If the contract between a distributor and a manufacturer or importer is terminated or otherwise discontinued, all franchises granted to trailer dealers in the Commonwealth by that distributor shall continue in full force and shall not be affected by the discontinuance, except that the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, representative, or other person who undertakes to distribute trailers of the same line-make or the same trailers of a renamed line-make shall be substituted for the discontinued distributor under the existing trailer dealer franchises, and those franchises shall be modified accordingly.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 46.2-1573.19

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Distributor: means a person who is licensed by the Department under this chapter and who sells or distributes new motor vehicles or new trailers pursuant to a written agreement with the manufacturer to franchised motor vehicle dealers in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 46.2-1500
  • Factory branch: means a branch office maintained by a person for the sale of motor vehicles to distributors or for the sale of motor vehicles to motor vehicle dealers, or for directing or supervising, in whole or in part, its representatives in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 46.2-1500
  • Line-make: means the name of the motor vehicle manufacturer or distributor and a brand or name plate marketed by the manufacturer or distributor. See Virginia Code 46.2-1500
  • Manufacturer: means a person who is licensed by the Department under this chapter and engaged in the business of constructing or assembling new motor vehicles or new trailers and, in the case of trucks, recreational vehicles, and motor homes, also means a person engaged in the business of manufacturing engines, transmissions, power trains, or rear axles, when such engines, transmissions, power trains, or rear axles are not warranted by the final manufacturer or assembler of the truck, recreational vehicle, or motor home. See Virginia Code 46.2-1500
  • Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
  • Trailer: means every vehicle without motive power designed for carrying property or passengers wholly on its own structure and for being drawn by another motor vehicle, including semitrailers but not manufactured homes, watercraft trailers, camping trailers, or travel trailers. See Virginia Code 46.2-1500

1996, cc. 1043, 1052, § 46.2-1992.71; 2015, c. 615.