Thursday, March 23, 2006

Car Lots

Another good idea from a reader:

"I wish one of our intrepid reporters at the Times or Trib would look into who actually owns the used car lots. I have a theory they are all money laundering outfits or fronts for other "activities."Certainly they aren't making money selling cars. The lots are always empty.If a reporter started looking into those outfits through local and state public records I GUARANTEE they would find some very interesting tidbits. "

Here is some help on that story
Search the
Florida Department of State Division of Corporations


http://www.questcityguide.com/automotive.asp
(Here are some partial results from the above link)
101 Auto Sales
(813) 238-8882
7006 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

A B C's
(813) 237-3934
6112 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

All Pride Export Inc
(813) 234-9116
7102 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Atlas Auto Sales
(813) 229-3513
3904 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33603

Auto World
(813) 933-6917
5916 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Autodrive of Tampa Inc.
(813) 932-2886
7535 N Armenia Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Avin Enterprises Inc.
(813) 232-3212
5702 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Tamayo & Sons
(813) 237-1144
6711 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Tampa Auto Emporium Inc
(813) 238-3325
1400 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Tampa Bay Auto Sales
(813) 936-9151
6823 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Terry Cramer & Sons Inc
(813) 238-8451
6201 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Tito's Auto Sales
(813) 237-1586
6810 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604
Tommy's Tire & Auto
(813) 236-6400
7277 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

B & A Auto Sales
(813) 231-3340
5705 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Batista Auto Sales
(813) 231-6371
1101 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Bay Gulf Imports Inc
(813) 236-1458
5911 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Best Auto Sales Inc
(813) 238-6161
6006 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Bond Auto Sales
(813) 238-7478
7901 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Cars Cars Cars
(813) 234-3868
6811 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Charneco Auto Sales
(813) 239-0137
7200 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Chillura Auto Sales
(813) 231-7977
5709 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Clean Cars of Tampa Inc
(813) 238-3461
7201 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Crown Auto Wholesale
(813) 237-3000
238 W Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Dealer Choice Used Cars
(813) 237-0172
5608 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Dill Cars
(813) 239-3181
6618 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Economy Auto Sales
(813) 232-7082
6718 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Florida Auto Group Inc
(813) 238-7455
6706 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

First Amer. Automotive Grp. Inc.
(813) 239-2886
6606 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Harrods of Tampa Bay
(813) 870-0888
1212 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

John's Auto Sales
(813) 237-4732
7311 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Malak Auto Sale
(813) 239-9011
6302 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

3/24/06
more

Norge Auto Sales Inc.
(813) 237-3668
4301 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33603

Orvi Car Corp
(813) 231-8719
6001 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Q's Auto Ctr Inc.
(813) 237-2277
4900 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33603

R & J Auto Sales
(813) 231-0415
5505 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

R & J Auto Sales of Tampa Bay
(813) 237-1059
7430 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Riverside Motors Inc.
(813) 238-8402
7939 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Rodriguez Auto Wholesale Inc
(813) 236-7777
4116 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33603

Select Auto Sales
(813) 237-4219
6717 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Sunny Day Auto Sales
(813) 238-6800
6304 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

UCAR Inc.
(813) 236-8227
7718 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

Vanel Auto Sales
(813) 238-6553

Wizard Auto Sales Inc
(813) 237-6601
4105 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33603

5920 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33604

5 comments:

Lofty said...

Wow, I kept scrolling and scrolling and the list never seemed to end. Seems like digging a little deeper could be a full time job in Seminole Heights, what with fireworks stored in trailers and car lots that don't sell any cars.

Anonymous said...

Some of these lots are Buy Here Pay Here which arguably "sell" cars and have been generally good neighbors. Terry Kramers on Nebraska and Hanna and A.B.C. on Florida and Hanna come to mind in that category. (But are by no means the only two.)

Some of the lots are storage only where the owner buys cars at auction, stores them until they get a full shipping container full, and then takes them down to the port and ships them to other countries where the cars make a profit. (wouldn't surprise me if many of these are cars totaled by hurricane flooding, etc.)

My pet theory is that a good number of these lots are nothing more than a means to hold onto land on the belief Seminole Heights will go through a commerical boom similar to Palma Ciea. Why a car lot and not some other business? Well, given current code and such, there isn't much else you can put on a SH lot that minimizes expenditures. I'm unfamiliar with how businesses that own land/building assets are taxed in Tampa, but I imagine car lots with low-value cars are one of the least-taxed businesses you can own.

Drugs? Too much effort to sell drugs when a few teenagers with bikes will do.

AngelSil said...

Your pet theory and my pet theory have been talking.

Anonymous said...

That's a great list. You could cross check it with any number of public records...DOC, Property Appraiser, Judgements in the Clerk of Courts office, Department of Agriculture's Consumer Complaints Division, Attorney General, etc.


At the very least it would make a good story saying how exactly these folks make money with so much competition.


The concentration of these lemon lots is ludicrous. Time for somebody to do some snooping...

Anonymous said...

you people are amazing. what, nobody wants to bitch about starbucks this week? when will this neighborhood be perfect for you? all of the things you want in your "perfect hood" are out there. if you dont like it, move.