JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- In yet another sign of the tough economy and rough financial times, the recession is being blamed for the closure of one of the oldest dealerships in town, Mike Shad Chrysler.

Chrysler has been working to get rid of the number of dealerships it has in any single market. Mike Shad Chrysler on the Westside was on the chopping block in Jacksonville.

Mike Shad Chrysler was reduced to an empty lot Wednesday. When customer Clara Rouviere pulled up to the Mike Shad Chrysler dealership to get her car fixed she said all she found was an empty parking lot and a security guard.

"Yesterday, it was open. This morning, closed, empty, no customers," Rouviere said.

The lot was cleared, the dealership was shut down and an agreement she said she had to get her tires replaced was worthless.

"'We're going to give you the set of tires for free next time you come and get your oil changed.' If they knew -- nothing, I feel like they told me lies," Rouviere said.

The dealership abruptly shut down Wednesday due to the major changes going on with the Chrysler Corporation. Mike Shad does not own Mike Shad Chrysler. He sold it in 1997 to a company called Auto Nation.

"Over the last three years, the domestic manufacturers have talked about how there are too many dealers. There's going to be a number of dealers who are going to close up or merge with others for certain brands. Yesterday, we took the opportunity to work with Chrysler and to eliminate one of the Chrysler stores," said Marc Cannon, of Auto Nation.

The company said any agreements customers had with the shutdown Chrysler dealership are still good at any other Chrysler dealership.

Still, Rouviere said she has been struggling to get another dealership to agree to the terms of her agreement.

"They said that probably they're going to try and work somehow with me, but they didn't promise me anything," Rouviere said.

The owner of the Mike Shad group said some layoffs are likely but some people are being redirected to other Mike Shad dealerships.