federal
(12:58):
Trade Commissions, Consumer Detection, added Trust employees all would be furloughed.
Federal courts will be open without congressional funding. They can
still stay open, but they'll eventually have to scale back
activities depending on how long that shutdown lasts. Supreme Court
will stay open as well. Airport screeners air traffic control
(13:20):
workers would be required to work, but they wouldn't be
paid until the government reopened, and absenteeism could be a
problem that was an issue the last time. Technically, these
air traffic control workers have to come to work. Technically
TSAs come to work, but all of a sudden, nobody's
(13:41):
getting paid, and absenteeism can be an issue. The US
embassies and consulates they would remain open. Passport and visa
processing would continue as long as sufficient fees cover operations,
pell grants, and student loans. They'd continue to be paid,
but could be disrupted as most Education Department employees won't
(14:03):
be there anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
They'll be furloughed. And finally, you may like this.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
The IRS would stop examining and auditing tax returns and
responding to taxpayer queries. Automated tax collection would continue. About
two thirds of the ninety thousand employees at the IRS
will be furloughed. All of that if the government fails
to stay open. The federal government closing? Is it midnight
(14:33):
tomorrow night crows.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Yes, Sir, twelve oh one Saturday morning.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
So there is a quick skinny on what to expect
when we come back. There is a rumble in reality TV.
I'll tell you about it next.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
You're listening to Tim Conway Junior on demand from KFI
AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
This holiday season pretty cool, all kinds of holiday stuff.
The building is set up with the trees. The studio
has a huge tree in it. There's a lot of
trees and lights and all that holiday festive, sort of
warm atmosphere. Kind of love it. But there is controversy
(15:19):
this holiday season it takes place out of the world
of the Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I know, I know you didn't.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Think of all of the areas in which there might
be controversy. You certainly didn't think the Real Housewives of
Atlanta would be one of them. But one of the
stars of Real Housewives of Atlanta, Peter Thomas, is going
to be headed to prison.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
That's right. They don't mess around.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
They don't mess around on Real Housewives of Atlanta, and
they don't mess around if you're the federal government and
the federal government is in charge of the taxes. Peter
thomas O's and the Bravo alum, who was previously married
to Cynthia Bailey from Real Housewives of Atlanta, has been
(16:11):
sentenced to eighteen months in prison. He pled guilty to
failing to account for and pay over to the Trust
Fund taxes that were due and owed on behalf of
the employees of his company. This from the Department of Justice.
His sentence includes two years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
(16:31):
In addition to paying more than two point five million
as a restitution to the irs, he supposedly failed to
pay over two and a half million in employment taxes
from sports themed bars, restaurants, lounges that he owned in
different states over a period of six years. There's almost
two million dollars in trust fund taxes that he collected
(16:53):
from employee wages. Court documents show that instead of paying
the trust fund taxes, he took that money.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
And what did he do?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
He bought stuff, like a lot of stuff, big, beautiful,
expensive stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Is what he spent.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
That money that was earmarked for taxes that he spent
hit that money on travel, real estate, retail purchases.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
That can be no surprise.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
He also had high end purchases from Neiman Marcus, Prada,
Louis Vutant.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Is it givon she?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Is that? How they say it? Givon she? The Department
of Justice say all of these expenditures from travel, to
real estate to cash withdrawals of two and a half
million dollars all illegal. Eighteen months in prison and then
two and a half years of supervided release. Not to
(17:52):
mention how this is going to be taken by the
cast of Real Housewives of Atlanta. I mean, this could
ripple through that cast like any other major scandal. Well,
that's the latest he's been found guilty. Speaking of guilty,
the arsonist in the San Fernando Valley was finally arrested.
(18:16):
They've arrested a guy that they think set fire to
several vehicles and structures in the San Fernando Valley earlier
this year. The fires were set late October in the
Sherman Oaks area. Several vehicles, dumpsters, a utility building all
set on fire Long Ventura Boulevard in Tester Street. According
(18:37):
to the cops, LAFD was on the scene, extinguished the
fires immediately and determined they were the result of arson,
So an investigation was launched. It's the LAPD Major Crime Division,
and they identified this guy. I think it's a really
nice job of sleuthing forty two year old Ricardo vi Ueva.
(19:02):
I wanted I see what they oh here it is.
So they had a photo and description of Vianueva and
that was distributed to law enforcement that helped lead to
his arrest. He was taken into custody, arrested on suspicion
of arson for these October fires, and he's being held
in Valley jail and van Eyes two hundred and thirty
(19:26):
thousand dollars bail comes the same day as several cars
in the building were set ablaze in the Van Eyes
in Sherman Oaks area. I mean, this is on the
heels of that arrest, and authorities aren't saying if it's related.
