Letter to the Editor - Dodge Dealer

Letter from a Dodge dealer
May 19, 2009

letter to the editor

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

LOL while unfortunate someone needs to clue this guy.

We are in a depression right here right now. No question......

LOL while unfortunate someone needs to clue this guy.

We are in a depression right here right now. No question......




You are right on there. This is NO recession, I have been through many and this is totally different. Never in my life time did I think 3 major US auto makers would go under, all the foreclosures and companies going belly up at the same time. This is gonna be the grand daddy coming at ya soon

Hey, George C. Joseph - If you voted for the illegal alien/hitler/stalin reincarnation who has currently been installed into that little oval office - I'd say it was your own fault.

Welcome to "change".

Hey, George C. Joseph - If you voted for the illegal alien/hitler/stalin reincarnation who has currently been installed into that little oval office - I'd say it was your own fault.

Welcome to "change".

Hey, George C. Joseph - If you voted for the illegal alien/hitler/stalin reincarnation who has currently been installed into that little oval office - I'd say it was your own fault.

Welcome to "change".




Sorry Ikaika - not even Hillary would've gotten us into this FASCIST mess. In America, it was NEVER the governments job to take over PRIVATE companies. Let them go under - yes. Take them over - no. America is being "changed" for the better.

Hey, George C. Joseph - If you voted for the illegal alien/hitler/stalin reincarnation who has currently been installed into that little oval office - I'd say it was your own fault.

Welcome to "change".

Hey, George C. Joseph - If you voted for the illegal alien/hitler/stalin reincarnation who has currently been installed into that little oval office - I'd say it was your own fault.

Welcome to "change".


Change we can bereave in!

Welcome to "change".


Change we can bereave in!

Welcome to "change".


Change we can bereave in!


thats funny bereave in

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.

Maybe his business is going bankrupt because George bush invaded a country with the third most oil in the world because of a family vendetta and no dodge or isuzu truck ever got more than 19 miles per gallon except for a few small trucks they made back when jimmy carter pissed off the middle east. Maybe.

This is from another thread on this topic. . .

Maybe his business is going bankrupt because George bush invaded a country with the third most oil in the world because of a family vendetta and no dodge or isuzu truck ever got more than 19 miles per gallon except for a few small trucks they made back when jimmy carter pissed off the middle east. Maybe.


Nailed it! Why is it the government's fault that Chrysler is going bankrupt? They tried to bail out the fat pigs, but the business model is just not profitable. Dodge made a Colt a few years ago, but it just wasn't profitable enough. That car would be in huge demand now if they hadn't discontinued it to make the gas-guzzling Charger. Bankruptcy court changes all the rules. Businesses in bankruptcy have no obligation to their franchises. This is the biggest risk of running a franchise: Your parent company owns the name and marketing of your product. If they screw it up, your franchise is done.

Plenty of 'new car dealers' are readily turning their businesses around as 'used car dealers' when they get this letter instead of whining and moaning and bitching.

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.



Who decided the crap above? A bankruptcy judge?

is this the type of communistic socialistc underhanded dealings we can come to expect from a Obamination administration?

Interviews with Indiana dealerships in this postion, said they are contacting surviving dealerships to buy their inventories. SAAB dealership sent all their cars to other SAAB dealers in other states and he took over a VW dealership. Said if he hadn't been able to unload his cars he would have to file bankruptcy had millions of dollars invested in cars and parts.

exactly...wtf...he has a franchise, he should be able to get fair market value for it or keep it...this is bullshit

This is from another thread on this topic. . .

Maybe his business is going bankrupt because George bush invaded a country with the third most oil in the world because of a family vendetta and no dodge or isuzu truck ever got more than 19 miles per gallon except for a few small trucks they made back when jimmy carter pissed off the middle east. Maybe.


Nailed it! Why is it the government's fault that Chrysler is going bankrupt? They tried to bail out the fat pigs, but the business model is just not profitable. Dodge made a Colt a few years ago, but it just wasn't profitable enough. That car would be in huge demand now if they hadn't discontinued it to make the gas-guzzling Charger. Bankruptcy court changes all the rules. Businesses in bankruptcy have no obligation to their franchises. This is the biggest risk of running a franchise: Your parent company owns the name and marketing of your product. If they screw it up, your franchise is done.

Plenty of 'new car dealers' are readily turning their businesses around as 'used car dealers' when they get this letter instead of whining and moaning and bitching.


but shouldn't he maintain the privilege of operating his franchise instead of it being handed over to another dealer at no cost? That should be his risk, not the governments deal? right wrong.

What does the Obama admin. have to do with Chrysler failing. Are you saying that it's the administration's fault that Chrysler is failing because they refused further bailouts on an unprofitable business model?

$75/hour labor charges
$380 floor mats
$540 30,000 mile standard service
21 MPG on Chrysler 300 ($26,000 flagship car)

You would think that Chrysler and its dealers wouldn't need a bailout. I can't see how the administration can be blamed for them failing. The franchise needs to suck it up or get with a profitable parent company.

What does the Obama admin. have to do with Chrysler failing. Are you saying that it's the administration's fault that Chrysler is failing because they refused further bailouts on an unprofitable business model?

$75/hour labor charges
$380 floor mats
$540 30,000 mile standard service
21 MPG on Chrysler 300 ($26,000 flagship car)

You would think that Chrysler and its dealers wouldn't need a bailout. I can't see how the administration can be blamed for them failing. The franchise needs to suck it up or get with a profitable parent company.

Here is a problem that I haven't heard about yet.

The UAW now owns part of Chrysler and soon will own part of GM.

Where does this leave Ford? They have to negotiate with the same entity that owns part of the competition?

Why wouldnt the UAW just strike on Ford to raise their sales at the other two?

Hey, George C. Joseph - If you voted for the illegal alien/hitler/stalin reincarnation who has currently been installed into that little oval office - I'd say it was your own fault.

Welcome to "change".


Change we can bereave in!

Hey, George C. Joseph - If you voted for the illegal alien/hitler/stalin reincarnation who has currently been installed into that little oval office - I'd say it was your own fault.

Welcome to "change".


Change we can bereave in!




or Chains we can bereave in.

Hey, George C. Joseph - If you voted for the illegal alien/hitler/stalin reincarnation who has currently been installed into that little oval office - I'd say it was your own fault.

Welcome to "change".


Change we can bereave in!




or Chains we can bereave in.