Countywide : D.A. Accuses Man of False Advertising

The Ventura County district attorney’s office on Friday filed a civil complaint against a Simi Valley man, accusing him of false advertising and unfair business practices.

Prosecutors said they had identified 80 people who they believed paid for unnecessary procedures in refiling their business licenses through a company run by Daniel J. Schmidt, who formerly founded both the Moorpark News and the Moorpark Mirror.

Schmidt, who denies nearly all the allegations in the complaint, runs a business that files or refiles “fictitious business names” for people. His businesses are called California Legal Publication Office, California Legal Advertising and Ventura County Legal Advertising Bureau.

The complaint said Schmidt sometimes wrongly implied that it was necessary to republish information when licenses are refiled with the county clerk.

A person could refile a license for $11 with the county clerk, Deputy Dist. Atty Linda S. Groberg said. But Schmidt might have been charging people as much as $58 for the refiling and republication, she said.

But Schmidt said he tells people that if they do not need the business information republished, they should handle the licensing themselves.

Also, the complaint said Schmidt’s flyers for his business resemble income tax forms, giving the impression that Schmidt is sanctioned by a governmental agency, prosecutors said.

But Schmidt said the look of the document was subject to interpretation and that his forms are designed for easy use.

Schmidt also failed to disclose the address of his business location, which is an unfair business practice, Groberg said.

Schmidt admitted that some of his materials did not include his address.

The district attorney’s office is seeking civil penalties and costs as well as restitution to customers who paid Schmidt to publish their business statements when it was not required.

The district attorney’s office will also seek a permanent injunction preventing Schmidt from engaging in such advertising and business practices.