<PAGE>
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 4)*
MERCURY GENERAL CORPORATION
-----------------------------
(Name of Issuer)
COMMON STOCK, NO PAR VALUE
----------------------------
(Title of Class Securities)
589400100
-----------
(CUSIP Number)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting
person's filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities,
and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of
the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see
the Notes).
Page 1 of 5 Pages
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
CUSIP NO. 589400100
---------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON: GEORGE JOSEPH
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON: N/A
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
2 (a) [_]
(b) [_]
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEC USE ONLY
3
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
4
U.S.A.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLE VOTING POWER
5
NUMBER OF 18,857,210
SHARES -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY 6
-0-
OWNED BY
-----------------------------------------------------------
EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
7
REPORTING 18,857,210
PERSON -----------------------------------------------------------
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 8
-0-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
9
18,857,210
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
N/A
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
11
34.2%
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
IN
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!
Page 2 of 5 Pages
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Item 1(a). Name of Issuer.
- --------- --------------
Mercury General Corporation
Item 1(b). Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices.
- --------- -----------------------------------------------
4484 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90010
Item 2(a). Name of Person Filing.
- --------- ---------------------
George Joseph
Item 2(b). Address of Principal Business Office or, if none, Residence.
- --------- -----------------------------------------------------------
4484 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90010
Item 2(c). Citizenship.
- --------- -----------
U.S.A.
Item 2(d). Title of Class of Securities.
- --------- ----------------------------
Common Stock, No Par Value
Item 2(e). CUSIP Number.
- --------- ------------
589400100
Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to rules 13d-1(b), or
- ------ 13d-2(b), check whether the person filing is a: N/A
(a) [ ] Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act
(b) [ ] Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act
(c) [ ] Insurance Company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act
(d) [ ] Investment Company registered under Section 8 of the Investment
Company Act
(e) [ ] Investment Advisor registered under Section 203 of the
Investment Advisors Act of 1940
(f) [ ] Employee Benefit Plan, Pension Fund which is subject to the
provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974 or Endowment fund; see Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F)
(g) [ ] Parent Holding Company, in accordance with Rule 13d-
1(b)(ii)(G) (Note: See Item 7)
(h) [ ] Group, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(H)
Page 3 of 5 Pages
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Item 4. Ownership.
- ------ ---------
(a) Amount Beneficially Owned:
George Joseph holds the record ownership and full economic ownership
of 18,857,106 shares. The number of shares reflects (i) the two-for-
one stock splits of the common stock of Mercury General Corporation
in September 1992 and September 1997, (ii) the gift by George Joseph
of 143,348 shares to Harvard University on December 15, 1997, and
(iii) the distribution to George Joseph of 501 shares from the
Mercury General Corporation ESOP in December 1996. George Joseph also
has full economic ownership over 104 shares in the Mercury General
Corporation ESOP, which shares George Joseph has the sole power to
vote.
(b) Percent of Class:
34.2%
(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
(i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
18,857,210 shares
(ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
-0-
(iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
18,857,210
(iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
-0-
Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.
- ------ --------------------------------------------
N/A
Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.
- ------ ---------------------------------------------------------------
N/A
Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary which Acquired
- ------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company.
------------------------------------------------------------
N/A
Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.
- ------ ---------------------------------------------------------
N/A
Page 4 of 5 Pages
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Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group.
- ------ ------------------------------
N/A
Item 10. Certification.
- ------- -------------
N/A
SIGNATURE
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true,
complete and correct.
2/13/98
--------------------------
Date
/s/ George Joseph
--------------------------
Signature
George Joseph
--------------------------
Name/Title
Page 5 of 5 Pages
