2007 - Orange County Automobile Dealers Association OCADA

Infoline
SUMMER 2007
Volume 47, Issue 2
You Can’t Legislate
Demand or Need
page 14
Dealer Rides
page 24
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ORANGE COUNTY AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION
Infoline
18
9
10
4 Calendar of Events
6 President’s Message
8 Adverse Action
9 Social Security Mismatch Rule Published
10 OCADA 43rd Annual Golf Tournament
14 An Update From Congressman John Campbell
16 Meet Your OCADA Staff
18 Mitch Allen Nominated for 2008 Time
INSIDE
This Issue
Infoline is a publication of Newsletters Ink and
is the of ficial publication of Orange County
Automobile Dealers Association. Infoline is
published 4 times per year by Newsletters Ink.
The statements and opinions expressed herein
are those of the individual authors and do not
necessarily represent the views of Infoline, or its
publisher Newsletters Ink. Any legal advice should
be regarded as general information. It is strongly
recommended that one contact an at torney
for counsel regarding specific circumstances.
Likewise, the appearance of advertisers does
not constitute an endorsement of the products
or services featured by Newsletters Ink.
By Mark Parkinson
By Paul Metrey
Magazine Quality Dealer Award
2007 OCADA-PAC Honor Roll
21
22 Get to Know Your Legislator: Assemblyman
Jose Solorio
24 Dealer Rides
By Richard Truesdell
26 Welcome to Our New Associates
INFOLINE is a Publication of the
Orange County Automobile Dealers
Association
125 Baker Street East, Suite 262
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
www.ocada.org
Phone: 714-424-6090
Fax: 714-424-6094
SUMMER 2007 ⎢3
Board of Directors Calendar of Events
PRESIDENT
Mark Parkinson
Tustin Buick Pontiac GMC Hummer
Tustin Nissan
Sept.
11th-12th NADA Washington Conference, Grand Hyatt Hotel,
Washington, D.C.
13th
Vehicle Registration, Presented by Kevin Kellerman
OCADA Training Center
3rd
Auto Show Charity Preview Event, Anaheim Convention
Center
4th
Service Advisors: Advanced Selling Skills Workshop,
Presented by Jeff Cowan, OCADA Training Center
4th-7th
2008 Orange County Auto Show, Anaheim Convention
Center
TREASURER
5th
NADA Town Hall Meeting, Los Angeles
Douglas Spedding
Douglas Hyundai-Isuzu Santa Ana
Douglas Nissan Huntington Beach
Douglas Nissan of Orange
Douglas Hyundai Irvine
10th
Northwood University 17th Annual Scholarship Golf
Tournament, Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Mission Viejo
17th
Total Dealership Compliance, Presented by Kip Prahl
VICE PRESIDENT
Matt Gunderson
Audi Mission Viejo
Infiniti of Mission Viejo
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Oct.
OCADA Training Center
24th
Management Program, Presented by Dave Anderson
OCADA Training Center
Mark Dershem
Foothill Ranch Chevrolet
John Sackrison
Orange County Automobile Dealers
Association
SMOG TECHNICIAN
TRAINING
DIRECTORS
2007 Update Course
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sossi Keuylian
Lamborghini Orange County
Commonwealth Volkswagen Audi
Registration Less Than $25
Don’t Pay $375 Elsewhere!
Paul Lunsford
South Coast Toyota
2007 BAR Update Course
Tim Mullahey
Mullahey Chevrolet
Tom Winterling
Ford of Orange
Mazda of Orange
Course Name: Auto 205
Ticket No. 12235
Ticket No. 20305
September 8th-29th
Saturdays, 8am - 2:15pm
October 20th - November 10th
Saturdays, 8am - 2:15pm
REGISTER AT:
WWW.SADDLEBACK.EDU
Call 800.639.0465
4
The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
FOR AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM INFORMATION,
CONTACT CLIFF MEYER AT
949-582-4996
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
I
t’s hard to believe another summer has
slipped by and fall is right around the
corner. While I am usually a little sad this
time of year, thinking I hadn’t squeezed in
enough fun over the summer, I find myself
excited about the beginning of the new
model year and the hope and optimism that
comes with it. I love how the automotive
industry can’t wait until January to bring
out the ’08 models.
This year we will use the Orange County
Auto Show to bring hope and optimism to
a whole new group of people, the patients
at Children’s Hospital of Orange County
(CHOC). On Wednesday, October 3, 2007
we will host the First Look for Charity to benefit CHOC. The evening event will be held
on the auto show floor, featuring cocktails,
6
The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
hors d’oeuvres, entertainment, and vehicle
giveaways—all while celebrating the automotive industry, its products and most
importantly, its people.
