Peggy Tripp of Greenwood looks at her partially repaired Jeep at Oxford County Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram’s collision center lot. Since her car was not parked in the garage when the dealer’s creditor seized and closed the operation last week, Tripp was able to have it towed down the road to Ripley & Fletcher, where it will be repaired. Nicole Carter/Advertiser Democrat

PARIS — Customers of Oxford County Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM, the auto dealer located on Main Street, have been rocked to learn the company was seized and shuttered by Massachusetts-based bank Rockland Trust Company.

Christopher Currier, an attorney for Pierce Atwood, told the Advertiser Democrat on Monday the dealership, formerly Bessey Motor Sales, closed down on Friday.

An order was signed the day before in Cumberland County Superior Court stating that Bessey Motor Sales Inc., Southern Hall LLC and John L. Emerson are indebted to Rockland Trust Company for $4.46 million against inventories totaling $946,945.

Currier said John L. Emerson is not the owner of the Emerson Chevrolet and Toyota dealerships in Auburn.

As the number of vehicles for sale in the lot has dwindled recently, social media chatter seemed to foreshadow the future for the dealership. But to see a longstanding business abruptly close was still a jarring outcome to some residents.

Monday afternoon a number of people were seen driving around the dealership to see if their, or their friends’, vehicles were locked up in the service and collision repair garages.

Peggy Tripp of Greenwood was one of the lucky customers who was able to take hers, albeit by wrecker.

“My vehicle is supposed to be worked on,” said Tripp, who brought her 2022 Jeep in for repair April 1 after she was in an accident. “They said it would be two weeks. Then no phone call, no anything, to let me know what’s going on.”

Monday afternoon Tripp was waiting for someone to come tow her Jeep down the road to Ripley & Fletcher. Her main set of keys was in the locked-up collision center building, but she had located her Jeep in the parking lot and had a spare fob.

“I’m just disappointed,” she said. “I’ve always, always traded and done my business here. I’m frustrated they didn’t call me, but they had to know.

“I feel bad for the people who work here. They have been so nice to me.”

Another person stopped by who works for a Westbrook dealer that did business with Oxford County Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM.

“When I pulled in, someone told me his car was here and done, but he has no way to get it out,” he said. “Everyone said they were moving down the road. It’s very surprising, I know a lot of the people that work here.”

Signs on the doors of all the dealership buildings direct people to contact Currier with questions. He said he is working with individual customers to recover their vehicles, but provided no further comment.