Letter from a Dodge Dealer

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letter to the editor:
Letter from a Dodge Dealer
Wednesday, May 20, 2009


My name is George C. Joseph. I am the sole owner of Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu, a family owned and operated business in Melbourne, Florida. My family bought and paid for this automobile franchise 35 years ago in 1974. I am the second generation to manage this business.

We currently employ 50+ people and before the economic slowdown we employed over 70 local people. We are active in the community and the local chamber of commerce. We deal with several dozen local vendors on a day to day basis and many more during a month. All depend on our business for part of their livelihood. We are financially strong with great respect in the market place and community. We have strong local presence and stability.

I work every day the store is open, nine to ten hours a day. I know most of our customers and all our employees. Sunshine Dodge is my life.

On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be taken away from my family on June 9, 2009 without compensation and given to another dealer at no cost to them. My new vehicle inventory consists of 125 vehicles with a financed balance of 3 million dollars. This inventory becomes impossible to sell with no factory incentives beyond June 9, 2009. Without the Dodge franchise we can no longer sell a new Dodge as “new,” nor will we be able to do any warranty service work. Additionally, my Dodge parts inventory, (approximately $300,000.) is virtually worthless without the ability to perform warranty service. There is no offer from Chrysler to buy back the vehicles or parts inventory.

Our facility was recently totally renovated at Chrysler’s insistence, incurring a multi-million dollar debt in the form of a mortgage at Sun Trust Bank.

HOW IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CAN THIS HAPPEN?

THIS IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS NOT A GOVERNMENT ENTITY

This is beyond imagination! My business is being stolen from me through NO FAULT OF OUR OWN. We did NOTHING wrong.

This atrocity will most likely force my family into bankruptcy.

This will also cause our 50+ employees to be unemployed. How will they provide for their families? This is a total economic disaster.

HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN A FREE MARKET ECONOMY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?

I beseech your help, and look forward to your reply. Thank you.

Sincerely,

George C. Joseph
President & Owner
Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu
 
Originally Posted By: Throckmorton


HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN A FREE MARKET ECONOMY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?




crackmeup2.gif


Once you go to the devil you loose...
 
That sucks, but thats how the cookie crumbles.

I'm sure the owner of that dealership has tons of cash set aside that will never be touched by bankruptcy court.
 
Have Chrysler or GM said what the criteria are for closing down these dealerships? The dealers losing their franchise rights complain that they were profitable - of course they were profitable otherwise they would be closed. But were these dealerships profitable to the manufacturers?
 
It does suck. Would he rather Chrysler went completely out of business and all dealers had the same fate?

Did he write the same letter when Isuzu pulled out of North America?

If he has any business sense, this is setup as a business or llc and won't impact his personal finances when it goes bankrupt. If not, he probably shouldn't have been running the business.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
That sucks, but thats how the cookie crumbles.

I'm sure the owner of that dealership has tons of cash set aside that will never be touched by bankruptcy court.


Where would the 'tons of cash' come from? Certainly not from selling Dodges. (political content deleted)
 
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Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
I'm sure the owner of that dealership has tons of cash set aside that will never be touched by bankruptcy court.


I doubt that very much.
 
(political content deleted)

You can't have it both ways. Either the business was immensly profitable and you can blame it's failure completely on Obama.

Or, the business wasn't profitable... but then how can you blame the President who has only been in office for three months.

But your post has no logic. Not only has this business not been profitable, but it's also been ruined in three months.
 
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(political content and profanity deleted)

have a nice week off
 
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Yeah, they have been in business for 35 years.... he ain't living on food stamps and in Section 8 government housing.

In a way this is good. Now his family can open up a Honda or Toyota delaership and be in business for another 35 years.
 
I think this thread is getting too political. How does closing dealerships have anything to do with this?

Bankruptcy happens, and in bankruptcy someone is going to get hurt, whether it is the dealerships or not.

It's sad, and I think it is unfair, but not political.
 
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Originally Posted By: Throckmorton


HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN A FREE MARKET ECONOMY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?




crackmeup2.gif


Once you go to the devil you loose...


Exactly. Those of you who don't think this whole thing smacks of (political content deleted) should find out about the dealer who got the franchise.....
 
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Utterly uninterested in the political cod swinging.

Genuinely interested in the fallout. Anyone know the background? Who is the new franchisee?
 
We haven't had a free market economy in many years. Corporate America sets wages, prices, and calls the shots. (political content deleted). I'm not for the bailouts, but this would have happened anyway as Chrysler fails on it's own.
It's a sad story.
Welcome to the working class' raw deal George.
 
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