We are very excited about this event and
the opportunity it provides us to collectively
show how much we enjoy supporting our
community and believe CHOC is the perfect
partner. Many of us know first hand the importance of having the finest care available
for the children of Orange County and the
comfort it can bring to children and their
families. CHOC has firmly committed to this
event by deeming it their only “All Guild”
event, with all 13 of their volunteer organizations participating in the support and sales
of tickets of First Look for Charity.
We ask that all of our members, dealers
and associates, come out in a big way by
attending and bringing spouses, managers,
customers, and friends to what promises
to be an outstanding evening. Make sure
to mark your calendars and look for the
invitations coming in the mail. I look
forward to seeing you all at the First Look
for Charity. Q
Adverse Action
Getting a grip on dealers’
customer credit responsibilities
BY PAUL METREY
T
he Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) requires “participating
creditors” to send “adverse action notices” to any consumer they
take adverse action against, such as turning down the person’s
request for credit. Further, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
requires that adverse action notices go out any time adverse action is
taken based on information from a credit-reporting agency or other
third party.
But do these requirements apply to new-vehicle dealers? And
if they do, what do the adverse action notices have to say, when
must they be sent, how must they be delivered, and when may a
finance source issue the notice on a dealer’s behalf? NADA has
some guidance for puzzled dealers on these and other issues in A
Dealer Guide to Adverse Action Notices (see “NADA’s ‘Action’ Plan,” below).
An example:
Scenario: You take a credit application that does not specify any
particular rate. After you review the application, you pull a credit report, and, based on an item in the report, you think that only subprime
finance sources will buy the contract and only if the customer makes
a $2,500 down payment. So you negotiate a deferred down payment
option with the customer. When you shop the contract, no subprime
8
The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
company will accept it and you decline the deal yourself. Have you
taken “adverse action” that requires you to send a notice?
Response: Yes. The application was made to you as the original
creditor, and you participated in setting the terms of the credit when
you negotiated the deferred down payment to improve the customer’s
contract. The credit report was used in your decision to offer the application to finance sources that rejected it. You have not provided the
requested financing. You must give an adverse action notice with all the
information required under both the ECOA and the FCRA.
Because the law is still evolving, the answers to many questions about adverse action are not always clear. So proceed
cautiously, stay abreast of developments, and contact us at NADA if you
have questions. Q
Paul Metrey is NADA director of regulatory affairs (e-mail: regulatoryaffairs@
nada.org). He will present the Webinar “Adverse Action Notices: What You Need
to Know” on Oct. 23, along with attorney Anne Fortney of Hudson Cook LLP.
Call 800.252.6232, ext. 2.
Reprinted from NADA’s AutoExec Magazine, © 2007.
NADA’s ‘Action’ Plan
NADA Management Education’s A Dealer Guide to Adverse Action
Notices, prepared for the association by attorneys Anne Fortney and
Lisa DeLessio of Hudson Cook LLP, walks readers through scenarios
that may trigger the obligation to issue an adverse action notice.
It also includes key compliance tools, such as a one-page adverse
action notice template. NADA mailed a free copy of the guide
(MEDPRL49) to members in June. For additional copies, visit www.
nada.org/mecatalog (members, $30; nonmembers, $60).
Social Security
Mismatch
Rule
d
Published
T
he final social security number mismatch or
“no match” regulation recently appeared in a
Federal Register. Thus, the rule will be in effect
September 14, 2007. Employers need to get ready now.
The Bush administration has acknowledged that it
delayed publication of a final rule in the hope that Congress would enact comprehensive immigration reform
legislation. At the same time, the Social Security Administration held
off on sending out mismatch letters based upon 2006 W-2 returns. Now
that the final mismatch regulation has been published SSA will begin
sending out mismatch letters. Sources within the administration confirm that the mismatch letters will be staggered over the next several
months so that the Social Security Administration is not inundated
with persons seeking to correct name-number mismatches.
DHS/SSA Coordinated Effort
The mismatch letter will be accompanied by a letter from the
Department of Homeland Security explaining the final rule in detail
and describing the procedures that an employer should follow upon
receipt of the letter. DHS confirmed that it will be placing its letter in
the SSA envelope. As a result, it is possible that DHS will know which
employers are receiving mismatch letters and could use this information for follow up enforcement efforts. When asked to confirm whether
or not this would occur, a senior DHS spokesperson merely repeated
the DHS would be stuffing the SSA envelope.
expect to receive one again should consider ramping up recruitment
and hiring efforts to replace workers who will need to be terminated
if they cannot cure a mismatch problem.
