Section 8-21B-4 - Amendment, termination, etc., of dealer agreement - Good cause required(a) Notwithstanding the terms, provisions, or conditions of any agreement or dealer agreement, no supplier shall unilaterally amend, terminate, or refuse to renew any dealer agreement, or unilaterally cause a dealer to resign from a dealer agreement, unless the supplier has first complied with this chapter and good cause exists for amendment, termination, nonrenewal, or causing of resignation. The term good cause shall not include the sale or purchase of a supplier. The term good cause shall be limited to withdrawal by the supplier, its successors, and assigns of the sale of its products in Alabama or dealer performance deficiencies including, but not limited to, failure by the dealer to comply substantially, without reasonable cause, with any reasonable and material requirement imposed upon such dealer in writing by the supplier, including, but not limited to, a substantial failure by a dealer to do the following: (1) Maintain a sales volume or trend of the supplier's product line or lines comparable to that of other similarly situated dealers of that product line.(2) Render services comparable in quality, quantity, or volume to the services rendered by other dealers of the same product or product line similarly situated.(b) In any determination as to whether a dealer has failed to comply substantially, without reasonable cause, with any reasonable and material requirement imposed upon such dealer by the supplier, consideration shall be given to the relative size, population, geographical location, number of retail outlets, and demand for the products applicable to the relevant market area of the dealer and to other comparable market areas.(c) No supplier shall be required to give notice or show good cause pursuant to subsection (a) to unilaterally amend dealer agreements to comply with federal or state law or, where not inconsistent with this chapter, to amend uniformly dealer agreements as to all dealers of the supplier in all states in which the supplier is marketing its products.(d) In any dispute as to whether a supplier has acted with good cause as required by this chapter, the supplier shall have the burden of proof to establish that good cause existed.Ala. Code § 8-21B-4 (1975)
Act 2009-755, p. 2279, § 4.