Several Sherman Oaks residents voice concerned that the neighborhood was
being targeted by a serial arsonist. It does appear, at
(19:46):
least on some level that one of these people, assuming
it's two different people perpetrating all of this, one of
them is in custody now, that forty two year old
there is in custody in New York, Luigi everybody's.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Favorite cold blooded killer. Yes, yeah, he is.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
He is in New York now, and the proceedings begin,
his case having been upgraded to first degree murders.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
And he was reacting to some of the answers that
his attorney was telling him. The judge did come into
the courtroom, and at that point we started the first
hearing that was looking at the charges, specifically to Timberly.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
I just want to interrupt you for a second, because
we are now seeing the suspect walked out of that helicopter.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
This is at the Kimberly.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
I just want to interrupt because he's so cute and
I'm just watching him now walking from the.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Helicopul Street heliport. He is surrounded by many, many officers.
He is shackled, his hands in front of him. He
is in that orange jumpsuit that he was probably given
in Pennsylvania. He is looking straight ahead. There is no
real expression now looking down.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
He is looking straight ahead and he is looking if
I can just say, it is no.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
Real expression now looking down as he's moving very slowly,
and we understand that the mayor is at the heliport.
He will be talking in any moment now.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
By the way, that was wild Mayor Adams, who himself,
as you know, has been indicted corruption charges. He was
there with the gaggle of people around Luigi. As Luigi
walked off the helicopter and onto the helipad and then
being escorted into the vehicle that's going to take him away,
(21:33):
there was the Mayor and I think he did make
some remarks to the press after that, but it was
just an interesting moment to see the mayor there because
technically he doesn't need to be there, but everybody's sort
of it's one of those things everybody wants to be
a part.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
Of you know, the purple wall out the arrival of
this suspect who will be facing federal charges this afternoon.
One count first degree murder in furtherance of terrorism is
a count that could bring with it the death penalty,
because first degree murder in New York, which is another
charge he will be facing, does not bring the death penalty.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
And if you look.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
Closely, you can see Mayor Adams is part of this
entourage of law enforcement that is surrounding what was the
center of a national manhunt just days ago. Was until
December ninth that he was tracked down to Pennsylvania after
that five day manhunt and eventually spotted by somebody who
(22:33):
said he looked like the person that they were looking
for in the surveillance.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Well, you know, one of the people to drop the
dime on him was who his mom. His mom called
authorities and said, hey, that picture looks.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
A lot like my son.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
By the time I think she called law enforcement was
pretty well already well on his trail, but still that
was a big call for a mother to make. The
other thing I'll just mentioned quickly is this terrorism charge.
The way that they've essentially up charged his entire situation.
New York is a strange place where you can stand
(23:10):
on the street lying wait for somebody killed them in
cold blood and still only gets second degree murder.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I mean, that's just the way it is.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
So for the up charging of him to first degree murder,
they needed the terrorism charge thrown in. So whether or
not the terrorism charge is essentially suggesting that in perpetrating
this act, he is perpetrating a dynamic of terrorism that
(23:36):
has then spread through the community. You have to show
some terroristic kinds of tendencies or plans or strategies in
order to make that stick. But I think on some
level they wanted that first degree murder charge anyway, and
they wanted the death penalty to be part of the
conversation because I think they want to have a chilling
(23:56):
effect on this sort of thing happening again. Anyway, that's
the story with Luigi. He is now in prison there
in New York.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
You're listening to Tim conwaytun you're on demand from KFI
Am sixty.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Scrambling around at the last minute. I've got the secret
Sanda stuff to do. I've got to steal some kind
of gifty type items to get They're going to stop
by at some people's house on Christmas. That's like two
more things. And I take on these tasks happily. I
don't mean to seem as though I'm complaining at the
holidays that, you know, the gift encumbrance a burden of
(24:39):
finding the right gift of you know, getting the right
gift at the right time, resenting it the right way,
wrapping it the right way, putting the right card on it.
I don't want to seem like I'm complaining about that.
It just seems like the list is getting longer every
year at a time when we should just be good
with each other at the holidays. The warmth, the wonder,
(24:59):
the magic of the season. But I can't really check
into the warmth, the wonder, the magic of the season
until I get this list of stuff that I got
to do, which are designed these gifts to kind of
smooth our arrival at these various locations where we'll be
visiting over the holiday season. I'm hoping that your life
(25:22):
is one that's filled with minimal obligation and maximum enjoyment.
So wherever you are, I hope you'll take us with you.
On the iHeartRadio app The Lemon Law is changing in California,
and in the new year, buyers will have fewer protections.
