HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee announced a lawsuit has been filed against two gas stations, accused of price gouging during the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
“The first suit is against BTCM Aviation LLC, Real Estate Chapter Texas LLC, and Houston Ventures LLC, which operate a gas station selling Shell fuel located at 5910 W. Loop S., Bellaire, Texas 77401. The station was selling regular unleaded gasoline for $3.79 and $4.29 per gallon, representing increases of 25% and 41% respectively from the pre-hurricane price of $3.03. The second suit is against A2S PetroTech LLC, operating a gas station selling Shell fuel located at 5003 N. Main St., Baytown, Texas 77521. The station sold premium gasoline for $5.49 per gallon, a 44% markup from the pre-hurricane price of $3.80,” Menefee’s office said.
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The Harris County Attorney’s Office received over 250 complaints of price gouging following the hurricane. A team in the office investigated those complaints and have been working to find resolutions if possible.
“My office worked tirelessly to respond to the flood of price gouging complaints we received during this crisis,” said Menefee. “Many times, businesses complied with cease and desist requests. These companies we’re suing today, however, refused to provide information justifying their egregious price increase. I will continue to protect Harris County consumers from those who would exploit a disaster for profit. Let this serve as a clear warning for the future: we will not tolerate this kind of behavior, and we will take action against anyone trying to take advantage of our community.”
The office continues to investigate complaints of price gouging and urges residents to keep receipts and report any suspected instances of price gouging during declared disasters.
For more information on how to report price gouging, click here.