Letter From a Discontinued Dodge Dealer

by Robert Farago

Published: May 20th, 2009

A member of our Best and Brightest spotted this letter to the editor on the American Thinker website. While plenty of industry watchers could have seen ChryCo’s meltdown coming—DID see it coming—it’s still a failure with a human face. And here it is.

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

Sunshine Dodge-Isuzu

[Thanks to grifonik for the link]

Robert Farago

More by Robert Farago

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2 of 149 comments

Darrencardinal on May 21, 2009

This is a kind of socialism, that is not FUD. Btw, FUD is fear, uncertainty and doubt. If the govt had stayed out, GM and Chrysler would both be out of business and all the dealers that they have would be in the same boat as this guy. And that probably is what should have happened. In the long run what is left of the auto industry would become stronger. Trying to keep these weak players going makes the industry as a whole weaker.

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Geeber on May 21, 2009
psharjinian: Given the hoopla around Ms. Prejean, I suspect you can have both fairly soon, though I think we need a left-wing hottie involved in a pseudopolitical snit (say, expressing empathy for terrorists) to balance the scales. Go to tmz.com, and enter "Carrie Prejean" in the search feature.

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