One of the things associated with this entire process in
(25:43):
the Lemon Law, the new version of it, is that
the courts were getting so clogged, apparently with Lemon Law cases,
that they were looking for different ways in which they
could provide consumers with protection but clear this backlog in
(26:03):
the courts. So starting January first, car buyers who purchase
a faulty vehicle will now have to navigate a new
version of the Lemon Law. It's been around for fifty years,
and as you know, the Lemon Law allows consumers to
demand that the car company or wherever you purchase the car,
(26:27):
that they fix or replace the defective vehicles that they sell.
So the deal is that this new legislation will make
it still possible to go after whoever sold you the car,
but it's just going to be a little more complicated
(26:48):
than it used to be.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
So they give you an example.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
There's a farm worker who who purchased a GMC Sierra
with forty thousand miles on a Fresno car dealer. Twenty
five thousand bucks changes hands, and almost immediately after this
woman drove off the lot. She said the truck started
having mechanical problems, and she claims that they should have
been covered under the warranties, but she said that the
(27:19):
cars mak her general motors were fewed to honor them.
So she said, I kept making the payments, and then
I finally got an attorney, and the attorney told the
dealership the truck doesn't work. But the Fresno judge tossed
her lawsuit a year later and ruled in a separate
case that warranties that would apply to new cars don't
carry over if the vehicle is sold again, and the
(27:41):
Supreme Court affirmed that. So now she doesn't have a truck,
she's out twenty five thousand dollars.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
And this new Lemon.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Law would take into account this kind of situation and
possibly offer her recourse. So it seems to me that
there might be some positives there, but navigating to the
positives could really be more complicated. Gavin Newsom has reluctantly
(28:12):
signed this Lemon law bill, he says, and he's hoping
that what hitches are in the bill will be cleaned
up with the legislature in the next year. I mean,
generally it's thought that the Lemon Law requires manufacturers to
replace or repair a defective used car or truck.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
And this is true if.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
The Lemon vehicle was sold. The Lemonee vehicle was sold
within the window of its original new vehicle warranty. So
now they're interpreting what that new vehicle warranty is, and
they're also interpreting the statute. So they're saying, if you
(28:57):
don't want us, the justices of the Supreme Court saying,
if you don't want us to interpret it, then rewrite
it more clearly. You should take it back to the legislature,
and this new Lemon law should be hammered out so
that people can navigate it more easily and so that
you're able to determine what is defined as a Lemon
(29:19):
vehicle and one that has serious warranted defects and defects
that the manufacturer isn't fixing after multiple attempts. That was
always the thing, right, you take it back three times.
If they don't fix it, then it's a Lemon and
you get the money back. But the Lemon Law applies
only to disputes involving the manufacturer's new vehicle warranty. That's
(29:41):
the way it sits right now. If the manufacturer dealer
is unable to repair a serious warranty defect in a
vehicle after what the law says is a reasonable number
of attempts. I always thought it was three, but maybe
it's more, the manufacturer must either replace it or refund
the purchase price. This according to the California Department of
Consumer Affairs. But what they're doing is they're making it
(30:05):
slightly harder to recover that, at least initially because of
this growing backlog of Lemon Law cases.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
They have twenty two thousand of them this year.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
In just the California courts. In La County, nearly ten
percent of all civil filings are now Lemon Law cases.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
So I get it. They have to streamline the Lemon Law.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Speed up the process of getting consumers a working car,
and they need new procedural rules to do that for
that litigation. Otherwise you're going to be bogging down the
courts with this stuff. But apparently the changes to the
Lemon Law really in the streamlining benefit US car companies
since they're the ones usually sued under Lemon Law. So
(31:02):
we'll see again January first. It all takes effect. Essentially
the new rules are going to reduce the period that
you can use the Lemon law to just six years
instead of the entire life of a vehicle's warranty, which
you know obviously can go along a lot longer. And
if you purchase any defective new vehicle, you'll have less
(31:24):
time to sue, and then you'll get less money from rebates.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
This is all baked into the new Lemon law.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
So once again they may be trying to streamline it
because the courts are backed up, but it looks like
the short term as though reducing the windows during which
you can bring an action and reducing the amount of
money that you can get when you actually prevail in court.
Both those things just for starters, seem as though they
(31:53):
favor the car companies and not the person harmed, that
is to say, the person who buys the Lemon vehicle.
January first, that takes place. There was a bomb threat
at city Hall in Los Angeles, and do you know
(32:13):
who called it in?
Speaker 3 (32:15):
It's amazing. We'll have the story.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Next Conway Show on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Now
you can always hear us live on KFI AM six
forty four to seven pm Monday through Friday, and anytime
on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
It's k IF I am sixty and you're listening to
the Conway Show on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Mark Thompson sitting in for Tim through the holiday season
as Tim takes some time away. A lot going on today.
