| -

LAYTON, Utah and AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — In what has been largely uncommon during these proceedings, a  Chrysler Group store in Utah won its arbitration case against the automaker last week and will have its franchise restored, which was confirmed to Auto Remarketing by a Chrysler spokesperson, as well.

Cutrubus Motors in Layton, Utah, will rejoin the automaker's dealer network after the arbitrator's decision went for the dealership last week. This followed arbitration between the store and Chrysler that occurred from May 12 to May 14.

"Everybody wins in this," stated Andrew Stone, a litigator from Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough who represented the dealership in the arbitration. "Cutrubus Motors gets its dealership back, the public benefits and Chrysler regains a profitable dealership."

Officials said it is the first Chrysler store in Utah to be reinstated.

Offering his take, Homer Cutrubus, one of the store's owners, said: "I am pleased that the arbitration process worked."

He added: "The Cutrubus Automotive Team greatly appreciates the arbitrator's ruling providing them the opportunity to be rightfully reinstated. We especially appreciate the many loyal customers who stood by us in this difficult time and with our reinstatement we look forward to providing our Chrysler Jeep and Dodge customers with unequaled service for many years to come."

Decisions have largely gone in Chrysler's favor throughout the arbitration process. 

Apparently, the company is now down to less than 150 arbitrating dealers. Chrysler spokesperson Mike Palese told Auto Remarketing Friday, "The number of remaining arbitrating dealers is now below 150. … We started at 418. The reduction was because of dismissals, withdrawals, settlements, concluded matters, etc. We are not disclosing how many of each, however."

The automaker also provided Auto Remarketing a list on Friday of the current list of arbitration decisions, as of press time:

Decisions for the Company:  
Joe Kidd Dodge (Ohio)  
Manuel Dodge (Texas)  
El Dorado Chrysler Jeep (Texas)  
Hinckley Dodge (Utah)
Tenafly Chrysler Jeep (N.J.)  
Midway Motors (Mass.)
Montrose Motors Inc. (Md.)
Ganley Chrysler (Ohio)
Ganley Dodge (Ohio)
Ganley East (Ohio)
Venice Dodge (Fla.)
Bob Taylor Jeep (Fla.)
Wallace CJ (Fla.)
San Juan Motors (Colo.)
Leskovar AMC/Jeep Renault (Wash.)
Livermore Chrysler Jeep (Calif.)

Decisions for Dealer:
Deland Dodge (Fla.)
Cutrubus CJD (Utah)
Zimmer CJ (Ky.)
Century Motors (Mo.)

The stores listed in bold were decisions that Palese said were entered last week, as of press time.

The automaker also said in a statement: "The actions to reduce our dealer network were a necessary part of Chrysler Group's viability and central to the interim financing and partnership with Fiat. The only alternative would have been complete liquidation, which would have resulted in all 3,200 dealers closing, hundreds of thousands of lost jobs, and the company defaulting on taxpayer loans.

"While we are pleased that the decisions of many arbitrators reflect a keen appreciation of these circumstances, Chrysler is disappointed that some decisions undermine the Federal Bankruptcy Court Order that affirmed the rationalization process used to reject the dealership agreements," it added.