16-1203. Change of farm equipment dealership agreements; restrictions. No farm equipment manufacturer, directly or through any officer, agent or employee may terminate, cancel, fail to renew or substantially change the competitive circumstances of a dealership agreement without good cause. For the purposes of this subsection, good cause means and includes the failure by a farm equipment dealer to substantially comply with essential and reasonable requirements imposed upon the dealer by the dealership agreement, provided such requirements are not different from those requirements imposed on other similarly situated dealers either by their terms or in the manner of their enforcement. In addition, good cause shall exist whenever:

(a) The farm equipment dealer has transferred an interest in the farm equipment dealership without the manufacturer's consent, or there has been a withdrawal from the dealership of an individual proprietor, partner, major shareholder, or the manager of the dealership, or there has been a substantial reduction in interest of a partner or major stockholder without the consent of the manufacturer;

(b) the farm equipment dealer has filed a voluntary petition in bankruptcy or has had an involuntary petition in bankruptcy filed against it which has not been discharged within 30 days after the filing, or there has been a closeout or sale of a substantial part of the dealer's assets related to the farm equipment business, or there has been a commencement of dissolution or liquidation of the dealer;

(c) there has been a change, without the prior written approval of the manufacturer, in the location of the dealer's principal place of business under the dealership agreement;

(d) the farm equipment dealer has defaulted under any chattel mortgage or other security agreement between the dealer and the farm equipment manufacturer, or there has been a revocation or discontinuance of any guarantee of the dealer's present or future obligations to the farm equipment manufacturer;

(e) the farm equipment dealer has failed to operate in the normal course of business for seven consecutive days or has otherwise abandoned its business;

(f) the farm equipment dealer has pleaded guilty to or has been convicted of a felony affecting the relationship between the dealer and manufacturer;

(g) the dealer has engaged in conduct which is injurious or detrimental to the dealer's customers or to the public welfare;

(h) the farm equipment dealer has consistently failed to meet the manufacturer's requirements for reasonable market penetration based on the manufacturer's experience in other comparable marketing areas.

History: L. 1986, ch. 2, § 3; July 1.