We've got a couple of guests on board. Got a comedian,
a very good comedian, Pat McGann's coming in after five o'clock,
so that's gonna be fun. Dean Sharp's coming through a
man's man. I can ask Dean Sharp about my swamp
gas problem. I have a problem at the house with
(00:29):
one of the bathrooms filled with the smell of like
sewer smell.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
What the hell is your house? Man, It's haunted.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
I'm telling you the It's been fine for three years,
but now the haunting is coming out.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I mean, I'm.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Fully expecting that I'll get to knock on the door
that it's been built on some kind of Native people grave.
And that's the reason I'm getting this insane series of
things happening.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
But there is a.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
I mean hard to take smell in this bathroom, the
one bathroom. Unfortunately, you can close the door to the
bathroom and open the window, and so you don't live
with it in the whole house. We have the plumber
coming on Monday, but maybe Dean Sharp, my dream man,
will come through the house whisper and set things straight. Anyway,
that's a little bit of what's happening on the show.
(01:21):
We've also got to all manner of stuff serious and
stuff holiday related and stuff a little bit offbeat. And
I think, certainly as far as being an American goes,
probably the lead story is the fact that the government
is close to closing down. There was a bill, as
(01:41):
you know, that was designed to fund the government through March,
and that bill was kneecapped by Elon Musk and then
he came forward first, and Donald Trump came forward a
few hours after that, like four hours later. Trump joined
the fray and they were successful in derailing that. Now
(02:03):
they derailed it because they didn't like the amount of
money that was going to disaster relief. There was disaster
relief for the hurricane North Carolina in Florida. There was
some money for wildfire relief. It is one hundred billion dollars.
So they objected to that. But the one thing that
they wanted was a raising of the debt limit. And
(02:24):
the reason that they want that I'm talking about Musk
and Trump is because.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
They are coming in.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
As you know, a priority of the new administration is
these tax cuts, and the tax cuts will raise the debt, so.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
They needcap that.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
In fact, Musket he didn't want Congress to pass anything
until the new president is there, and Trump won't be
the new president until late January, right. So I mentioned
this because this is sort of the history of events
over the last day. Realizing that we won't be able
to keep the government open without some kind of continuing resolution,
(02:59):
they hatch their own version of a funding bill and
that was just voted down. Klozer was telling me in
Washington just minutes ago, and.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
It wasn't even close. They needed a two thirds majority
because it's under a fast track process before the shutdown
tomorrow night is scheduled, and the vote was one seventy
four to two thirty five. So the irony of that
debt ceiling argument, by the way, is that Republicans don't
want to raise it at all, and Democrats usually are
(03:32):
the ones that are pushing to raise it. And Donald
Trump wants to actually do away with the debt ceiling.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Well, he wants to raise it or do away with
it because of these tax cuts, and he doesn't want
on his watch there to be a request to eliminate
the debt ceiling or raise the debt ceiling. It looks
better for Trump if it's done on Biden's watch, and
he's said as much, I want to do this on
Biden's watch, I don't want to do it on mind.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
So well, so yeah, he also saying that's why he
has no problem with the shutdown, because it would be
during Biden's administration.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
And there's some thought that the Biden administration might from
an image standpoint, take a hit, as you're saying, but
there's also thought that this is an awkward way to
start your new administration with the coming off of a
government shutdown. The government shutdown is a fairly serious thing,
meaning it will affect a lot of life in America.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I mean, you know, we don't even keep track.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
I think sometimes are the ways that we interact with
federal agencies. But you know there is money set aside
all the time for the operations of the Feds, even
within the state.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
It's interesting the gamesmanship that's going on right now, because
to me, it's whatever was in this package which we're
going to find out which was just rejected. It was
soundly voted against by Republicans. Mean, all Democrats voted against it.
One voted present, but all Democrats voted against it. And
I think thirty to forty Republicans voted against it. And
(05:10):
I think to me, the thinking was that it'll pass
the House with a Republican majority in there, they can
go to the Senate.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
The Senate will.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Probably reject it because it's a Democrat control for now,
and then that would look like you say, that would
look bad on Democrats if it would shut down the government.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
The thing that's I think, just as an aside, one
of the moments, the teachable moment here is something that
Musk is going through. I don't think for all of
his power and all of his genius and all of
his money, that Musk understands really the government. It's odd
that he's been put in charge of, you know, trimming
(05:46):
the government and finding waste in the government.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You can certainly find waste in the government.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Please don't misunderstand me, But what I'm saying is the
idea somehow that you could pass anything without some democratic
buy in. You don't have both chambers yet you won't
have both chambers as the GOP until after the new year.
So if you need a bill passed now, there's going
(06:11):
to have to be built into that bill stuff for
both sides. That's how you get a bipartisan passage of
a bill. So yeah, you're going to get criticism up
being a Christmas tree bill, that is to say, tell
so many things laiden with so many gifts and giveaways, etc.
