\t\t\t\tA Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (\u201cFINRA\u201d) panel is ordering UBS Financial Services, Inc. (\u201cUBS\u201d) to pay Puerto Rico residents over $700,000 in damages.\u00a0 The FINRA panel ordered UBS to pay $549,000 in compensatory damages to a defunct car rental business belonging to Luis Vega, as well as over $165,000 to Teresa Rosas, who is Vega\u2019s former wife. The firm must also pay over $100,000 in costs and hearing session fees.<\/p>\n
Vega and Rosas filed their case against UBS accusing the brokerage firm of securities fraud, negligence, recklessness, and deceit.\u00a0Vega, 87, invested almost $8 million through his Condado Motors with UBS broker\u00a0Jose Chaves\u00a0between \u201906 and \u201911. During that time, Chaves invested approximately 95% of the money in three of UBS\u2019s Puerto Rico close-end funds, even taking out loans to cover some of the costs.\u00a0The couple\u2019s lawyer claims that Chavez did not disclose any risks involved other than what was noted in the funds\u2019 prospectus.\u00a0 Additionally, Rosas bought over 17,000 shares of the UBS Puerto Rico Fixed Income Fund III.<\/p>\n
The couple saw their investments lose the bulk of their value when the prices for the Puerto Rico bonds and Puerto Rico closed-end funds dropped in 2013. According to their lawyer, Condado Motors lost $3.9 million in value, as well as $823,650 in net out-of-pocket losses, during 2013. The couple said that their financial problems played a part in their decision to get a divorce.<\/p>\n