New York GMC Dealer Alleges Discriminatory Allocation in $15 Million Lawsuit
The owner of Sun GMC in Wantagh, N.Y., has sued General Motors, accusing the factory of “discriminatory and unfair allocation” that is starving the Long Island rooftop of the inventory it needs to remain in business and meet GM’s sales targets.
The lawsuit was filed June 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York by high-profile attorney and dealer advocate Leonard Bellavia of Bellavia Cohen P.C. The dealer, Patrick Cassino, has been Sun GMC’s owner and general manager since 1993.
In addition to a “fair and sufficient” supply of new vehicles, Cassino is seeking $15 million in damages and a jury trial. He says GM has allocated “only a fraction” of Sun’s needed inventory; as an example, last year, the factory set a 1,000-unit sales target but only invoiced the dealer for 501.
“Sun cannot sell what it is not supplied,” the 32-page complaint states. “GM should be compelled to supply vehicles to Sun in a fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory quantity and mix consistent with its contractual and statutory obligations.”