Similarly, employers with a seasonal need for more workers in late
Fall and Winter should begin thinking about steps they will need to
take to recruit and hire legal workers. Employers may want to consider alternative staffing arrangements through staffing companies
and temp agencies. Employers that anticipate receiving a mismatch
letter in the next few weeks may wish to begin ramping up recruitment efforts now to replace those workers who quit when notified of
a mismatch error.
Correcting Mismatch Problems
If you receive a mismatch letter, act quickly to examine your records
to see if the mismatch is due to a clerical or administrative error. If so,
correct this and notify SSA. You must also verify that the corrected
name and number match SSA records. You can do this by using the SSA
DHS also has confirmed that it will be raising the civil money penalty for knowing employment violations by as much as 25%. We expect
that DHS will publish a regulation to that effect sometime in the next
couple of months. In addition, DHS will publish a regulation by the
end of the year that would require all federal contractors to participate
in the online E-Verify program (formerly known as Basic Pilot). When
asked if employers volunteering to enroll in E-Verify would be subject
to investigations, DHS confirmed that investigations would continue
when employers are suspected of abusing the system.
DWWRUQH\V LQ RIILFHVDFURVV WKH QDWLRQ WKH ODZ RIILFHV RI )LVKHU 3KLOOLSV RIIHU
Steps Employers Should Take Now
ODZPDWWHUV:LWKWKLVVHUYLFH EDVLFHPSOR\PHQWODZSUREOHPV RUFRQFHUQVPD\
Hiring
Because workers named in the mismatch letter are allowed to continue working during the 90-day period for correcting the mismatch
error, and because those letters will start to go out in the next couple
of weeks, employers should anticipate a very tight labor market beginning around Thanksgiving and lasting for several months or longer.
Thus, employers that received mismatch letters in recent years and that
■ Social Security Mismatch Rules ⎥
continued on page 20
FREE Employment Law Hotline
$VDPHPEHUEHQHILW'HDOHU0HPEHUVDUHHQFRXUDJHGWRFDOOWKH )LVKHU3KLOOLSV
//3 (PSOR\PHQW /DZ +RWOLQH IRU IUHH FRQVXOWDWLRQV &RPSULVHG RI QHDUO\ OHJDO DGYLVRUV ZLWK H[SHULHQFH UHSUHVHQWLQJ GHDOHUVKLSV LQ ODERU DQG HPSOR\PHQW
EHUHVROYHGLQMXVWRQHSKRQHFDOO
7RDFFHVVDQDWWRUQH\WKDWFDQDVVLVW\RXZLWKHPSOR\PHQWODZTXHVWLRQVVLPSO\
FDOOWKH(PSOR\PHQW/DZ+RWOLQHDW%HVXUHWRVWDWHWKHQDPHRI
\RXUGHDOHUVKLSDQG\RXUPHPEHUVKLSZLWK2&$'$<RXZLOOQRWEHELOOHGXQOHVV
WKHILUPWDNHVDFWLRQRQ\RXUEHKDOIDQGZLWK\RXUSHUPLVVLRQ
949-851-2424
SUMMER 2007 ⎢9
OCADA
43RD Annual Golf Tournament
OCADA President, Mark Parkinson chats with attorney Sheldon
Cohen of Callahan, McCune & Willis.
10 The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
Standing ovation in memory of Joe MacPherson.
Joe Breneman of the OC Register hands lucky
winner, Bruce Hamlin of Guaranty Chevrolet
Motors a free advertisement.
Douglas Spedding of Douglas Automotive
G r o u p a c c e pt s th e Fir s t P l a c e Te a m
Scramble Award.
Group photos taken by A. Mirisciotti Photography
Paul Brien of KeyBank receives the First Place Low
Net Associate Guest Award.
