Court hears Buick dealer bid to kill Rivian service center

[WSea]

Can't tell if you're being serious or not.... And that's not a feature that's going to pull people to Buick over any other brand, as GM is offering it across their brands. I had self parking / park-assist on my Explorer almost 10 years ago. Zzzzz....

Hah! was not a serious reponse.

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[Jac]

My favorite line from the collection of court papers filed by counsel for the Buick dealer was this “unfair because our business model is less efficient” argument for why the Rivian service center shouldn’t be allowed:

“In addition, the [Zoning] commission’s decision has the effect of granting Rivian not just a competitive advantage but an unfair competitive advantage because Rivian’s direct sales model permits it to avoid major costs and expenses that the plaintiff as a franchised dealership cannot avoid, such as buying or leasing and maintaining brick and mortar facilities and paying local property taxes.”

 

[atebit]

GIF believed to be of judge:

 

[R1Sky Business]

This afternoon, a Connecticut Superior Court judge will hear a local Buick dealer’s claim that the City of Shelton’s Zoning Commission should not have given Rivian the okay to establish a Rivian service center in an existing commercial building in the city. The Buick dealer will argue Rivian might possibly engage in illegal vehicle sales activities at the service center in the future and the Rivian service center would cause unfair competition because the direct vehicle sales model is more efficient than their dealership sales model. Rivian will argue the local Buick dealer has no standing under Connecticut law to challenge the zoning commission’s approval to use the property as a vehicle service center. Rivian will ask the judge to dismiss the case.

The Shelton service center would be Rivian’s first service center in Connecticut. If the dealer’s effort in Superior Court fails today, Rivian would next need to obtain a vehicle service business license from the Connecticut Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

You can watch the live stream of this hearing today at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. From the attached link to today’s docket tap the only Courtroom 1 case today - (TD Properties LLC v. Planning and Zoning) the one at 3:00 p.m. Then scroll down to the bottom of the docket for today and there is a red button that takes you to the live stream of the hearing at 3:00 p.m. today. If you are interested, the case detail link next to that red button will take you to the Buick dealer’s filed legal argument and Rivian’s filed response.

Here is the link to the docket:
https://jud.ct.gov/PublicAccess/CourtList.aspx?d=AnsoniaMilford

Buick still around?

 

[inconceivable]

Appreciate your keeping track of this!

I second this! Especially as someone who wouldn’t be far from this service center and hates driving to Brooklyn!

 

[danqsi]

@Jac have you seen any updates with this? I tried to find any updates and ended up empty.

 

[jjwolf120]

This Buick dealer should move to China with their commie bullshit.

Oddly, Buick has done very well in China (based on my memory so it could be wrong).

 

[Jac]

@Jac have you seen any updates with this? I tried to find any updates and ended up empty.

I believe the judge has several months to issue his ruling on Rivian’s motion to dismiss the case brought by the Buick dealer.

Assuming the zoning challenge gets dismissed, Rivian next needs to get a license from the DMV Commissioner to operate the service center. If approved, don’t be surprised if the Commissioner’s approval is then challenged in court too.

 

[zymolysis]

Oddly, Buick has done very well in China (based on my memory so it could be wrong).

My recollection, from a decade or so ago, when GM was pulling the plug on a bunch of brands, was that it kept Buick because it is popular in China (for some reason).

 

[NY_Rob]

My recollection, from a decade or so ago, when GM was pulling the plug on a bunch of brands, was that it kept Buick because it is popular in China (for some reason).

Buick is popular in China only because Pontiac was too difficult to spell

 

[lefkonj]

This is where the government should step up and say 'YOu had your shot you blew it, no more dealer requirements.' Darwinism at its best.

 

[Deleted member 12197]

I think Rivian owners should sue the Buick dealer for delaying their service center

 

[atebit]

I think Rivian owners should sue the Buick dealer for delaying their service center

 

[Jac]

On May 16 the the court’s decision was released. The judge granted Rivian’s motion to dismiss the case brought by the local Buick dealer trying to prevent Rivian from opening their first Connecticut service center by objecting to the City of Shelton’s variance zoning approval allowing the Rivian Service Center.

Next, Rivian needs to obtain a license from the Connecticut DMV Commissioner to operate a vehicle service business. If granted, do not be surprised if that gets challenged in court too by Connecticut car dealer interests.

https://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/DocumentInquiry/DocumentInquiry.aspx?DocumentNo=25095084

 

[iforbes]

As a soon to be CT owner, hanks for the update.

The whole thing is so silly and a waste of time and resources.

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