A split Commonwealth Court has ruled that a new Montgomery County Chrysler dealership is exempt from protests by other area Chrysler dealers, finding that exemption under the Board of Vehicles Act requires only that a vehicle manufacturer notify the State Board of Vehicle Manufacturers, Dealers and Salespersons of its intent to establish a new dealership within two years of closing a prior dealership nearby.
In an unreported opinion in the consolidated cases of Abington Auto World v. Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs and Chrysler Group v. Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, a three-judge panel ruled 2-1 to reverse a board decision sustaining a protest lodged by Barbera’s Autoland in an attempt to bar the opening of a new Chrysler dealership in Jenkintown, Pa.