SUMMER 2007 ⎢11
Winners
SCRAMBLE
1st Place
54
Douglas Automotive Group team of Mike Khan, Bill Pesetano and
Douglas Spedding and Horizon Law Group’s Mike Connor
2nd Place
55
South Coast Toyota team of Gary Alred, Darin Galinski, Paul
Lunsford and Scott Renfro
3rd Place
60
Wilson Automotive Group team of Glenn Quintos, Frank Romano, Ren Rooney and Craig Whetter
4th Place
61
Call Source Team of Ben Golemon, John Melville, Seth Perry and
Chris Witham
Callaway (combined Dealer and Associate/Guest)
1st Place
Paul Rosenberry, Wells Fargo
71*
2nd Place
Dick Fisher, Connell Chevrolet
71*
LOW NET – ASSOCIATE/GUEST
1st Place
Paul Brien, Key Bank
70
2nd Place
Mark Beecher, Bank of the West
74
LOW GROSS – ASSOCIATE/GUEST
1st Place
Chris Carlson, McPeek’s Dodge
78
Henry Nodal, Bank of the West
82
LOW NET – DEALER FLIGHT
1st Place
Steve Coleman, Saab of Orange County 72
2nd Place
Frank Busal, Sr., McPeek’s Dodge
83
LOW GROSS – DEALER FLIGHT
1st Place
Steve Rojas, Fullerton Dodge
87*
2nd Place
Frank Busal, Jr., McPeek’s Dodge
90
*Card-Off
LONGEST DRIVE
Dealer
Roger Alvarez, Heritage Lincoln Mercury
Associate/Guest Andrew Lewis, Honda Santa Ana
CLOSEST TO THE PIN
Dealer
Darin Glinski, South Coast Toyota
Associate/Guest J.B. Griffin, Safelite Autoglass
STRAIGHTEST DRIVE
Associate/Guest Joe Connolly, Capital Automotive
Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
Dinner Sponsor
Gold Sponsor
Zurich
Call Command
Cocktail Reception & Lawn Bowling Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Orange County Register
OCCarFinder.com
CMCDA FormSource
Breakfast & Driving Range Sponsor
AutoTrader.com
Bank of America
Motor Tren d Auto Shows
Parke, Guptill & Company, LLP
Chrysler Financial Services
Golf Cart Sponsor
Auto Advisory Services
Helicopter Drop Sponsor
Chase Automotive Finance
Bank of the West
Course Events Sponsors
Automotive Sales & Marketing University - OCADA
Moss Adams, LLP
Ideal Direct Ad Group
Los Angeles Times
DealerSocket
Ferruzzo & Ferruzzo, LLP
Nissan North America
CVR - Computerized Vehicle Registration
Comerica Bank
Cornerstone Automotive Programs
Michael Cox & Associates, CPAs
12 The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
Bronze Sponsors
Golden Tee Sponsors
Call Source
Horizon Law Group
KeyBank - Key Auto Finance
Orange Line Oil Company
Wachovia Dealer Services
Tee Sponsors
Daily Pilot
Lance, Soll & Lunghard, LLP
US Bank
Looking for Sales People?
Find them at OCADA’s
Automotive Sales & Marketing University
Screened
Trained
Ready to Interview
We recruit and train qualified sales professionals
for your dealership needs
Contact Tim Bowker
at OCADA (714) 852-6243 ext. 143
SUMMER 2007 ⎢13
AN UPDATE FROM CAPITOL HILL
BY: CONGRESSMAN JOHN CAMPBELL
huge dent in both of these issues by replacing
many existing stationary power plants with
nuclear power plants, much of the focus back
here is on the fuel economy of cars and light
trucks. Some energy bill dealing with cars
and light trucks is almost certain to pass
this year. That proverbial train has left the
proverbial station. The question is what that
bill will look like.
I
am one of three former or current car
dealers serving in Congress. There are
three of us out of 535 who know what it’s
like to try to explain to a customer why they
might want to buy a car that they think is
underpowered or too small or not safe for
their family.
Maybe that explains why Congress, in
a quest to pass an energy bill, has several
proposals to increase CAFE and other regulations that would require manufacturers to
build cars that people don’t want to buy.
The impetus behind al l of this is
everything from global warming to energy
security. And even though we could make a
There is some increase in CAFE that
manufacturers can live with given the technology that is in the pipeline. But there are
some serious proposals that are completely
unworkable. One, for example, would require a massive increase in fuel economy in
less than three years time. In the business,
we all know that cars that will be out in
three years are either already in production
or they have been planned and stampings
are already being cut. The only way to meet
this regulation would be to reduce engine
sizes and change the vehicle mix to smaller
cars. These proposals are so severe that they
would affect Toyota dealers every bit as much
as Ford dealers.
Special Thank You
to the Orange County Congressional Delegation for their support
and co-sponsorship of HR 2927—the automobile industry’s CAFE
increase legislation.
Congressman, Ken Calvert
Congressman, John Campbell
Congressman, Gary G. Miller
Congressman, Dana Rohrabacher
Congressman, Edward R. Royce
14 The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
The mantra I keep repeating back here
is that you can make a manufacturer build
a car, but you cannot make a customer buy
it. If they force manufacturers to build cars
people don’t want to buy, it will just result
in people keeping their old cars longer. That
will hurt the car business, hurt the general
economy and hurt the whatever cause the
energy bill is intended to serve since older
cars will always pollute more and be less fuel
efficient than newer ones.
One of my strongest allies in this fight
is John Dingell (D-MI) who is the powerful chairman of the Energy and Commerce
Committee. Congressman Dingell has been
in Congress longer than I have been alive
(literally) and he represents part of Detroit.