In this case it was one hundred billion dollars for
disaster relief. But the idea somehow that you can just
(06:31):
do this on raw fisted politics, you can't. You need
buy in from both sides. This is a classic situation
in Washington. What's happening here at the end of the year.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
One of the other bills that or one of the
aspects of the bill yesterday that got rejected was interesting
was the RFK Stadium in DC. Oh, yeah, they wanted
to They wanted to put it into DC's control as
opposed to the federal governments which it has been, which
will allow the current owner of the Washington Commanders, red Skins,
whatever you want to call them, to actually purchase that
(07:02):
land and tear it down or rebuild the one that's
on there and that got kicked out of there because
of that.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Yeah, this is.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Well, so it leaves us in a really tough spot,
and we'll watch it for you and lawmakers are working
on it now. But you have these insanely powerful exterior
players Musk and Trump specifically, and they are driving a
lot of.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
The action in Washington right now. So we'll continue to watch.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
By the way, if you're curious as to what services
or programs are going to be impacted if the government
actually shuts down, I'll share some of that.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
With you next as we continue.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
You're listening to Tim Conway Junior on demand from KFI
Am sixty.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
When the government shuts down, which right now it is
really poised to do, position to do, having failed to
pass two continuing resolutions on the budget, what services and
programs are going.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
To be impacted?
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Oh, the president continues to get paid. I know that
that is a load off your mind. Yeah, lawmakers in
Congress they also continue to receive pay. And by the way,
every time we get to one of these spots. The
last time we got into one of these spots was
there was a government shutdown during the first Trump administration.
(08:23):
And it's always talked about that lawmakers in Congress should
not receive pay during a government shutdown. Not that these
guys are living check to check, but still that conversation
is constantly brought up around these threats of shutdowns and
actual shutdowns. It would be nice if we followed through down,
(08:44):
if we followed through on that in some way, and
lawmakers would have an interruption in payment.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
By the way, you know that the first bill that
they rejected yesterday, you know what was contained in that bill.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
That was a pay raise? Wasn't it for pay raise
for Congress? It was like ive k pay raise I
think it will.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Was the first since two thousand and nine, so you
know they're due and they definitely earned it.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah yeah, I mean, look, they're not all bad, but
the system, the system is pretty bad. I mean, and
and the problem with the system, I think fundamentally is money.
I mean, if you could just get money out of
the political system in.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
America, we would just it would be so much cleaner
into these pains.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah yeah, I mean, it's just awful. The Social Security
Administration will continue distributing Social Security benefits even when the
government closes, so you people with disabilities, seniors, et cetera.
You'll still get your checks, but there will be a
lapse in funding that could likely decline delay new claims.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
So if you're involved.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
In some kind of customer service request or there's a
new claim with the Social Security Administration, likely will not.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Well won't restart, probably until there is full funding.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Medicare claims will continue to proceed, but new applications again
centers for Medicare and Medicaid services and more could be
delayed due to a funding lapse. As they say, so,
if you're getting Medicare, you've got claims that are in
the system already, they'll likely continue, but new apps no.
(10:23):
Veterans benefits, education and health benefits, disability compensation, pension claims
will not be impacted by the government shutdown. All via
medical facilities and clinics will remain open and operational, but
via call centers and hotlines, including the Veterans Crisis Line,
will be impacted by the governments shutting down. Federal unemployment
(10:46):
benefits will continue. They'll continue throughout California. The US Postal
Service will remain operational, and the United States Military, excluding
operation is deemed necessary for national security, will cease operation.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Again. That's a pretty broad.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Spectrum of activities in the United States military that will
fall into the category of those deemed necessary for national security,
because those are the ones that'll continue. Everything that's not
deemed necessary for national security will cease with the US military.
Active duty personnel will continue on a normal duty status.
Will not be paid until Congress appropriates their funding. All
(11:35):
of these people who will be temporarily furloughed, etc. As
a result of the government shutting down, will be paid
once the government reopens.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
They'll be paid back pay.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
But you know, if they've got to bump a credit
card or whatever to make it work, no one in
the government and there is no provision for making up
that deficit plus whatever they have to pay on their
visa bill, et cetera. The Pentagon, about half of the
Pentagon's eight hundred thousand civilian employees would be furloughed. National parks,
(12:09):
monuments other sites would be closed to the public.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Park rangers would be furloughed.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Some states could use money to keep their parks and
other sites open, but that would just be state by state.
You remember what happened the last time we had a
government shutdown. There was a kind of a graffitiized National
park thing going on. It was disgusting because with no
one watching the national parks, the Park Service, not funded
(12:37):
rangers not there, people went into the parks and there
was every manner of abuse. It was really sad. Agents
at the FBI, the DEA, other federal law enforcement agencies,
prison staffers, you'll all remain on the job. The Secret Service,
the Coast Guard, you will continue operations. But the Federal
(12:58):
Trade Commissions, Consumer Detection, added Trust employees all would be furloughed.
