40-20-114. Violations of chapter.

(a) It shall be a violation of this chapter for a supplier to take any one (1) or more of the following actions:

(i) To coerce, compel or require any dealer to accept delivery of any equipment or repair parts which the dealer has not voluntarily ordered, except as required by any applicable law or unless the equipment or repair parts are safety features required by a supplier;

(ii) To require any dealer to purchase goods or services as a condition to the sale by the supplier to the dealer of any equipment, repair parts or other goods or services, except that nothing herein shall prohibit a supplier from requiring the dealer to purchase all repair parts, special tools and training reasonably necessary to maintain the safe operation or quality of operation in the field of any equipment offered for sale by the dealer;

(iii) To coerce any dealer into a refusal to purchase equipment manufactured by another supplier. However, it shall not be a violation of this section to require separate facilities, financial statements, or sales staff for major competing lines so long as the dealer is given at least three (3) years notice of such requirement;

(iv) To refuse to deliver in reasonable quantities and within a reasonable time, after receipt of the dealer's order, to any dealer having a dealer agreement for the retail sale of new equipment sold or distributed by the supplier, equipment covered by the dealer agreement specifically advertised or represented by the supplier to be available for immediate delivery. The failure to deliver the equipment shall not be considered a violation of this chapter if the failure is due to prudent and reasonable restrictions on extensions of credit by the supplier to the dealer, an act of God, work stoppage or delay due to a strike or labor difficulty, a bona fide shortage of materials, freight embargo, or other cause over which the supplier has no control or a business decision by the supplier to limit the production volume of the equipment;

(v) To discriminate, directly or indirectly, in filling an order placed by a dealer for retail sale or lease of new equipment under a dealer agreement as between dealers of the same product line;

(vi) To discriminate, directly or indirectly, in price between different dealers with respect to purchases of equipment or repair parts of like grade and quality and identical brand, where the effect of the discrimination may be to substantially lessen competition, tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce or injure, destroy or prevent competition with any dealer who either grants or knowingly receives the benefit of the discrimination. Different prices may be charged if:

(A) The differences are due to differences in the cost of manufacture, sale or delivery of the equipment or repair parts;

(B) The supplier can show that the lower price was made in good faith to meet an equally low price of a competitor; or

(C) The differences are related to the volume of equipment purchased by dealers.

(vii) To prevent by contract or otherwise, any dealer, from changing its capital structure, ownership or the means by or through which the dealer finances its operations, so long as the dealer gives prior notice to the supplier and provided the dealer at all times meets any reasonable capital standards agreed to between the dealer and the supplier and imposed on similarly situated dealers and provided the change by the dealer does not result in a change in the person with actual or effective control of a majority of the voting interests of the dealer;

(viii) To require a dealer to assent to a release, assignment, novation, waiver or estoppel which would relieve any person from liability imposed by this chapter;

(ix) Require as a condition of renewal or extension of a dealer agreement that the dealer complete substantial renovation to the dealer's place of business or to acquire new or additional space to serve as the dealer's place of business unless the supplier provides:

(A) At least one (1) year written notice of the condition;

(B) All the grounds supporting the condition; and

(C) A reasonable period of time in which to complete the renovation or acquisition after the one (1) year notice period expires.