Case: 3:23-cv-00737-wmc Document#: 17 Filed: 11/06/23 Page 1 of 8 

UNITED STA TES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN 

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION and the STATE 

OF WISCONSIN, 

Plaintiffs, 

vs. 

RHINELANDER AUTO CENTER, INC., a 

Wisconsin corporation, also ~lb/a Rhinelander GM 

Auto Center, Rhinelander Cadillac, and OK Used 

Cars ofRhinelander; 

RHINELANDER MOTOR COMPANY, a 

Wisconsin corporation, also d/b/a Rhinelander 

Toyota; 

RHINELANDERAUTOGROUPLLC, a 

Wisconsin limited liability company, also d/b/a 

Rhinelander GM Auto Center, Rhinelander Cadillac, 

and OK Used Cars ofRhinelander; 

RHINELANDER IMPORT GROUP LLC, a 

Wisconsin limited liability company, also d/b/a 

Rhinelander Toyota; and 

DANIEL TOWNE, individually and as an officer, 

member, or manager ofRHINELANDER AUTO 

CENTER INC., RHINELANDER MOTOR 

COMPANY, RHINELANDER AUTO GROUP 

LLC, and RHINELANDER IMPORT GROUP LLC, 

Defendants. 

Case No. 3:23-cv-737 

STIPULATED ORDER FOR 

PERMANENT INJUNCTION, 

MONETARY JUDGMENT, AND 

OTHER RELIEF AS TO 

DEFENDANTS RHINELANDER 

AUTO CENTER, INC. AND 

RHINELANDER MOTOR 

COMPANY 

Plaintiffs, the Federal Trade Commission ("Commission" or ''FTC") and the State of 

Wisconsin, filed their Complaint for permanent injunction, monetary relief, and other relief in 

this matter ("Complaint"), pursuant to Sections 13(b) and 19 ofthe Federal Trade Commission 

Act (''FTC Act"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 53(b) and 57b, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ("ECOA''), 

15 U.S.C. §§ 1691 169lf, and Wis. Stat.§§ 100.18(1 l)(d), 100.26(4), 426.109, and 426.301. 

 


Case: 3:23-cv-00737-wmc Document #: 17 Filed: 11/06/23 Page 2 of 8 

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Case: 3:23-cv-00737-wmc Document#: 17 Filed: 11/06/23 Page 3 of 8 

March 2019, Settling Defendants have not promoted, advertised, marketed, offered for sale or 

lease, sold, leased, or financed any motor vehicles. 

5. The parties agree that this Order resolves all allegations by Plaintiffs against the 

Settling Defendants in the Complaint, including Settling Defendants' liability for their employee, 

the Individual Defendant Daniel Towne, for the time period through March 24, 2019, but does 

not resolve Plaintiffs' claims against Daniel Towne in his individual capacity at any time, 

including his participation while employed by Settling Defendants, and his acting in any other 

capacity, including on behalf of any other entity, such as for the time period on or after March 

25, 2019. 

6. Settling Defendants waive any claim that they may have under the Equal Access 

to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412, concerning the prosecution ofthis action through the date of 

this Order, and agree to bear their own costs and attorney fees. 

7. Settling Defendants and Plaintiffs waive all rights to appeal or otherwise 

challenge or contest the validity ofthis Order. 

DEFINITIONS 

For the purpose ofthis Order, the fo llowing definitions apply: 

A. "Defendants" means the Individual Defendant and the Corporate Defendants, 

individually, collectively, or in any combination. 

1. "Corporate Defendants" means Rhinelander Auto Center, Inc., also 

d/b/a Rhinelander GM Auto Center, Rhinelander Cadillac, and OK Used Cars of 

Rhinelander; Rhinelander Motor Company, also d/b/a Rhinelander Toyota; Rhinelander 

Auto Group LLC also d/b/a Rhinelander GM Auto Center, Rhinelander Cadillac, and OK 

Used Cars ofRhinelander; and Rhinelander Import Group LLC, also d/b/a Rhinelander 






Case: 3:23-cv-00737-wmc Document #: 17 Filed: 11/06/23 Page 4 of 8 

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Case: 3:23-cv-00737-wmc Document#: 17 Filed: 11/06/23 Page 5 of 8 

begin with "FTC v. Rhinelander Auto Center, Inc." 

