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SB 194 provide certain restrictions for dealership...

State of South Dakota  
SEVENTY-FOURTH SESSION
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY,  1999
 

607C0723  
SENATE BILL   NO.     194  

        Introduced by: Senators Flowers, Dennert, Drake, Hutmacher, Kloucek, and Symens and Representatives McNenny, Cerny, Chicoine, Fryslie, Jaspers, and Weber  

         FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to provide certain restrictions for dealership contracts for agricultural equipment.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
     Section  1.  Terms used in this Act mean:
             (1)    "Dealer," any person who receives agricultural equipment from a manufacturer under a dealership contract and who offers and sells the agricultural equipment to the general public;
             (2)    "Dealership contract," a written agreement or contract between a manufacturer and dealer which fixes the legal rights and liabilities of the parties to such agreement or contract;
             (3)    "Manufacturer," any person engaged in the manufacturing or distribution of agricultural equipment including any person who acts for the manufacturer.
     Section  2.  The following circumstances are not cause for the termination or noncontinuance of a dealership contract, nor for entering into a dealership contract for the establishment of an additional dealership in a community for the same line-make:
             (1)    The change of executive management or ownership of the dealer, unless the

manufacturer can show that the change would be detrimental to the representation or reputation of the manufacturer's product;

             (2)    Refusal by the dealer to purchase or accept delivery of any agricultural equipment, parts, accessories, or any other commodity or service not ordered by the dealer;
             (3)    The sole fact that the manufacturer desires further penetration of the market;
             (4)    The fact that the dealer owns, has an investment in, participates in the management of, or holds a dealership contract for the sale of another line-make of agricultural equipment, or that the dealer has established another line-make of agricultural equipment in the same dealership facilities as those of the manufacturer, if the dealer maintains a reasonable line of credit for each line-make of agricultural equipment; or
             (5)    Refusal by the dealer to participate in any advertising campaign or contest or purchase any promotional materials, display devices, or display decoration or materials which are at the expense of the dealer.
     Section  3.  No manufacturer may require a dealer to agree to the inclusion of a term or condition in a dealership contract, or in any lease or agreement ancillary or collateral to a dealership contract, as a condition to the offer, grant, or renewal of such dealership contract, lease, or agreement, that:
             (1)    Requires the dealer to waive trial by jury in cases involving the manufacturer;
             (2)    Specifies the jurisdictions, venues, or tribunals in which disputes arising with respect to the dealership contract, lease, or agreement shall or may not be submitted for resolution or otherwise prevents a dealer from bringing an action in a particular forum otherwise available under the law;
             (3)    Requires that disputes between the manufacturer and dealer be submitted to arbitration or to any other binding alternate dispute resolution procedure. However, any dealership contract, lease, or agreement may authorize the submission of a dispute

to arbitration or to binding alternate dispute resolution if the manufacturer and dealer voluntarily agree to submit the dispute to arbitration or binding alternate dispute resolution at the time the dispute arises; or

             (4)    Requires a dealer to pay the attorney fees of a manufacturer.
     This section does not apply to any agreement that has as its main objective the lease or sale of real property.