(a) In the event of the death of the retailer or the majority stockholder of a corporation operating as a retailer, the supplier shall, at the option of the heir or heirs, repurchase the inventory from the heir or heirs of the retailer or majority stockholder as if the supplier had terminated the contract. The heir or heirs shall have one (1) year from the date of the death of the retailer or majority stockholder to exercise their options under this part. Nothing in this part shall require the repurchase of any inventory if the heir or heirs and the supplier enter into a new contract retail agreement to operate the retail dealership.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 47-25-1309

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Inventory: means farm implements and machinery, construction, utility and industrial equipment, consumer products, outdoor power equipment, attachments and repair parts. See Tennessee Code 47-25-1301
  • Lineal descendant: Direct descendant of the same ancestors.
  • Personal representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Retailer: means any person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of selling and retailing farm implements and machinery, construction, utility and industrial equipment, outdoor power equipment, attachments or repair parts and shall not include retailers of petroleum products. See Tennessee Code 47-25-1301
  • Supplier: means any manufacturer, wholesaler, wholesale distributor, or any purchaser of assets or stock of any surviving corporation resulting from a merger or liquidation, any receiver or assignee, or any trustee of the original manufacturer, wholesaler or distributor. See Tennessee Code 47-25-1301
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) A supplier shall have ninety (90) days in which to consider and make a determination upon a request by a family member to enter into a new retail agreement to operate the retail dealership. As used herein, “family member” means a spouse, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or lineal descendant of the dealer or principal owner of the dealership. In the event the supplier determines that the requesting family member is not acceptable, the supplier shall provide the family member with a written notice of its determination with the stated reasons for nonacceptance. This section does not entitle an heir, personal representative or family member to operate a dealership without the specific written consent of the supplier.
(c) Notwithstanding this section, in the event that a supplier and a dealer have previously executed an agreement concerning succession rights prior to the dealer’s death and, if such agreement has not been revoked, such agreement shall be observed even if it designates someone other than the surviving spouse or heirs of the decedent as the successor.
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