Updates for Dealers and Suppliers

Dear WANADA Members,

We have a few important updates to pass along on this Monday afternoon. We hope you are all staying safe and healthy during these very difficult times.

Md. Customer Connect Delayed; Remote Witnessing Allowed

This morning, the Maryland MVA announced that the rollout of their Customer Connect service would be delayed indefinitely. The delay of this service, which will both streamline MVA services online and make more of them accessible electronically, is particularly difficult given the cancellation of most in-person MVA services during this pandemic. 

That said, the MVA has been very responsive to dealer needs throughout this process. We, and the state, encourage Maryland dealers to do as much of their work online as possible, and to be mindful of past MVA Bulletins which have noted  increased forgiveness for late titling and processing work, and also a continuation of limited in-person services at the Glen Burnie branch on select days.

Also, Gov. Larry Hogan issued an executive order this past weekend allowing for wills, powers of attorney, and advance directives to be witnessed remotely through video conferencing, provided that the witness is a Maryland resident. This provision, for now, will remain in effect through the length of the governor's declared state of emergency.

NADA Guidance for Businesses

Our friends at the National Automobile Dealers Association have put together a couple of helpful guides in the past few days, and we appreciate their tireless work during this pandemic. Last Friday, they published a really great guide on how dealerships can keep their workplaces safe, while still conducting business. While the PDF is obviously targeted to dealers, there is a lot of thorough safety information in here that's applicable to businesses of all types.

NADA has also issued a robust analysis of the Federal Reserve's Main Street Lending Program , which is still being finalized. The loans are designed for medium-sized businesses, and you can find additional information in the document above. 

The Fed is also soliciting feedback on the proposal through this Thursday, and they have published additional guidance on their website as well.  

Summary

Please feel free to reach out to me or Joe Koch (jk@wanada.org) at any time if you have any questions. And as always, please visit WANADA's COVID-19 Information Library to access a whole host of resources on how to keep your business safe and operative during this very difficult time, including plenty of information about the federal and state funds available to impacted businesses.

As always, it is a pleasure to serve our member dealers and suppliers, and we will continue working diligently on your behalf.

Sincerely,
  
John O'Donnell
WANADA President and CEO