Car Dealership Forced Out Of Business In Burr Ridge

BURR RIDGE, IL — Burr Ridge officials said last week that a luxury car dealership was forced out of business after the village board decided against extending its special-use permit. The village contended Apex Motorworks had repeatedly ignored the conditions of its previous permit.

In 2017, the village issued a permit for Apex, 16W260 83rd St., to sell luxury cars and maintain cars it owned. But at some point, the dealership started renting out cars and maintaining cars brought in by the public, in violation of the permit, according to the village.

Owner Awad Odeh told the board at last month's meeting that mistakes were made, but Apex had been making changes in the last few months to honor the permit's conditions, according to meeting minutes. He said he did not intentionally defy the rules. By seeking a one-year extension of the permit, he said he wanted to prove he could live by the village's standards.

Apex requested reducing the average sales price of its cars to at least $50,000, down from the current $75,000, and be allowed to maintain dealership-sold cars.

Most of the village's trustees expressed unhappiness with Apex at last week's board meeting.

"They have not done a good job adhering to what we have asked," Trustee Anita Mital said. "It would cost the village more to make sure they're compliant than the money that they would generate."

Trustee Zach Mottl said Apex knew the rules and "flat out didn't listen."

"I'm not in favor of giving them any leeway," he said.

In the December meeting, officials said the village received little in the way of sales tax money from the business. They were told that was because a large percentage of sales were out of state, so no local sales taxes were imposed.

Odeh, the owner, said he did not expect to sell so many cars out of state. But he said the village would get more tax revenue if it lowered the average sales price allowed.

Village officials said they became aware that Apex was violating its permit when they saw a sign advertising maintenance services to the public.

Trustee Guy Franzese said it took the threat of the non-issuance of the permit to get the sign brought in compliance.

At last week's meeting, the board voted on the permit without Apex's requested amendments. In a 3-2 vote, the trustees rejected a permit extension, effectively shutting down the business. Mital, Mottl and Joe Snyder voted against the permit, while Franzese and Al Paveza were in favor. Antonio Schiappa was absent.

No Apex representatives were at the meeting.