Back in January we noted how following a trying year, electric car startup Coda Automotive was quietly dealing with a number of lawsuits over unpaid bills. These lawsuits followed layoffs and slow sales of the company’s first car on the market, a much delayed electric sedan. Well, a couple months later, Coda’s legal troubles have compounded with more lawsuits and the fate of Coda appears highly uncertain.
While Coda settled a couple of those billing disputes from earlier this year, two of those companies that settled have filed new lawsuits stating that Coda didn’t begin paying the agreed upon settlement fee. Auto supplier CDH Detroit said that in a settlement agreement with Coda in early March, Coda agreed to start paying CDH Detroit monthly installments of $ 28,186 for almost a year, resulting in a total bill of $ 338,234. In the new suit filed April 26, CDH Detroit said that Coda allegedly missed that first monthly payment (embedded below).
Car engineering and development company RLE International (as well as an affiliate contract work company RTECH) said that Coda also settled with them and agreed to pay them $ 50K a month for a year and a half, but didn’t start paying the first monthly bill. The suit, dated April 25, alleged that Coda owes them $ 850,029.15 in total (embedded below).
In addition, events company Exhibit Works filed a suit on March 19, alleging that Coda owes them $ 242,265.27 (embedded below). A company called BET Services has filed a suit on April 24 alleging that Coda owes them $ 454,228 plus interest (embedded below). A billing and accounts receivables company called Corporate Billing filed a suit back on January 16, alleging Coda owes them $ 248,800 for an unpaid bill for auto parts (embedded below). And there’s at least two other pending suits in Los Angeles County Court.
Finally, former Coda employee Tony Bulchak just filed a class action lawsuit against Coda on Monday. Since the case is so new, the online complaint isn’t available yet, but I’ll update this when it is. I would assume the class action is over the layoffs, but I’ll confirm that when the documents are online.
Like how Fisker Automotive is now unraveling, Coda Automotive seems to be coming apart at the seams as well. Media reports are starting to sound its death toll, too. How much longer til Coda files for bankruptcy?
CDH vs Coda
RLE/RTECH vs Coda
Exhibit Works vs Coda
BET vs Coda
Corporate Billing vs Coda
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