New Books of Dealer Interest

Auto Dealer Law: The Definitive Legal Guide to the Purchase, Sale, and Operation of Vehicle Dealerships

Dealership lawyers Mike Charapp and Rob Cohen teamed up to write this legal reference work for dealers.

The authoritative book is organized, easy to use and formatted well. Each chapter starts with “Dealer Summary” points followed by highlights and advice on an array of legal matters affecting dealers. Included is a detailed table of contents in the front and full index in the back.

The guide covers all-important compliance issues, but also delves into dealership acquisitions, manufacturer relations, worker issues, vendor contracting, factory disputes, employment law, buy/sell agreements and general dealership operations.

Auto Advisory Services, headed by Cohen, touts the book as the most comprehensive legal information available on the market.

“For less than what many lawyers bill for an hour's worth of work, we're giving readers our combined 50 years of knowledge and experience in automotive law,” he says.

“Dealers continue to struggle with an ever-expanding array of laws and compliance regulations, while also juggling factory pressure, HR technicalities, vendor contracting and numerous other legal issues,” he says.

The guide includes a subscription service with quarterly updates and special notifications on pressing industry developments to keep users abreast of changes in the law.

Charapp, based in McLean, VA, writes a regular monthly legal column for WardAuto Dealer Business. Tustin, CA-based Cohen has been a contributing columnist for the magazine.

The book zeros in on the hot topic of dealer-factory relations, which can be strained at times.

“Factories have legions of attorneys whose job it is to keep manufacturer oppression of dealers just short of coercion or intimidation,” Charapp says. “This book will give dealers the confidence they need when responding to unreasonable factory demands.”

“Auto Dealer Law” is divided into three parts: Buying and Selling the Dealership, Running the Dealership and Compliance.

Part one focuses on buy/sells including both buyer and seller perspectives, standard and essential contract terms and factory approval issues.

Part two covers the myriad of legal issues involved with running dealerships, such as vendor and factory relations, litigation management and emergency preparedness.

Part three is devoted to sales, finance and advertising legal compliance. Best practices, sample forms and sample policies round out the offering.

The $395 legal guide and the subscription service can be purchased through www.autodealerlaw.com.

Grand Theft Auto: How Citizens Fought for the American Dream

This book goes behind the scenes of the multi-billion dollar auto industry bailout and the dealership consolidations of recent years.

The book examines decisions made by the government's Auto Task Force that eliminated thousands of dealerships in the U.S.

It details how a determined group of dealers fought back.

One of those fighters is Alan Spitzer, a multi-franchise dealer from Ohio, who wrote the book with his daughter Alison.

They delve into how conditions of the government bailouts shuttered dealerships despite state franchise laws designed to protect dealers from such dangers.

“The decision to terminate the franchises of profitable businesses was completely un-American,” Spitzer says.

“Grand Theft Auto” is available from online booksellers, including Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com, for a suggested retail price of $28.95.