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                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                     FORM 3

            INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

    Filed  pursuant to Section  16(a) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,
       Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
               Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940


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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person

Petrello                  Anthony                   G.
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   (Last)               (First)                 (Middle)

515 West Green Road, Suite 1200
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                                    (Street)

Houston                   TX                     77067
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   (City)               (State)                 (Zip)


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2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)


12/15/97
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3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)


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4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

Cendant Corporation (CD)
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5 Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
   (Check all applicable)

   [ X ]   Director                             [   ]   10% Owner
   [   ]   Officer (give title below)           [   ]   Other (specify below)



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6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)


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             Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
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3. Ownership Form: 2. Amount of Securities Direct (D) or 1. Title of Security Beneficially Owned Indirect (I) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4) (Instr. 5) (Instr.5) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 31,800 I By Trust - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ====================================================================================================================================
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. (Print or Type Responses) FORM 3 (continued) Table II -- Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) ================================================================================
5. Owner- 3. Title and Amount of Securities ship Underlying Derivative Security Form of 2. Date Exercisable (Instr. 4) Derivative and Expiration Date --------------------------------- 4. Conver- Security: (Month/Day/Year) Amount sion or Direct 7. Nature of ---------------------- or Exercise (D) or Indirect Date Expira- Number Price of Indirect Beneficial 1. Title of Security Exer- tion of Derivative (I) Ownership (Instr. 4) cisable Date Title Shares Security (Instr.5) (Instr. 5) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Option to Purchase 1/1/99* 12/17/07 Common Stock 120,000 30.3750 D Common Stock - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ====================================================================================================================================
Explanation of Responses: * Twenty percent of the aggregate number of shares subject to the option become exercisable on January 1, 1999 and an additional twenty percent each succeeding January 1. /s/ Anthony G. Petrello 12/23/97 - --------------------------------------------- ----------------------- **Signature of Reporting Person Date ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space provided is insufficient. See Instruction 6 for procedure.