Prior to submitting the articles of dissolution to the State of Wisconsin, Settling 

Defendants shall satisfy the monetary judgment contained in Section II ofthis Order. 

II. MONETARY JUDGMENT 

IT IS FURTIIER ORDERED that Settling Defendants shall pay One Hundred Thousand 

Dollars ($100,000) as follows: 

A. Judgment in the amount of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) is 

entered in favor ofthe Plaintiffs against Settling Defendants,jointly and severally, as monetary 

relief. 

B. Settling Defendants are ordered to pay to Plaintiffs One Hundred Thousand 

Dollars ($100,000) as monetary relief, which, as Settling Defendants stipulate, their undersigned 

counsel holds in escrow for no purpose other than payment to the Commission. Such payment 

must be made within seven (7) days of entry ofthis Order by electronic fund transfer in 

accordance with instructions previously provided by a representative ofthe Commission. 

III. ADDITIONAL MONETARY PROVISIONS 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that: 

A. Settling Defendants relinquish dominion and all legal and equitable right, title, 

and interest in all assets transferred pursuant to this Order and may not seek the return ofany 

assets. 

B. The facts alleged in the Complaint will be taken as true, without further proof, in 

any subsequent civil litigation by or on behalf ofthe Commission or Plaintiffs, including in a 

proceeding to enforc.e its rights to any payment or monetary judgment pursuant to this Order, 

such as a nondischargeability complaint in any bankruptcy case. 
 



Case: 3:23-cv-00737-wmc Document #: 17 Filed: 11/06/23 Page 6 of 8 

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Case: 3:23-cv-00737-wmc Document#: 17 Filed: 11/06/23 Page 7 of 8 

information related to redress, Settling Defendants must provide it, in the form prescribed by 

Plaintiffs, within fourteen (14) days. The obligations in this Section of the Order shall survive 

beyond Settling Defendants' dissolution. 

V. COOPERATION 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Settling Defendants must fully cooperate with 

representatives of Plaintiffs and the Commission in this case and in any investigation related to 

or associated with the transactions or the occurrences that are the subject ofthe Complaint. 

Settling Defendants must provide truthful and complete information, evidence, and testimony. 

Settling Defendants must cause Settling Defendants' officers, employees, representatives, or 

agents to appear for interviews, discovery, hearings, trials, and any other proceedings that a 

Plaintiff or Commission representative may reasonably request upon five (5) days written notice, 

or other reasonable notice, at such places and times as a Plaintiff or Commission representative 

may designate, without the service of a subpoena. The obligations in this Section ofthe Order 

shall survive beyond Settling Defendants' dissolution. 

VI. ORDER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, within seven (7) days of entry ofthis Order, Settling 

Defendants each shall submit to the Commission an acknowledgment of receipt of this Order. 

Such acknowledgements shall be sworn under penalty ofperjury, in compliance with 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1746, and shall be sent via electronic mail to DEBrief@ftc.gov and to bej)jn)w@doj,state.wi,us 

with the subject line beginning with "FTC v. Rhinelander Auto Center, Inc." 

VII. RETENTION OF JURISDICTION 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Court retains jurisdiction of this matter for 

purposes ofconstruction, modification, and enforcement ofthis Order. 
Case: 3:23-cv-00737-wmc Document#: 17 Filed: 11/06/23 Page 8 of 8 

SO ORDERED this ~~ay of Pvo v·e,v,,A,~(.,v , 2023. 

( 

D ~TA TES DIST T JUDGE 

l t:tJill lZUu. /JI/. ~ tlll-l,J 

Entered this 6th day of November, 2023 

s/ Deputy Clerk 

CLERK OF COURT 

JOEL W. TURNER