A. Except as provided in subsection D of this section, a supplier shall provide a dealer at least 120 days’ prior written notice of any intention to amend, terminate, cancel or not renew any agreement. The notice shall state all the reasons for the intended amendment, termination, cancellation or nonrenewal.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 59.1-355

  • Agreement: means a commercial relationship, not required to be evidenced in writing, of definite or indefinite duration, between a supplier and a dealer pursuant to which the dealer has been authorized to distribute one or more of the supplier's heavy equipment products, and attachments and repair parts therefor, and in connection therewith to use a trade name, trademark, service mark, logo type, or advertising or other commercial symbol. See Virginia Code 59.1-353
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Dealer: means a person in Virginia (i) engaged in the business of selling or leasing heavy equipment at retail, (ii) who customarily maintains a total inventory, valued at over $250,000, of new heavy equipment and attachments and repair parts therefor, and (iii) who provides repair services for the heavy equipment sold. See Virginia Code 59.1-353
  • Person: means a natural person, corporation, partnership, trust, agency or other entity as well as the individual officers, directors or other persons in active control of the activities of each such entity. See Virginia Code 59.1-353
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
  • Supplier: means every person, including any agent of such person, or any authorized broker acting on behalf of that person, that enters into an "agreement" with a dealer. See Virginia Code 59.1-353

B. Where such reason or reasons relate to a condition or conditions which may be rectified by action of the dealer, he shall have seventy-five days in which to take such action and, within such seventy-five-day period, shall give written notice to the supplier if and when such action is taken. If such condition or conditions have been rectified by action of the dealer, then the proposed amendment, termination, cancellation or nonrenewal shall be void and without legal effect. However, where the supplier contends that action on the part of the dealer has not rectified one or more of such conditions, such supplier must give written notice thereof to the dealer within fifteen days after the dealer gave notice to the supplier of the action taken.

C. During the 120-day notice period provided for in subsection A the dealer shall have the right to contract for a transfer of his business to another person who meets the material and reasonable qualifications and standards required by the supplier of its dealers. The dealer shall give notice of any such transfer to the supplier at least forty-five days prior to the expiration of the 120-day notice period.

D. No notice shall be required and an agreement may be immediately terminated, amended, canceled or allowed to expire if the reason for the amendment, termination, cancellation or nonrenewal is:

1. The bankruptcy or receivership of the dealer;

2. An assignment for the benefit of the creditors or similar disposition of the assets of the business, other than the creation of a security interest in the assets of a dealer for the purpose of securing financing in the ordinary course of business;

3. Willful or intentional misrepresentation made by the dealer with the express intent to defraud the supplier;

4. Failure of the dealer to conduct its customary sales and service operations during its customary business hours for seven consecutive business days, unless such failure has resulted from acts of God, casualties, strikes, or other similar circumstances beyond the dealer’s reasonable control;

5. Failure to pay any undisputed amount due the supplier continuing for thirty days after written notice thereof; or

6. A final conviction of the dealer of a felony.

1988, c. 73.

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