Motor Vehicle Franchise Board

The Maine Motor Vehicle Franchise Board was created in 2003 to hear cases under Maine 's Motor Vehicle Franchise Law, Title 10 M.R.S.A., Chapter 204, subchapter 1: REGULATION OF BUSINESS PRACTICES BETWEEN MOTOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND DEALERS. The Board is empowered to adopt rules, review complaints, hold hearings, render decisions and impose penalties and costs on motor vehicle manufacturers and distributors under the Franchise Law.

The Board consists of seven regular members and four alternate members. The Board Chair is an attorney appointed by the Secretary of State.

Board Members: Douglas Lotane, J.D., was appointed Board Chair by the Secretary of State in November, 2023. The Governor appoints the other ten members; six serve as regular members and four serve as alternate members. All of those members are appointed to five year terms. Three regular and two alternate members must be past or present franchised Maine new motor vehicle dealers. Current dealer members are Stacy Dodge Chandler and Steven Hartley, with Neal Shepard serving as an alternate dealer member. One regular and one alternate member must be past or present employees or representatives of motor vehicle manufacturers. The manufacturer Board member is Ben Luja and the alternate manufacturer member seat is vacant. Two regular members and one alternate member represent the general public. Jill Goodwin serves as the alternate public member, while the member seats are vacant.

The Board has developed rules of procedures effective January 2005 to govern hearings held before it.
The Board approved a policy for Remote access to Board Meetings and Hearings effective June 21, 2021.

MOTOR VEHICLE FRANCHISE BOARD CONTACT INFORMATION

Mailing Address:
Maine Motor Vehicle Franchise Board
29 State House Station
Augusta , Maine 04333-0029

Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Physical Address
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
101 Hospital Street (Route 9)
On the east side of Augusta
(across from Riverview Mental Health Facility)

Contact Information:
Doug Lotane, Chair
Phone: (207) 624-9131
Fax: (207) 624-9113

e-mail:FranchiseBoard.BMV@maine.gov


Motor Vehicle Franchise Board Meeting Minutes & Hearing Results

Other web sites of interest:

Maine statutes: http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes/
Maine Rules of Civil Procedure: https://www.courts.maine.gov/rules/rules-civil.html
National Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers: http://www.autoalliance.org
National Automobile Dealers Association: http://www.nada.org
Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/autos.shtm