He does not want to see the end of GM,
Ford and Chrysler on his watch. We will be
pushing a reasonable alternative, which will
move us towards our energy goals while still
enabling the production of many different
cars and trucks for many different lifestyles
and needs.
It’s a big and important fight and one
where Speaker Pelosi is not with us. After
25 years in the car business, I still have
plenty of gasoline in my veins. But that’s
not the only reason I’m doing this. If our
economy is to continue strong, a vibrant
car business is an essential. You keep
selling cars at home and I’ll work to try
and make sure you still have good cars
to sell in the future along with a better
energy policy. Q
SUMMER 2007 ⎢15
MEET YOUR
OCADA STAFF
Briana Ackerman
Bor n and ra ised
in Honolulu, Hawaii,
Briana relocated to
Orange County in 2002
to obtain her bachelor’s degree at the University of California,
Irvine and is currently
midway through her
master’s program at
the Paul Merage School of Business. She joined the
OCADA team for the summer, assisting with public
and government relations and the development of
the website. Q
16 The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
Issa Sakhel
Issa, a n O ra nge
County native, is the
newest member of the
OCADA recr uiting
team. Before becoming a job counselor for
the Sales and Marketing University, he was
in management for a
retail business, which
was his first job. Issa is currently attending school and
one day hopes to become a software programmer, but
for now he enjoys helping people by finding them a
career in the automotive industry. Q
We helped generate
$99,000,000,000
in used car sales
last year.
Did you get your share?
There’s no better way to sell cars than AutoTrader.com, and we
have the numbers to prove it. Like $99 billion in sales – that’s 1
million used cars sold every month. In fact, we jump-start almost
a third of all the used car sales in America. AutoTrader.com
brings together more buyers and sellers, giving you more
chances to put the right buyer in the right car.
Call 888-249-6860 today. Make sure your share of
these sales starts rolling off your lot.
WHAT WE DO
WORKS.
The ultimate automotive marketplace.
©2007 AutoTrader.com, LLC. All Rights Reserved. “AutoTrader.com” is a registered trademark of TPI Holdings, Inc. used under exclusive license.
Source: 2006 Prospect Close Rate Study, MORPACE International, Inc. Based on average used car sales price of $8,236: 2006 CNW Used Vehicle Retail Sales Projection.
Mitch Allen Nominated for the 2008 TIME
Magazine Quality Dealer Award
The OCADA Board of Directors has nominated Mitch Allen of Allen Cadillac GMC
Truck and Allen Hyundai—for the 2008
TIME Magazine Quality Dealer Award.
A
llen Cadillac was founded in 1947 by
Mitch’s grandfather, Stanley Allen.
Thereafter, it has remained a family
business with Mitch’s father, Dennis Allen,
moving the dealership from Laguna Beach to
its current location in Laguna Niguel where
he taught sons, Mitch, Scott, and Cliff about
the automotive business. As co-owner, Mitch
has demonstrated excellence as one of the
largest Cadillac stores in the Western US.
Mitch has served on the OCADA Board of
Directors from 2001 to 2005 and held the offices, President, Treasurer and Vice President.
18 The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
As a family tradition, Allen Cadillac
is devoted to serving the community with
charitable donations to local schools and
sports teams and involvement with many
other charity events such as the UCI Medial
Center’s Rocky Start Foundation for neonatal
intensive care patients. Mitch was presented
the Boy Scouts of America Men of Character
award in 2003, given to eight outstanding men
every year in recognition of their service and
leadership in their community.
The national TIME Magazine Quality
Dealer Award has been called the most prestigious award a new-car dealer can receive,
and is sponsored by TIME Magazine in
association with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers Association. The
TMQDA program was created to recognize
America’s new-car dealers who demonstrate
outstanding dealership performance and
exceptional community service.
Con g rat u l at ion s M itch for you r
nomination of the 2008 TIME Magazine
Dealer Award! Q
Charity Preview Night
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
6:00–9:00 p.m.
An inaugural OC Auto Show Charity Preview Night will
kick off this year’s show, benefitting the Children’s
Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). This special event
will take place on the show floor of the Anaheim
Convention Center. Guests will enjoy gourmet hor
d’oeuvres, cocktails and musical entertainment,
while strolling among hundreds
of sparkling new 2008 model
vehicles, concepts, and exotics.
SUMMER 2007 ⎢19
■ Social Security Mismatch Rules
⎥ continued from page 9
toll-free telephone number (1-800-772-6270)
or by using the free, online Social Security
Number verification system (go to www.ssa.
gov/employer/ssnv.htm to enroll).