Federal courts will be open without congressional funding. They can
still stay open, but they'll eventually have to scale back
activities depending on how long that shutdown lasts. Supreme Court
will stay open as well. Airport screeners air traffic control
(13:20):
workers would be required to work, but they wouldn't be
paid until the government reopened, and absenteeism could be a
problem that was an issue the last time. Technically, these
air traffic control workers have to come to work. Technically
TSAs come to work, but all of a sudden, nobody's
(13:41):
getting paid, and absenteeism can be an issue. The US
embassies and consulates they would remain open. Passport and visa
processing would continue as long as sufficient fees cover operations,
pell grants, and student loans. They'd continue to be paid,
but could be disrupted as most Education Department employees won't
(14:03):
be there anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
They'll be furloughed. And finally, you may like this.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
The IRS would stop examining and auditing tax returns and
responding to taxpayer queries. Automated tax collection would continue. About
two thirds of the ninety thousand employees at the IRS
will be furloughed. All of that if the government fails
to stay open. The federal government closing? Is it midnight
(14:33):
tomorrow night crows.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Yes, Sir, twelve oh one Saturday morning.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
So there is a quick skinny on what to expect
when we come back. There is a rumble in reality TV.
I'll tell you about it next.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
You're listening to Tim Conway Junior on demand from KFI
AM six forty.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
This holiday season pretty cool, all kinds of holiday stuff.
The building is set up with the trees. The studio
has a huge tree in it. There's a lot of
trees and lights and all that holiday festive, sort of
warm atmosphere. Kind of love it. But there is controversy
(15:19):
this holiday season it takes place out of the world
of the Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I know, I know you didn't.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Think of all of the areas in which there might
be controversy. You certainly didn't think the Real Housewives of
Atlanta would be one of them. But one of the
stars of Real Housewives of Atlanta, Peter Thomas, is going
to be headed to prison.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
That's right. They don't mess around.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
They don't mess around on Real Housewives of Atlanta, and
they don't mess around if you're the federal government and
the federal government is in charge of the taxes. Peter
thomas O's and the Bravo alum, who was previously married
to Cynthia Bailey from Real Housewives of Atlanta, has been
(16:11):
sentenced to eighteen months in prison. He pled guilty to
failing to account for and pay over to the Trust
Fund taxes that were due and owed on behalf of
the employees of his company. This from the Department of Justice.
His sentence includes two years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
(16:31):
In addition to paying more than two point five million
as a restitution to the irs, he supposedly failed to
pay over two and a half million in employment taxes
from sports themed bars, restaurants, lounges that he owned in
different states over a period of six years. There's almost
two million dollars in trust fund taxes that he collected
(16:53):
from employee wages. Court documents show that instead of paying
the trust fund taxes, he took that money.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
And what did he do?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
He bought stuff, like a lot of stuff, big, beautiful,
expensive stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Is what he spent.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
That money that was earmarked for taxes that he spent
hit that money on travel, real estate, retail purchases.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
That can be no surprise.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
He also had high end purchases from Neiman Marcus, Prada,
Louis Vutant.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Is it givon she?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Is that? How they say it? Givon she? The Department
of Justice say all of these expenditures from travel, to
real estate to cash withdrawals of two and a half
million dollars all illegal. Eighteen months in prison and then
two and a half years of supervided release. Not to
(17:52):
mention how this is going to be taken by the
cast of Real Housewives of Atlanta. I mean, this could
ripple through that cast like any other major scandal. Well,
that's the latest he's been found guilty. Speaking of guilty,
the arsonist in the San Fernando Valley was finally arrested.
(18:16):
They've arrested a guy that they think set fire to
several vehicles and structures in the San Fernando Valley earlier
this year. The fires were set late October in the
Sherman Oaks area. Several vehicles, dumpsters, a utility building all
set on fire Long Ventura Boulevard in Tester Street. According
(18:37):
to the cops, LAFD was on the scene, extinguished the
fires immediately and determined they were the result of arson,
So an investigation was launched. It's the LAPD Major Crime Division,
and they identified this guy. I think it's a really
nice job of sleuthing forty two year old Ricardo vi Ueva.
(19:02):
I wanted I see what they oh here it is.
So they had a photo and description of Vianueva and
that was distributed to law enforcement that helped lead to
his arrest. He was taken into custody, arrested on suspicion
of arson for these October fires, and he's being held
in Valley jail and van Eyes two hundred and thirty
(19:26):
thousand dollars bail comes the same day as several cars
in the building were set ablaze in the Van Eyes
in Sherman Oaks area. I mean, this is on the
heels of that arrest, and authorities aren't saying if it's related.
