Cease and desist orders issued against two U.P. auto repair shops

MANISTIQUE — Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is taking action against two U.P. automotive repair shops.

Johnson announced Friday that her office has issued cease and desist orders against Bergy’s Auto Repair and David Sundling, both located in Manistique, and both — according to a release from Johnson’s office — unlicensed.

The release claims that Bergy’s Auto Repair has been operating with an expired license since 2013. Department investigators inspected the facility in August of 2015 and instructed owner Charles Berglund to renew the license and stop all repairs until he was in compliance. Another inspection last week revealed additional evidence of ongoing repairs. The Secretary of State’s office says Bergulnd’s mechanic certification has also been expired since 2014.

David Sundling was issued the order for operating without any repair facility registration or mechanic certification. Inspectors found evidence of various collision-related repairs upon inspection of his facility last week.

Consumers who have a complaint against either of these facilities are asked to call the Department of State’s Regulatory Monitoring Division at (517) 335-1410. Under Michigan law, a customer is entitled to recover any amount paid to an unregistered facility for the repair of a motor vehicle belonging to that customer.

The cease and desist orders prohibit Bergy’s Auto Repair and David Sundling from performing any more repairs at their facilities. Johnson’s office says that under State law, any person who knowingly provides automotive repair services without a registration or certificate is guilty of a 90-day misdemeanor.

Johnson is encouraging customers to verify that repair shops they use are registered with the state and licensed to perform the work being done. Click here to use the Michigan Automotive-related Businesses License Search to verify.