Make a record of the “manner, date, and
time of such a verification” and store that
data with the employee’s I-9 form. The employer must complete these steps within 30
days of receipt of the mismatch letter.
day after receipt of the mismatch letter).
The employee is not permitted to present
a document that is in dispute as a result of
the mismatch letter or correspondence from
DHS and cannot present another document
that has a disputed number.
this winter, employers need to get ready for
the increasing prospect of enforcement.
In addition, the worker must present a
document bearing a photograph to establish
identity or identity and employment eligibility. The employee cannot present a receipt for
a replacement document. You should retain
the new I-9 form with any prior I-9 forms and
follow the normal retention rules.
• have a random sample of your I-9 forms
audited by an outside expert to ensure that
you are doing it right;
If the mismatch is not due to an administrative or clerical error discovered in your
records, promptly advise the affected worker
of the date the mismatch letter was received
and advise the worker to resolve the discrepancy within 90 days from receipt of the
letter. If you are unable to verify the validity
of the worker’s name and number within 90
days of receiving the mismatch letter, complete a new I-9 form for that worker.
We Recommend…
The process at this point is the same
as if the worker was a new hire. In other
words, the employee should complete section 1 of the I-9 form immediately and the
employer should examine documents and
complete section 2 of the form by the end
of the third day (i.e., by the end of the 93rd
Publication of the fi nal mismatch rule
and imminent mailing of this year’s mismatch letters lay the groundwork for DHS
enforcement efforts going forward. It is clear
that the Administration intends to continue
aggressive enforcement efforts. In addition
to getting ready for a very tight labor market
The final regulation emphasizes that
employers should not react prematurely
to receipt of the mismatch letter by immediately terminating workers listed in
the letter. Instead, employers should fi rst
check their own records and then give each
affected worker the opportunity to cure the
deficiency.
We recommend that employers take the
following steps right away:
• audit your I-9 forms and compliance;
• sign up for online Social Security Number
verification and begin to verify numbers for
all new hires going forward;
• establish a company policy requiring each
employee to have a valid name-number
combination;
• do not let anyone work who cannot produce
a valid name-number combination;
• if you have received a mismatch letter
in the past, consider approaching those
employees now and starting the process
described above;
• if you are in a high-risk industry (agriculture, construction, hospitality, textiles,
manufacturing, food processing, or critical
infrastructure), consider verifying the Social
Security Numbers of your current workers;
and
• stay tuned for further developments in this
evolving area of the law.
Naturally, if you have any question about
the foregoing, please utilize the OCADA Labor Law Hotline to speak with a Fisher and
Phillips attorney at 949–851-2424. Q
THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED
BY THE OCADA’S EMPLOYMENT LAW FIRM
FISHER AND PHILLIPS, LLP
20 The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
Norris Bishton
Stephen Brown
Frank Busalacchi
Ryan Busnardo
Steve Coleman
Dave Conant
Don Crevier
AJ D’Amato
Mike D’Amato
Rick Evans
Thomas Ferruzzo
Ray Fladeboe
Jim Graham
Jeff Gray
Gary Gray
Matt Gunderson
Roberta Hardin
Dennis Hardin
Dick Hsu
Clay James
Sossi Keuylian
Paul Lunsford
Bob Miller
John Oh
Woody Oklejas
Mark Parkinson
Bill Piercey
RJ Romero
Julian Rusinek
David Simpson
James Speck
David Wilson
Tom Winterling
President’s Club
Dave DeLillo
Theodore Robins, Jr.
Bill Selman
Regular Donor
Brian Butler
Paul Doddridge
Paul Fang
Paul James
Orval Paul
Leonard Renick
SUMMER 2007 ⎢21
Get to Know Your Legislator:
Assemblyman Jose Solorio
69th District Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana
Chairman of the Assembly Public Safety Committee
Other Assembly committees: Education, Transportation, and Appropriations.
Personal: Married to wife Linn, and father of two sons ages 9 & 4.
Favorite quote: “The end of all education should surely be service to others.”
~ Cesar Chavez
Biography
The son of migrant farm workers, Solorio has gone from laboring as a teenager in the fields alongside his parents, to earning a master’s degree
in public policy from Harvard University, to serving as a Santa Ana City Councilman, to now serving in the California State Assembly.
In November of 2000, Solorio was elected to the Santa Ana City Council. He was re-elected in November 2004. While on the Council,
he also managed internal and external marketing campaigns for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).
What Dealers Say:
“Right from the beginning Jose has looked for ways to work with the dealers here in the Santa Ana Auto Mall. I am pleased to have him
representing us in Sacramento and working to protect our interests.” ~ Don Crevier, Crevier BMW and Mini
“He has been very instrumental on key dealership issues in his first year in office and isn’t afraid to cross party lines to do what’s right.”