Several Sherman Oaks residents voice concerned that the neighborhood was
being targeted by a serial arsonist. It does appear, at
(19:46):
least on some level that one of these people, assuming
it's two different people perpetrating all of this, one of
them is in custody now, that forty two year old
there is in custody in New York, Luigi everybody's.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Favorite cold blooded killer. Yes, yeah, he is.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
He is in New York now, and the proceedings begin,
his case having been upgraded to first degree murders.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
And he was reacting to some of the answers that
his attorney was telling him. The judge did come into
the courtroom, and at that point we started the first
hearing that was looking at the charges, specifically to Timberly.
Speaker 6 (20:29):
I just want to interrupt you for a second, because
we are now seeing the suspect walked out of that helicopter.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
This is at the Kimberly.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
I just want to interrupt because he's so cute and
I'm just watching him now walking from the.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Helicopul Street heliport. He is surrounded by many, many officers.
He is shackled, his hands in front of him. He
is in that orange jumpsuit that he was probably given
in Pennsylvania. He is looking straight ahead. There is no
real expression now looking down.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
He is looking straight ahead and he is looking if
I can just say, it is no.
Speaker 6 (21:02):
Real expression now looking down as he's moving very slowly,
and we understand that the mayor is at the heliport.
He will be talking in any moment now.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
By the way, that was wild Mayor Adams, who himself,
as you know, has been indicted corruption charges. He was
there with the gaggle of people around Luigi. As Luigi
walked off the helicopter and onto the helipad and then
being escorted into the vehicle that's going to take him away,
(21:33):
there was the Mayor and I think he did make
some remarks to the press after that, but it was
just an interesting moment to see the mayor there because
technically he doesn't need to be there, but everybody's sort
of it's one of those things everybody wants to be
a part.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
Of you know, the purple wall out the arrival of
this suspect who will be facing federal charges this afternoon.
One count first degree murder in furtherance of terrorism is
a count that could bring with it the death penalty,
because first degree murder in New York, which is another
charge he will be facing, does not bring the death penalty.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
And if you look.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
Closely, you can see Mayor Adams is part of this
entourage of law enforcement that is surrounding what was the
center of a national manhunt just days ago. Was until
December ninth that he was tracked down to Pennsylvania after
that five day manhunt and eventually spotted by somebody who
(22:33):
said he looked like the person that they were looking
for in the surveillance.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Well, you know, one of the people to drop the
dime on him was who his mom. His mom called
authorities and said, hey, that picture looks.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
A lot like my son.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
By the time I think she called law enforcement was
pretty well already well on his trail, but still that
was a big call for a mother to make. The
other thing I'll just mentioned quickly is this terrorism charge.
The way that they've essentially up charged his entire situation.
New York is a strange place where you can stand
(23:10):
on the street lying wait for somebody killed them in
cold blood and still only gets second degree murder.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I mean, that's just the way it is.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
So for the up charging of him to first degree murder,
they needed the terrorism charge thrown in. So whether or
not the terrorism charge is essentially suggesting that in perpetrating
this act, he is perpetrating a dynamic of terrorism that
(23:36):
has then spread through the community. You have to show
some terroristic kinds of tendencies or plans or strategies in
order to make that stick. But I think on some
level they wanted that first degree murder charge anyway, and
they wanted the death penalty to be part of the
conversation because I think they want to have a chilling
(23:56):
effect on this sort of thing happening again. Anyway, that's
the story with Luigi. He is now in prison there
in New York.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
You're listening to Tim conwaytun you're on demand from KFI
Am sixty.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Scrambling around at the last minute. I've got the secret
Sanda stuff to do. I've got to steal some kind
of gifty type items to get They're going to stop
by at some people's house on Christmas. That's like two
more things. And I take on these tasks happily. I
don't mean to seem as though I'm complaining at the
holidays that, you know, the gift encumbrance a burden of
(24:39):
finding the right gift of you know, getting the right
gift at the right time, resenting it the right way,
wrapping it the right way, putting the right card on it.
I don't want to seem like I'm complaining about that.
It just seems like the list is getting longer every
year at a time when we should just be good
with each other at the holidays. The warmth, the wonder,
(24:59):
the magic of the season. But I can't really check
into the warmth, the wonder, the magic of the season
until I get this list of stuff that I got
to do, which are designed these gifts to kind of
smooth our arrival at these various locations where we'll be
visiting over the holiday season. I'm hoping that your life
(25:22):
is one that's filled with minimal obligation and maximum enjoyment.
So wherever you are, I hope you'll take us with you.
On the iHeartRadio app The Lemon Law is changing in California,
and in the new year, buyers will have fewer protections.
