By CRISTINA TRAPANI-SCOTT

CLINTON — The Clinton-Tecumseh Ford Lincoln Mercury parking lot was emptied first thing Monday morning after partners Steve Hazzard and Tarik Daoud learned that the potential sale of the dealership had fallen through.

In late June, Ford Motor Credit sought in court to liquidate the dealership assets following a May audit that showed the dealership had not paid Ford $1.2 million for vehicles that had been sold.

Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Timothy P. Pickard suggested to a Ford Motor Credit attorney that an order be handed down that would protect Ford Motor Company from further loss as the business attempted to find a buyer.

In September, the dealership cut its hours back and ceased selling and servicing automobiles as Ford Motor Credit and dealership owners negotiated the possible sale of the dealership.

The dealership employed close to 30 people. Hazzard’s wife, Carol, who remained in Michigan while Steve searched for new employment out east, said in an earlier report that she hoped to see a sale go through to preserve the jobs.

According to Clinton-Tecumseh Ford attorney Roy Hunsinger, there were a number of legitimate buyers for the dealership, but the money owed to Ford Motor Credit was more than any of the potential buyers were willing to offer for the dealership. “We tried to keep it open as best we could,” said Hunsinger. “We wanted to preserve jobs and were led to believe that there might be a deal, but the more we went on, the more it became apparent it was not going to happen.”

Hunsing said all of the dealership assets will be liquidated with all the proceeds going to Ford Motor Credit. “Unfortunately, the other creditors, locally and throughout the country, will get nothing because there is nothing there,” he said.