~ George Heidler, Suzuki Depot and Tom’s Truck Center.
District Office Contact Information: 2400 E. Katella Avenue, Suite 640, Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 939-8469
www.assembly.ca.gov/solorio
Save the Date
10.10.07
FOR THE 17TH ANNUAL
NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY
SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2007
ARROYO TRABUCO GOLF CLUB
26772 AVERY PARKWAY
MISSION VIEJO
Net proceeds from the tournament will support students enrolled in the
Northwood University-Cerritos College Automotive Marketing and Management Program.
22 The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
OC Auto Careers
Need Employees?
Call OC Auto Careers Today!
714
714--852
852--6242 ext. 142
Let OC Auto Jobs Fill Your Open Positions!
Receptionists ◊ Cashiers ◊ Administrative Staff ◊ Service Personnel
All Other Entry-Level Positions!
Receive 10+ resumes from sharp, motivated, and
enthusiastic individuals excited to work at your dealership
Contact Christina Bryant, OC Auto Careers Manager
714-852-6242 ext. 142
[email protected]
SUMMER 2007 ⎢23
Dealer Rides
Second Time Love Affair
G
ary Gray of Newport Beach, California,
has been a Corvette enthusiast his
entire adult life and, more than that,
has spent almost his entire adult life in the
automobile business, starting at a Chevrolet
dealership in Redondo Beach back in 1966.
And like most of us, his “toys” have played
an important part in his life; to buy one it
usually involved selling the previous one,
especially in the early stages of one’s career.
“I would buy one, drive it a year or so and
sell it, usually breaking even to buy the next
24 The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
BY: RICHARD TRUESDELL
one,” says Gray from his office at Orange
Coast Jeep-Chrysler. “The ones that stick
out were a 1959 Porsche 356, a Mercedes
190 SL, etc.—all bought for around
$1,000 and sold for close to
the same.
The story of the
1962 Corvette pictured here starts
back in 1964. At
the time, Gray
was work i ng
for Seaboard Finance and one of his duties
was collections, beating on doors to collect
overdue payments, never a popular job. As
he drove his 1963 Corvair Monza Coupe past the Chrysler dealership on Washington Blvd. in Culver City, he saw what would be his
first Corvette – a stunning fawn beige 1962 Corvette – causing an
immediate (and probably illegal) U-turn. While not a fuelie, it was
a 327, 340hp four-speed car with a fawn interior and only 32,000
miles on the clock.
“From that moment on I hated the Monza and had to have the
Vette,” says Gray. “Wandering into the showroom I was greeted by
a salesman, not the typical used car guy, a youngish, 30-something
salesman with good powers of observation. He could see I was
lusting for the Vette. And his powers of observation extended to
the back seat of my Monza where he spotted some finance
company documents. He deducted I was an upright
citizen and told me, ‘Take the car for a couple of hours,
see what you think.’ Well that was it! I returned
that afternoon, signed a contract for $300 cash, my
Monza, which I was about even in, owed $1,400,
and drove off owing GMAC $82 a month for the
next three years.”
Now the story gets interesting and would play a major part in
the recovery of the car more than 40 years later. Gray had a ski boat
with his longtime buddy Bob and, as silly as it might seem today,
installed a Valley trailer hitch on the Vette so Bob didn’t have to do
all the towing with his 1957 Tri-power four-speed Pontiac Coupe. As
Gray remembers the ad said something like, “Take over payments,
$2,200 balance, $82 a month. It sold almost immediately to a young
man from the San Fernando Valley. As I recall, he was approved
through his credit union. I watched the car drive off on a grey, rainy
day in February 1965, never to be seen again. Or so I thought!”
For the past 26 years, since 1980, Gray has owned a succession of
automotive dealerships in Southern California, which has afforded
him the opportunity to own a wide number of what he calls toys,
but now it’s not always essential to sell one to buy another. “On my
65th birthday last year, I joked with my wife about a party and Sonja
sent out the invitations saying ‘No presents unless it is a Fawn Beige
1962 Corvette.’ This got me to thinking, could I locate a Fawn ’62
■ Dealer Rides ⎥
continued on page 26
SUMMER 2007 ⎢25
■ Dealer Rides ⎥
continued from page 25
Corvette? Could I find one equipped as mine? Could I perhaps even
find a ‘California Car?’ I laughingly put the word out to a few car
buddies including Marc Richonne who is a bit of a Sherlock Homes
in finding vintage Vettes. He had brought me together with a buyer
for a gorgeous 1965 Corvette I had owned four or five years before.
Well, my birthday came and went and my car buddies had some fun
teasing me about my impossible request.
