Opinion ID: 479520
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Virginia Statute.

Text: 16 The Virginia statute is directed only toward manufacturers or their representatives. Accordingly, defendant dealerships are not subject to the statute's sanctions. 17 Plaintiff cites no authority for the proposition that Mullins' sales of heavy-duty trucks from its regular-line dealerships was tantamount to FMC granting heavy-duty truck dealerships in violation of Virginia law. Plaintiff refers to a letter dated March 30, 1982 received from the Virginia Attorney General in response to plaintiff's complaint regarding the allegedly unauthorized dealerships. In this letter, the Special Assistant, citing the Sales Agreement, informed plaintiff that he did not have an exclusive right to sell Ford heavy-duty trucks in his dealer locality. Furthermore, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, in response dated March 2, 1984 to a complaint from plaintiff, reviewed advertisements made by one of the defendants. Plaintiff contended that these ads demonstrated that the regular-line dealerships were holding themselves out as authorized heavy-duty truck dealerships. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles disagreed and concluded that these advertisements did not constitute an unfair and deceptive trade practice. 18 Although it is unclear whether the Virginia Attorney General or the Department of Motor Vehicles considered the statute at issue in this case, the letter from the Department of Motor Vehicles did say that the matter was a contractual matter between FMC and plaintiff. 19