Celebrity Death Thread

[Rocky Bleier]

The excitement of Mel Farr and Nick Eddy being in the same backfield was my introduction to the nightmare of being a Lions' fan.

[DanO]

RIP Mel and Roddy.

[Marko69]

RIP all recent dead people, including Cilla Black. Had a Lorra Lorra laughs and you'll be missed. :(

[DanO]

"Farr encountered legal problems with customers. He eventually settled their claims and sold his dealership interests in 2002. They were closed down."
------------------------------------------------------That sounds nefarious. How do you own a business of that magnitude, and have to close down for "problems with customers"? Apparently he was a scallywag.

[froot loops]

"Farr encountered legal problems with customers. He eventually settled their claims and sold his dealership interests in 2002. They were closed down."
------------------------------------------------------That sounds nefarious. How do you own a business of that magnitude, and have to close down for "problems with customers"? Apparently he was a scallywag.

I faintly recall it, it had something to do with selling cars with loans to low income customers. They was some sort of ignition switch that could be shut off if payments were not made.

[Malto Marko]

I faintly recall it, it had something to do with selling cars with loans to low income customers. They was some sort of ignition switch that could be shut off if payments were not made.

You are correct.

[DanO]

That sounds vaguely familiar as well although, I don't understand/know the details. Seems very strange to me.

[Malto Marko]

Bottom line was that he was selling used cars to people with no credit checks and using that as a marketing tool as a reason to go to his dealership. The cars were fitted with a device that was later outlawed that allowed the controller to shut down the engine and not allow it to start without resetting the microchip.

Someone had an emergency and could not use their car because of this device and it caused either great bodily harm or death.

A lawsuit was filed and a judge determined that this type of credit enforcement was an unacceptable business practice especially when the business knew, or may have known, that the debtor might have problems satisfying their debt.

[DanO]

Thanks Mark.

[Chuck Cunningham]

Wow, didn't he have one of the most successful car dealerships in the USA at one point??

[Malto Marko]

Wow, didn't he have one of the most successful car dealerships in the USA at one point??

I am not sure about one of the most successful in the US but I believe he was one of the most successful minority owned dealers.

[DanO]

"After football he pursued business interests as an auto dealer, opening Mel Farr Ford on 8 Mile Rd. in Oak Park in 1975. His business expanded over the next two decades to the point where by the late 1990s his auto enterprise was the top African-American-owned business in the United States."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------From the article CGVT posted.

[Chuck Cunningham]

^ Thanks. I knew I remembered reading significant success with his dealership

[CGVT]

R.I.P. Frank Gifford

[DanO]

R.I.P. Frank.