Report From the Hill
FADA is working hard to relieve you of the burden of lawsuits when you provide loaner vehicles to your service customers. This week HB 977 and SB 1738 are moving in the Florida legislature with language that will make it clear that you should not be liable for the negligent acts of those you provide with courtesy cars.

Florida’s 4 th District Court of Appeals has ruled in your favor and applied the exemption from liability that you need and now we need the legislature to confirm that case and codify this principle into law for all Florida dealers.

Please contact your Senator immediately and ask them to contact their Senate colleagues to keep this bill moving in the next 3 weeks. We have a later start on the Senate side so we need every Senator to push hard.

Next Monday, February 10, we have our first Senate hearing, under Senator Tom Lee. Please contact the Infrastructure and Security committee members before Monday's meeting.


The next House committee is Judiciary, on Wednesday February 12 at 9am. Please contact the Judiciary committee members by close of business Tuesday.

FADA is also monitoring the franchise legislation introduced through Braman Automotive Group. We support the concepts of this legislation. The testimony from the manufacturers during this hearing are shocking and we will be engaging by responding to their remarks, many of which were deceptive and misleading.

Other bills we are watching include electric vehicles, peer-to-peer car sharing, highway safety, competition from insurance agents selling auto warranties and dealer tags. Stay tuned for more videos as we Report From the Hill in Tallahassee.

Many thanks to the following partners:
Ramba Consulting Group (FADA)
The Mayernick Group, Russ Klenet & Associates (SFADA)
Capital City Consulting (South Auto Group)
Poole McKinley (Morgan Auto Group)
Deadline for NADA Dealer Attitude Survey is TODAY!
 The deadline for NADA’s 2020 Dealer Attitude Survey is TODAY , February 6! Dealers should have received an email directly from  chairman@nadasurvey.com  with instructions on how to complete the survey. Please make sure your dealership participates. This year d ealers will NOT be asked to enter their zip code to start the survey. Make sure your voice is heard. For assistance, email  questions@nadasurvey.com  or visit  nadasurvey.com .
FADA Seeking DOR Opinion on Taxation of Leases
Florida law speaks to how dealers should handle sales tax on the sale of vehicle service contracts and there are some issues involved with these procedures and how lenders are accepting taxing methodologies. There is enough concern presently that we will be seeking clarification of the applicable law and rules from the Department of Revenue. Stay tuned.
Electronic Filing System Dealership Responsibility
The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle's Bureau of Dealer Services has issued a memo regarding the dealership's responsibility to process transactions promptly in the electronic filing system (EFS). Please read the memo in its entire ty here.
Good News for your Marketing Team!
Finally we have some great news regarding the marketing efforts at your stores. A new court case has opened up your use of telemarketing programs as long as the numbers you are calling were previously and deliberately obtained and stored. The case is good because it differentiates between human calls to customers and random robo-calls (ATDS). Be sure to read more here to guide you given this new scenario. Do not use pre-recorded messages without prior written consent. 
Georgia Title Ad Valorem Tax Changes Effective January 1

Because Georgia is a border state, we've gotten several calls on this subject. The tax rate on Georgia's Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) transactions is now 6.6%. The old rate of 7% no longer applies as of January 1. The new rate applies to all purchases and leases of new and used vehicles. Read more here.