stump_breaker Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 BTW, before panties get in their respective wads, this is verified. I called the dealership myself! (321) 724-6611 BR http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...D=2009905200319 Letter from a Dodge dealerletter 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Leicht Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUFDRAFT Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 And that's just One dealer. Very sad business. I wonder what life will be like in 10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Leicht Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 And that's just One dealer. Very sad business. I wonder what life will be like in 10 years. now that is a depressing thing to think about at this moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srk1959 Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Here in Wisconsin John Quaden Dodge is loosing their franchise. There are 17 others as well. John Quaden was family owned and run, They have supported Chrysler "Mopar" for years having one of the nicest vintage Mopar shows around. I am very said to see this happening and for what reason.....there are no other Dodge/Chrysler dealers close to them that I know of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svttim Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Here in Wisconsin John Quaden Dodge is loosing their franchise. There are 17 others as well. John Quaden was family owned and run, They have supported Chrysler "Mopar" for years having one of the nicest vintage Mopar shows around. I am very said to see this happening and for what reason.....there are no other Dodge/Chrysler dealers close to them that I know of? This is sad, They should be compensated for the franchise at the very least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffIsHereToo Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 More of the same from Cerberus Capital Management! These @$$e$ have beaten Chrysler into the ground refuse to do right or spend any of their own money to fix the issues there. Instead they went to the government for help and even then refused to invest anymore of their own money. So the taxpayers should? I feel bad for these guys but like the small farmers before them it's business! They're shedding the marginal dealerships to focus on the larger opportunities that's fine but the way they are going about this and how they've screwed over these people is just wrong. I think ONCE AGAIN the government will have to step in and demand that Cerberus Capital Management do what they should be doing on their own. Sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUFDRAFT Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 now that is a depressing thing to think about at this moment. Sorry, Sherri - We'll be okay - but things will be much different. :happy feet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormeaston Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 I think this is only the tip of the iceberg boys, this is going to be a rough year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srk1959 Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 I think this is only the tip of the iceberg boys, this is going to be a rough year. Yep! Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2007GT Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 That dealership is only about an hour from my house. Damn sad if you ask me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Leicht Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Sorry, Sherri - We'll be okay - but things will be much different. :happy feet: guess i'll just stick my head in the sand for a while and pull it out when the change is over. this country is on the train to hell and there doesn't seem to be a damn thing we can do about it now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffIsHereToo Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 guess i'll just stick my head in the sand for a while and pull it out when the change is over. this country is on the train to hell and there doesn't seem to be a damn thing we can do about it now I think we got on that train awhile ago...and I don't think anyone, no matter what party or desire to "change" can slow it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportscars Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 I think we got on that train awhile ago...and I don't think anyone, no matter what party or desire to "change" can slow it down. I agree with at least part of that. The train left the station headed the wrong way a few years back. However I think the current "conductor" is accelerating rather than applying the brakes. By the time he realizes its a dead end track we will be going too fast to stop. Just my opinion. Worth at least $.02, maybe more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUFDRAFT Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 guess i'll just stick my head in the sand for a while and pull it out when the change is over. this country is on the train to hell and there doesn't seem to be a damn thing we can do about it now :happy feet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b17drvr Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Just wait--we will be driving the U.S. version of Yugos within a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Leicht Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 thanks for the laff Ruf and Tim, that is why I am driving this dirty white vert into the ground. 15k miles and counting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b17drvr Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 thanks for the laff Ruf and Tim, that is why I am driving this dirty white vert into the ground. 15k miles and counting. Drive em while you can! I'm catching you. Just rolled over 15K today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertlane Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 More of the same from Cerberus Capital Management! These @$$e$ have beaten Chrysler into the ground refuse to do right or spend any of their own money to fix the issues there. Instead they went to the government for help and even then refused to invest anymore of their own money. So the taxpayers should? I feel bad for these guys but like the small farmers before them it's business! They're shedding the marginal dealerships to focus on the larger opportunities that's fine but the way they are going about this and how they've screwed over these people is just wrong. I think ONCE AGAIN the government will have to step in and demand that Cerberus Capital Management do what they should be doing on their own. Sad. I agree with Jeff here. I spoke with one of the top people at the former DCX prior to the sale to Cerebus. Daimler was happy to divest itself, but there were serious doubts about Cerebus being able to run a car company. Cerebus turned out to be the death kneel? guess i'll just stick my head in the sand for a while and pull it out when the change is over. this country is on the train to hell and there doesn't seem to be a damn thing we can do about it now I think every school should start Mandarin Chinese foreign language immersion starting in kindergarten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nascaracing Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 :happy feet: Thats what you really call the blind leading the blind.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUFDRAFT Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 Thats what you really call the blind leading the blind.... That's JoeG, Snoop, and me when Joe picked up his car in Fayetteville. :happy feet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paleoc Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 More of the same from Cerberus Capital Management! These @$$e$ have beaten Chrysler into the ground refuse to do right or spend any of their own money to fix the issues there. Instead they went to the government for help and even then refused to invest anymore of their own money. So the taxpayers should? I feel bad for these guys but like the small farmers before them it's business! They're shedding the marginal dealerships to focus on the larger opportunities that's fine but the way they are going about this and how they've screwed over these people is just wrong. I think ONCE AGAIN the government will have to step in and demand that Cerberus Capital Management do what they should be doing on their own. Sad. Cerberus is basically a corporate raider like the company depicted in Pretty Woman. They snapped up Chrysler and planned to unload them for a profit. Once the economy tanked they were stuck with them and now are planning to scrap them for whatever they can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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