Industry News: Massachusetts Dealer Association Case Against Tesla Is Dismissed

[William Maley]

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

January 4, 2013

The Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association lost again in court this week against Tesla. On Monday, Norfolk County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fishman dismissed the dealers association's case on the grounds of lacking a standing to bring a case forth.

This is the latest blow to the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association efforts to stop Tesla from running a store in Boston. Back in November, the Massachusetts Superior Court denied an injunction filed by the association to stop Tesla from operating their store.

"We disagree with his decision. If you read the statute, it's pretty clear: a factory cannot own a store, and a dealer can sue for injunctive relief if they feel the public is being harmed," said Robert O'Koniewski, the association's executive vice president on Thursday.

O'Koniewski said they are considering options of where to go next.

“We are delighted by the outright dismissal of this case and the validation that we are operating our business in compliance with the laws and expectations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We are confident that other states will also come to this same conclusion and look forward to following through on our commitment to introduce consumers to electric vehicle technology in an open, friendly, no-pressure environment,” said Elon Musk, Tesla co-founder and CEO in a statement.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), Tesla

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[G. David Felt]

Gotta Love the ignorance of the auto association and how they want to pick and choose their bits of the law. Telsa has no dealerships so their stores are not in conflict with the laws.

Grow up and accept that the way people buy and sell products are changing.