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‘I hope this serves as a warning:’ Harris Co. reaches $50K settlement in second Hurricane Beryl price gouging lawsuit

FILE - Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee (Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.)

Harris County announced it has reached a substantial settlement from its second lawsuit with a gas station accused of price gouging during Hurricane Beryl.

PREVIOUS: Lawsuit filed against 2 Harris County gas stations over price gouging during Hurricane Beryl

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According to a news release by County Attorney Christian Menefee, his office received several complaints about a Shell gas station on W Loop South in Bellaire.

After a thorough investigation, officials found the gas station increased fuel prices by more than 19% during the hurricane. Despite getting a cease-and-desist notice, the company reportedly refused, so the attorney’s office took action.

SEE ALSO: ‘We sued that company:’ Harris Co. Attorney cracks down on home title theft crimes

This was the second gas station in Harris County accused of price gouging.

“These lawsuits filed after Hurricane Beryl show that we will not sit by while businesses try to take advantage of residents during a crisis,” County Attorney Menefee said in a statement. “These two lawsuits saw a total of $100,000 in penalties and punitive measures, far more than they made during this period of exploiting their customers. We received over 250 complaints of price gouging in the days after the storm, but I hope that this serves as a warning for the future that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated here in Harris County.”


About the Author
Ahmed Humble headshot

Historian, educator, writer, expert on "The Simpsons," amateur photographer, essayist, film & tv reviewer and race/religious identity scholar. Joined KPRC 2 in Spring 2024 but has been featured in various online newspapers and in the Journal of South Texas' Fall 2019 issue.

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