Cljarlotte
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1996
8A
STRICTLY BUSINESS
Used car
can be a
bargain
CHARLES ROSS
Your
Personal
Finance
Avis severs ties with franchise
It was pretty hard to find a
good used car a few years ago.
Now the supply of nearly new
autos is up because auto makers
have been bu3ring back their
cars from rental companies
after only three or four month’s
use. The makers then auction
off the buy-backs to dealers at
wholesale prices. Dealers are
then selling them to the pubUc
at about 30 percent off the new
car price but with warrernty cov
erage and financmg terms simi
lar to those of a new car deal.
Car dealers call them “nearly
new,” “previously titled” or “pre
owned cars.” The key to getting
a good deal is to know which
category to buy and which
“nearly new” cars to steer clear
of. Company cars and progreim
cars are your best bet.
Company and program cars
You can often get a good deal
in the company car category,
one that’s been driven by an
auto executive. 'These vehicles
usually have a lot of options and
have been driven no more than
3,000 to 9,000 miles. They are
then auctioned to dealers at 30
to 35 percent less than sticker
price. 'The good news is that the
warranty goes with the car.
Some car makers lesise cars to
their employees. These autos
generally have more mileage on
them than executive cars but
can stiU be good buys. Program
cars are the ones manufacturers
buy back from rental or leasing
companies. They have an aver
age of 10,000 miles.
Car makers give these cars a
thorough once-over before auc
tioning them to dealers, but it’s
best to buy the more recent
models to minimize your risk.
The big risks
Cars that come imder the des
ignation “Special” can be good -
special or disasters. These are
cars that have come back to the
auto maker and are put up for
sale again. They may have been
damaged in transit or by weath
er, or they might have some real
problems. Lemons, as they are
called, are sometimes put back
up for sale but in the states
where this is allowed they must
be labeled cars with a problem.
Some repossessed cars set for
resale might be in good shape.
Some cars that are labeled
Customer Dissatisfaction cars
must be sold with new-car war-
See USED on page 9A
By Martha Waggoner
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH - Avis Rent-A-
Car’s new owner has ordered
the company to sever all ties
with a franchise accused of
racial bias.
Earlier this month, three
black women sued Avis and
New Hanover Rent-A-Car,
claiming they were denied
rentals because of their race.
'Two of those joining the lawsuit
are South Carolina women:
Vietta Ratliff of Cheraw and
Lerhne Wilson of Salters.
Parent company HFS told
Avis on Tuesday to take legal
action to terminate the New
Hanover franchise, which is
owned by John Dalton and has
outlets in North and South
Carolina.
HFS Chairman Henry R.
Silverman said the class-action
lawsuit has “enough smoke” to
3 African American women
sue over rental discrimination
hurt Avis, though he said he did
not yet know if the case has
merit. HFS, which acquired
Avis on Oct. 17, hired a law firm
to determine if Avis franchises
are complying with civil rights
laws.
“If there is a problem, we cer
tainly will be in a position of fix
ing it,” Silverman said.
Dalton has denied racial bias.
He said the move to terminate
his franchise was unfair since
the claims have not been
proven.
Former Avis workers, howev-
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
T. Anthony Lindsey, a broker at Skynet Realty leads a seminar Tuesday at Outreach Revival Church. The seminar introduced
prospective home owners to professionals who shared tips on how to become owners.
Home Shopping Network
Seminar stresses ownership
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Owning a home can be as
easy as going to church.
Prospective homeowners
showed up Tuesday at a
seminar at Outreach Revival
Church on the basics of
financing. Westside resi
dents who usually go to
church for spiritual nurtur
ing also can get help in find
ing a home, said T. Anthony
Lindsey, a broker at Skynet
Realty, sponsor of the semi
nar.
“A lot of people look to
their pastor for guidance and
advice not only in spiritual
matters, but other matters.
too,” he said.
The seminar, which
received support and assis
tance from the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Urban League
and the Fannie Mae
Partnership, is an attempt
to help people get past the
initial fear of buying a home.
“If we help one family get
into a home, we’ve been suc
cessful,” Lindsey said. “All
we’re trying to do is stimu
late interest in home owner
ship. There are people in
position to move into homes,
but they haven’t been
exposed to programs that
can help them.”
Linking with churches has
proved successful with simi
lar programs around the
country, something Skynet
is trying to duplicate in
Charlotte. The church is
often the bedrock institu
tions in black neighbor
hoods, which makes it a logi
cal location for the seminar.
“We’ve taken a concept
we’ve seen employed and
trying to make it a little
larger scale,” Lindsey said.
The seminar’s focus is pri
marily home ownership in
west Charlotte, which is in
the midst of several efforts
to revitalize the area. Real
estate professionals from
lenders to home inspectors
provided information and
answered questions about
the process of ownership.
Along with the better-known
public and quasi-public ven
tures to bring affordable
housing to the westside is
the knowledge that single
family units help build suc
cessful neighborhoods.
“The westside is an area
that traditionally is viewed
as slighted in terms of eco
nomic development,”
Lindsey said. “You can’t con
tinue to be neglected forev
er.”
Of course, helping people
move into homes can
improve the bottom line.
Although participants
weren’t obligated to work
with Skynet, there’s the pos
sibility they could at some
point.
“Not only do we see it as
good for the community, but
it makes good business
sense,” Lindsey said.
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
er, have said Dedton trEiined his
staff to avoid renting cars to
blacks. Plaintiff lawyers on
Tuesday released affidavits in
which former workers said top
executives were present when
discrimination was discussed.
Former employee Carolyn
Williams said Avis had received
complaints about Dalton’s fran
chises for at least a decade. She
worked for the company from
See AVIS on page 9A
}
Money
Management
Charity
and tax
breaks
By Amanda S. Danchi ^
SPECIAL TO THE POST
December is the month,
when people are most likely to ‘
open their hearts and their
checkbooks. Whether you’re^
touched by the season or moti
vated by a tax deduction, the '
North Carolina Association of’
CPAs suggests that you famil
iarize yourself with the rules
covering charitable deductions ’
- and you’d better hurry.
In order to claim a deduction'
on your 1996 tax return, you;
must mail your check or deliv- *
er donated property by the
last day of the year. In order ’
to'claim a charitable cohtribu-1
tion, you must itemize your'
deductions on Schedule A of
your federal tax return. And’
your gift must be made to a
qualified organization, such as
a nonprofit religious, educa
tional, scientific, or charitable
organization that meets IRS
standards. The amount of
your deduction may depend on
both the type of charity and
nature of property con
tributed. However, donations
to needy individuals and fami
lies are not deductible.
Most donations are in cash
In most cases, cash dona
tions are fully deductible.
However, if you get something
in return, you may not be able
to write off the full amount of
your contribution.
Say, for example, that your
$150 ticket to a fund raising
charity ball includes dinner. If
the value of the dinner is $50,
your deduction is limited to
$100, the difference between
the price of your ticket and
the value of what you received
in exchange. For gifts of more
than $75, the law requires
charities to advise contribu-
See CHARITY on page 9A
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