“Then I got the call! It was Marc and he had
found a car. He shared with me it was a Fawn
Beige ’62, Fawn vinyl interior, a 340hp four-speed
with Positraction, hardtop only, a California
car. Exactly like mine! He said it was original
paint and interior, a numbers matching car, was
I interested? Of course I was! It was in a storage
container on a ranch above Santa Cruz and he
thought he could e-mail some pictures. The
current owner had been in possession of it since 2003 and he said
the previous owner before that had owned it in Bonita, California,
from 1966 to 2003.
I called. Not wanting to let the cat out of the bag of the possibility
this was my car, I asked condition questions and did not address the
hitch. The current owner was quite knowledgeable about Corvettes
and gave me a very candid opinion about the car. I agreed on the call
to buy it and told him I would get it picked up the following day if
he would get it out of the container. I didn’t even ask if it ran. We
made arrangements to have the car picked up and 25 hours later it
was heading to Costa Mesa, California, a 300-mile trip from Santa
Cruz. We were to have it delivered to our JeepChrysler dealership. At 9 p.m. that night, my
wife and I made the 10-minute drive from our
home in Newport and arrived as the trailer
pulled on the lot with my ‘new’ Vette.”
As this will be a driver, and as Gray is
determined to enjoy driving the car as the
restoration moves forward to the exact state it
was in when he sold it on that rainy morning
in February 1965, the process will be slow and
measured. The photos here show the car after the unseen undercarriage was addressed, but immediately prior to the restoration of the
interior. As it sits right now, it’s a classic 20-footer.
“The next day as I opened my e-mails, the one from Mark was
among them. I nervously opened it and downloaded the five pictures
- there was a very pretty and complete, unrestored 106,000-mile car.
Paint worn thin with no hits anywhere, the interior in shabby, but
obviously original, condition. As I clicked on the third picture, it
took my breath away. There on the rear shot of the car was a Valley
trailer hitch. Could it be my old car?
Looking into the numbers there were 14,531 ’62 Corvettes manufactured, 1,851 were Fawn Beige. How many with this exact powertrain combination? How many of those were sent to California?
And how many with a Valley trailer hitch that was installed over
40 years ago? Suffice to say, Gray was beyond lucky in recovering his
exact car; most of us would probably be satisfied finding something
similar to our first Corvette.
“Marc had supplied me with the current owner’s cell number and
While Gray has no documentation from his original car, it was
all tossed long ago, using his dealership connections he has tried
the California DMV for the paperwork from 1965 and paid the fee to
have an individual search performed, but it came back as too old and
unavailable. His own detective work uncovered gas slips under the
seat for Lt. JG David Korhonen dating back to 1966 (if Mr. Korhonen
sees this, please contact the author at [email protected] or the
original/new owner at [email protected]; we would both like
to hear from you).
Welcome To Our
New Associates
Cartel Marketing, Inc.
Contact Larry Stone at 818-907-7200
Cartel Marketing offers Point-of-Sale Auto Insurance,
Online F&I Sales Training, Vehicle Service Agreements,
Gap Protection, Vehicle Protection Products, Automated
Menu Selling Systems, Vehicle Marking, GPS and Security
Systems and other integrated dealer services to improve
CSI and maximize dealer profitability.
Callahan, McCune & Willis
Contact Sheldon Cohen, Esq. at 714-730-5700
Callahan, McCune & Willis is a Professional Law Corporation that has been representing new car dealers in
California for over 30 years in matters involving employment issues, premises and product liability claims; and,
the defense of consumer complaints.
26 The Infoline WWW.OCADA.ORG
Gray is certain that this car will never be a trailer queen, not as
long as he owns it. It’s a car that was made to be driven 40 years ago
and nothing, absolutely nothing, since then has changed his opinion.
He says the one question he’s asked most often, after is it his original
car, is if he’s going to keep the trailer hitch to which he replies, “My
intention is to re-chrome it and put it right back on. People who
know me will understand fully.” Gray summarizes it best when he
says, “I do know that when I am behind the wheel, I am 23 again.”
We should all be so lucky. Q
Reprinted with permission from Corvette Enthusiast (www.
CorvetteEnthusiast.com) and Richard Truesdell, a
Contributing Editor to Corvette Enthusiast and the Editorial
Director of the new online-only automotive travel magazine
Automotive Traveler (www.AutomotiveTraveler.com).
Infoline
Orange County Automobile Dealers Association
125 Baker St. East Suite #262
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
THIS MAGAZINE IS DESIGNED AND PUBLISHED BY NEWSLETTERS INK CORP. 1.800.639.0465
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
PERMIT NO. 6699