🚗 Auto Arbitration Clause — Unconscionability | Arrasola v. Kendall Mitsubishi | 3DCA 15-0381

Florida 3rd DCA Oral Argument | Arrasola v. MGP Motor Holdings (Kendall Mitsubishi) | Case No. 3D15-0381 Can a car dealership's arbitration clause compel arbitration of unconscionability and abandonment claims — or must the court decide those issues first? Jose and Vanessa Arrasola appealed an order compelling arbitration in their dispute with Kendall Mitsubishi, which allegedly had its finance manager submit fraudulent W-2 forms with auto loan applications on their behalf. The Florida Third District Court of Appeal AFFIRMED the trial court's order compelling arbitration. The court held that challenges to the entire contract (unconscionability, abandonment, termination, rescission) go to the arbitrator — not the court — because the Arrasolas challenged the contract as a whole and not the arbitration clause specifically. The court distinguished Basulto v. Hialeah Automotive, noting no record evidence of language barriers, blank contract signing, or altered terms. 📋 STATUTES & RULES CITED: • Fla. Stat. §682.02 (2014) — Revised Florida Arbitration Code, validity of arbitration agreements; gatekeeper provision: https://www.floridarules.net/ • Fla. Stat. §682.03(1)(b) — Court may summarily decide motion to compel arbitration: https://www.floridarules.net/ • Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §1 et seq. — Governs arbitration provisions in the RBO: https://www.floridarules.net/ ⚖️ CASE REFERENCES: • Arrasola v. MGP Motor Holdings LLC (Kendall Mitsubishi), No. 3D15-0381 (Fla. 3d DCA Aug. 5, 2015) — AFFIRMED • Seifert v. U.S. Home Corp., 750 So. 2d 633 (Fla. 1999) — Three prerequisites for enforceable arbitration agreement • Buckeye Check Cashing v. Cardegna, 546 U.S. 440 (2006) — Challenge to whole contract must go to arbitrator • Basulto v. Hialeah Automotive, 141 So. 3d 1145 (Fla. 2014) — Unconscionability in auto arbitration clauses • Full opinion: http://www.3dca.flcourts.org/Opinions... 🔑 KEY LEGAL ISSUES: • Whether unconscionability and contract abandonment claims go to the arbitrator or the court • Enforceability of a Retail Buyer's Order (RBO) arbitration clause in an auto dealership dispute • Whether the Arrasolas were entitled to an evidentiary hearing on contract formation and validity • Applicability of Basulto v. Hialeah Automotive to procedural/substantive unconscionability claims Presented by Weidner Law — Florida appellate attorneys. 🔔 Subscribe for more Florida appellate oral arguments. Weidner Law | St. Petersburg, FL | 727-954-8752 | http://mattweidnerlaw.com