One of the things associated with this entire process in
(25:43):
the Lemon Law, the new version of it, is that
the courts were getting so clogged, apparently with Lemon Law cases,
that they were looking for different ways in which they
could provide consumers with protection but clear this backlog in
(26:03):
the courts. So starting January first, car buyers who purchase
a faulty vehicle will now have to navigate a new
version of the Lemon Law. It's been around for fifty years,
and as you know, the Lemon Law allows consumers to
demand that the car company or wherever you purchase the car,
(26:27):
that they fix or replace the defective vehicles that they sell.
So the deal is that this new legislation will make
it still possible to go after whoever sold you the car,
but it's just going to be a little more complicated
(26:48):
than it used to be.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
So they give you an example.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
There's a farm worker who who purchased a GMC Sierra
with forty thousand miles on a Fresno car dealer. Twenty
five thousand bucks changes hands, and almost immediately after this
woman drove off the lot. She said the truck started
having mechanical problems, and she claims that they should have
been covered under the warranties, but she said that the
(27:19):
cars mak her general motors were fewed to honor them.
So she said, I kept making the payments, and then
I finally got an attorney, and the attorney told the
dealership the truck doesn't work. But the Fresno judge tossed
her lawsuit a year later and ruled in a separate
case that warranties that would apply to new cars don't
carry over if the vehicle is sold again, and the
(27:41):
Supreme Court affirmed that. So now she doesn't have a truck,
she's out twenty five thousand dollars.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
And this new Lemon.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Law would take into account this kind of situation and
possibly offer her recourse. So it seems to me that
there might be some positives there, but navigating to the
positives could really be more complicated. Gavin Newsom has reluctantly
(28:12):
signed this Lemon law bill, he says, and he's hoping
that what hitches are in the bill will be cleaned
up with the legislature in the next year. I mean,
generally it's thought that the Lemon Law requires manufacturers to
replace or repair a defective used car or truck.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
And this is true if.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
The Lemon vehicle was sold. The Lemonee vehicle was sold
within the window of its original new vehicle warranty. So
now they're interpreting what that new vehicle warranty is, and
they're also interpreting the statute. So they're saying, if you
(28:57):
don't want us, the justices of the Supreme Court saying,
if you don't want us to interpret it, then rewrite
it more clearly. You should take it back to the legislature,
and this new Lemon law should be hammered out so
that people can navigate it more easily and so that
you're able to determine what is defined as a Lemon
(29:19):
vehicle and one that has serious warranted defects and defects
that the manufacturer isn't fixing after multiple attempts. That was
always the thing, right, you take it back three times.
If they don't fix it, then it's a Lemon and
you get the money back. But the Lemon Law applies
only to disputes involving the manufacturer's new vehicle warranty. That's
(29:41):
the way it sits right now. If the manufacturer dealer
is unable to repair a serious warranty defect in a
vehicle after what the law says is a reasonable number
of attempts. I always thought it was three, but maybe
it's more, the manufacturer must either replace it or refund
the purchase price. This according to the California Department of
Consumer Affairs. But what they're doing is they're making it
(30:05):
slightly harder to recover that, at least initially because of
this growing backlog of Lemon Law cases.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
They have twenty two thousand of them this year.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
In just the California courts. In La County, nearly ten
percent of all civil filings are now Lemon Law cases.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
So I get it. They have to streamline the Lemon Law.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Speed up the process of getting consumers a working car,
and they need new procedural rules to do that for
that litigation. Otherwise you're going to be bogging down the
courts with this stuff. But apparently the changes to the
Lemon Law really in the streamlining benefit US car companies
since they're the ones usually sued under Lemon Law. So
(31:02):
we'll see again January first. It all takes effect. Essentially
the new rules are going to reduce the period that
you can use the Lemon law to just six years
instead of the entire life of a vehicle's warranty, which
you know obviously can go along a lot longer. And
if you purchase any defective new vehicle, you'll have less
(31:24):
time to sue, and then you'll get less money from rebates.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
This is all baked into the new Lemon law.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
So once again they may be trying to streamline it
because the courts are backed up, but it looks like
the short term as though reducing the windows during which
you can bring an action and reducing the amount of
money that you can get when you actually prevail in court.
Both those things just for starters, seem as though they
(31:53):
favor the car companies and not the person harmed, that
is to say, the person who buys the Lemon vehicle.
January first, that takes place. There was a bomb threat
at city Hall in Los Angeles, and do you know
(32:13):
who called it in?
Speaker 3 (32:15):
It's amazing. We'll have the story.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Next Conway Show on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Now
you can always hear us live on KFI AM six
forty four to seven pm Monday through Friday, and anytime
on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
Tim Conway Jr. on Demand News
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